Don Bowey wrote:

You really need to try and follow the thread.

Why, did I miss something important?

What? In this thread? Hardly likely ;-)

Start again at the part that reads "French medical...

I see I didn't miss something important.

FB uses Louis Pasteur as proof of France's current
greatness in medical science.

That is just like using the Arab world's centuries old expertise
in mathematics as proof of its current scholarly greatness.

True.

But the Arab world still was the cradle of civilization. What was can't be
taken away.

Ok, I see. You believe that because I said they *used* to be the cradle of
civilization that I was taking away that accomplishment. I can see your point.

How about if I change the sentence to:

Yeah, and the Arab world used to be a cradle of civilization.

Things change.

Would you give me a passing grade?