The old Ottoman Empire from the 15th and 16th centuries. (Source: Wikipedia)

Congressman Louis Gohmert of Texas is no stranger to controversy. He is a borderline birther who has jumped off into crazy theories in the past. He has a new one now. Gohmert believes a new Ottoman Empire is forming in the Middle East, thanks to Barack Obama.

Why? Who knows? I have a hunch that Gohmert has few clues of what the Ottoman Empire was. Although an absolute monarchy brutal to its citizens, the Ottomans were not necessarily worse than many nations of their age. They tolerated Christians and Jews, far better than some countries do today. If the purpose is to drag out an absolutely horrible regime from the past, there is a lot worse than the Ottomans to use as an example. Besides, the Ottoman’s were Turks. Turkey may have too much religious fundamentalism lingering about its government, but it is a democracy and member of NATO.

If Obama is creating another Ottoman Empire, it can’t be worse than the theocratic Iranians or tyrannical Assad in Syria. However, that isn’t going to happen anyway. It is just another loose-screw rambling from a Texas Congressman who speaks before he thinks.