Thoughts on Tribalism and Change

Thanks to X Dhimmi for making me aware of this piece over at ShrinkWrapped

http://shrinkwrapped.blogs.com/blog/2006/12/thoughts_about_.html


I have also given much thought to the way we
in the West arrived at our present rule sets. Separation of church
and state, religious freedom, representative government, private
property ownership backed by rule of law, free scientific inquiry,
and minimal government interference in commerce are all things we
more or less take for granted. In fact many of us may not even
recognize that these rule sets are in fact the basis of our freedom
and high standard of living. Many may also not realize that they are
all the antithesis of tribal rule sets. Each of those modern rule
sets were hard won from people who, just like the Islamists, wanted
to maintain the status quo. There was a great deal of quarreling,
fighting, and bloodshed over a period of 400 years before the modern
world slowly adopted the rule sets one by one. Can we expect it to
be any different in the Islamic world?
...
We have to be realistic. We have been repeatedly attacked by the
Islamists since 1979. They have told us what their intentions are
and we ignore them at our own peril. If history is any guide their
rule sets will not change without violence and this conflict will go
on for many, many years. We have to remind ourselves over and over
that it is a marathon not a sprint.
...
Whatever way forward we take, it is going to require that the nation
finally have the serious discussion to: 1.Recognize the enemy and
their intentions. 2. Understand that the only way we can stop them
from attacking us is to help them join the modern world where they
can share in the benefits of modernity. If those things can be
understood and accepted, then the national will can be gathered to
do what is necessary politically, diplomatically, and militarily to
win this war.