Sure. I would routinely use the name of Field Marshall Goering to frighten my daughter to sleep. Right.

Things are also said to "sell like hotcakes," but I can never recall seeing any hotcakes for sale anywhere....

The problem we have with so much of this stuff is that myths and wive's tales can start to substitute for genuine information.

I started with Iraq and Afghanistan back in about 6,000 BC. From that, it seems pretty obvious that the myth that Iraq was a made up country was just myth. It's core boundaries and the concepts of Iraq are well-established and documented---Gertrude Bell didn't make them up.

Instead, however, history suggests that if any "country" were actually made up (and badly), I would put Afghanistan at the top of the Made-Up-O-Meter, stumbling into existence in its present context by a collection of 1893 to 1950 accidents.

The Rulers of Kabul, the Rulers of Khandahar, The Rulers of the major towns along the Silk Road, go back in time, and they all had a different focus and purpose... Afghanistan goes back in decades.

Although I haven't quantified it, I would guess that most of what now constitutes Afghanistan has been under occupancy or foreign dominion more than it has been "free."

In most cases, as with Ranjit Singh, there were substantial mutual benefits that flowed from their affiliation and/or subjugation. That's when stability existed.

Steve

PS- Got any hot cakes?