The New Cold War

[Peter666]

And those conditions are.... encroachment on their territory. They hate Israel and America because those two entities have a direct influence on their back yard.

If left alone, Muslim countries tend to moderate themselves with their own secular authorities, like Turkey. But put a visible enemy on their property, and here comes Allah's revenge.

[jokerthief]

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I'll take the older gentler judaism. It survived because of its gentle philosophy, its strongly knit community.

The present activits Zionism is, IMO, abhorrent.

Actually, on second thought, I'll stay in the Athiest corner, thank you.

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I'm thinking more along the lines of American and Israeli Jews who don't believe in God but respect the morality that underlies Judaism. The ones you are talking about are the ones I see dying out. I'm talking about people like Ed Miller's mom ( See this post ).

[The once and future king]

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I thought you were going to mention the growing rift between Russia and the United States. Regardless, Islam is going to beat out liberal democracy in the long run because it has the moral imperative and unity to do so. Liberal societies tend to split into factions and weaken, and without a united front will not withstand Islam in the decades to come. I prefer a society of shawarmas and subjected women to that of Big Macs and fat feminists anyway.

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Excepting the fact that shias and shiets(?) blow each other up all the time.

[adios]

Good post. I actually agree with your points. How do you think that this kind of analysis would go over politically? For instance say one of the leading Democratic candidates for President made these same points.

[Zeno]

Good post. I'll toss a few more bones into the pot.

I found Rice's comment that it is time for a 'new middle east' to be more than just interesting. I hope it isn't empty rhetoric.

Local politics is important but can be steered and driven by more comprehensive moments, both national and international. A Zeitgeist grips human societies at times and moves them along toward ends that are difficult to predict. The rise of irrationalism (or Fascism) has been growing steadily forward for many years. Bertrand Russell identified this long ago and put it back in the 1800's.

The religious element to the present situation lends analogy to the last Cold War somewhat slippery in my opinion. But that is an entirely different thread.

It is unfortunate but not much will be resolved in my opinion without massive and systemic violence and the attendant slaughter of tens or possibly hundreds of millions of people. What I find so surprising is people don’t realize this. To me it is almost a set fact for our future history and it is best to just get on with it now, the longer we wait the more people will eventually be slaughtered. The continual band-aid approach only puts off the predestined day.

-Zeno

[nicky g]

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"Islam is going to beat out liberal democracy in the long run because it has the moral imperative and unity to do so."

Haven't the Sunnis and Shiiites been at each others' throats since the death of Muhammad?

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No, not really.

[Dynasty]

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But my point was that the Cold War manichean world outlook seems to be quite similar to the way many of our leaders are looking at today's situation.

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Did that world outlook eventually lead to victory despite some pain along the way?

[Copernicus]

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And those conditions are.... encroachment on their territory. They hate Israel and America because those two entities have a direct influence on their back yard.

If left alone, Muslim countries tend to moderate themselves with their own secular authorities, like Turkey. But put a visible enemy on their property, and here comes Allah's revenge.

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Youre back on ignore with this one.

[Peter666]

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I thought you were going to mention the growing rift between Russia and the United States. Regardless, Islam is going to beat out liberal democracy in the long run because it has the moral imperative and unity to do so. Liberal societies tend to split into factions and weaken, and without a united front will not withstand Islam in the decades to come. I prefer a society of shawarmas and subjected women to that of Big Macs and fat feminists anyway.

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Excepting the fact that shias and shiets(?) blow each other up all the time.

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No doubt a tourist attraction on the beaches of Tunisia.

[andyfox]

"The religious element to the present situation lends analogy to the last Cold War somewhat slippery in my opinion."

The Godlessness of Communism was an element in our opposition to it, although I think it may have been more to keep the population stirred up than a real element affecting our actions. It was the geopolitical ambitions of the Communists, or what we saw as their geopolitical ambitions, that guided us and I have my doubts that their apparent atheism determined Soviet or other Communist behavior. There is no question in my mind, though, that religious ideology does indeed motivate many in the Islamic world.

"not much will be resolved in my opinion without massive and systemic violence and the attendant slaughter of tens or possibly hundreds of millions of people. What I find so surprising is people don’t realize this."

I think this is exactly what a lot of people fear, rather than "realize." Some fear that unless the Islamo-facists are stopped, this will happen. Others fear that unless the neocons are stopped, this will happen. There is rampant talk of World War III and the Clash of Civilizations. My own feeling is that such talk is overblown and the threat of terrorism is exaggerated.