Saturday, May 01, 2004
CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS
I've had quite a bit of correspondence lately about my view that the modern world is in a deep and protracted struggle with the Islamic world. Some of it is here. I thought I'd write some more about this this weekend, or at least post up some more of that existing correspondence on my wesite and link to it here in Burchismo. But Steven Den Beste has done the work for me. I put more stress on the actual theological problems with Islam than Den Beste does, and perhaps less on the military/imperial history than he does in my analysis, but only slightly so. Basically, I think he's got it right.
And basically, this is a very dark view. The Left and most of Europe (i.e. the Left) will blame Bush's agressive policies for what is to come, but it was coming, anyway: We've got years, perhaps decades, of violent conflict with the Islamic world ahead of us. Sooner or later we'll have to realize that the only thing that is making this necessary is our dependence on oil from the Middle East. The culture that is attempting to destroy us is on artifical life support through the money pumped into the Middle East for oil. If that stopped, our enemy would wither and die, or change.
I'll say it as clearly as I can: If we're at war -- and we are -- where is the "Manhattan Project"? Where are our leaders? Why isn't developing technologies that will free us from dependence on oil our number one priority as a civilization?
UPDATE (20040603): Steven Den Beste has made a post on his blog reacting to the "Manhattan Project" idea mentioned here, and I've replied.
GB, THHotA
posted by Greg 8:46 AM
