Wow... This thread has drifted far from its "Safety and Security Issues" roots. We've had accusations of communism, we've had Mike calling anyone who disagrees with him a "[censored]" (nice spelling, dude), and a side trip into the history of Iberian multiculturalism.

I hate to prolong the off-topic detour, but here's my one-shot reply to some of the issues raised on that last subject:

Fernando wrote:

True, but you're working from the assumption that all that counts is the perspectives of Spain's 15th-century Catholics. What evidence survives suggests that many (most?) of Spain's 15th-century non-Christians viewed Ferdinand and Isabella's campaign as we might today: as something violent and evil. IIRC, there's also evidence that a sizable minority of Spanish Christians at the time opposed the Inquisition, at least privately, and believed it was at odds with Jesus' teachings.

Your point, as I understand it, is that Ferdinand and Isabella had good intentions and believed they were doing the right thing. You are surely correct about that. However, the same can be said of some of history's greatest despots. Hitler was trying to establish prosperity, cultural and religious unity, and a sense of national identity in his time and place. Because it happened before I was born, should I refrain from judging him and saying he was wrong?

In any case, judging the Reyes Católicos wasn't my point. I was just trying to correct a factual error that ERT had posted. He implied that the Jews and Muslims were kicked out of Spain in 1492 because they could not blend into Iberian society and get along with people from other cultures. In fact, the Jews and Muslims generally got along fine with the Christians, and it was the Catholic theocracy that refused to blend into the existing (and very succcessful) multicultural society, and who decided to kick out everyone else.