Democracy, Religion(s) and the Clash of Civilizations

In their comments at "Are the ENTS Awakening" -Pastorius and Pim's Ghost at Infidel Blogger's alliance start a thought provoking analysis as to whether it is possible to avoid a cataclysm in which certainly tens of millions, potentially hundreds of millions will die, and perhaps settle less than the crusades did.

It's obvious from the cartoon jihad that the freedom critical to all else in the Bill of Rights, and the constitution, the one which we use as the progenitor for protection of the individual against any tyranny of the majority, or as we have seen in too many nations, the MOB is THE flashpoint. Freedom of speech is blashpemy.

According to the salafi philosophical descendents of Ibn Tamiyya, Sayd Qutb etc., there is going to be no alternative. It's them or us. Period. If they control the destiny of Islam, we might as well brings the men and women home, start the salafi arrests, wahabbi-salafi mosque closures and deportations here at home, and then light off all the Tomahawks, Tridents and Peackeepers today.

However, perhaps letting my liberal slip show, I don't think that's going to be the way to go. I think the answer IS democracy. Democracy, despite the islamozoids winning in Algeria, Hamas, etc. PROVIDING the ballot box remains private, sacrosanct and well used.

We have seen today a drawing back of some European nations from the Eurabia the incredible B'at Yeor has accurately described. Some. Despite the attempts of the left there to portray this as some fascist-esque revival, there are enough there to ensure that policies which have lead populations decadent enough to forgo enough children to remain ALIVE, will now get a thoroughly jaundiced review. We see the pope cut to the heart of the problem (the Quran must be considered to be immutable) several times.

So with issues sharpening and each cycle of values exposure, and 'more intimate' contact between Muslims in our societies, and Muslims dominated nations, and the west, how is a clash to be avoided?

I am absolutely CERTAIN after 4+ years of talking with gulf Arabs every day that about 2/3 are completely against the conscience riving actions of the 1-2% who commit mass murder, and the 30%+ who, in some way either do or would support these actions in the name of 'god' emotionally, or worse support it financially or thru other means. These ~67% of muslim folks have a moral compass in relatively good shape, but cannot stand up to the religious authority(ies) which continually, since it's Muslim Brotherhood ascendance - pound the values of {72 hot chicks in heat to get their hands on you if you die in the cause of killing the people who run around making up laws out of their own heads instead of following "god's" (presumably tesoterone gel is provided after a few days or weeks)}

But these same folks have only one way to repudiate the religious doctrine which their conscience SCREAMS at them cannot be "Islam". The privacy of the ballot box. We may see as we have seen, the election of semi-ignorant loony bigots, but I would remind americans that Robert Byrd still serves in the Senate, and I wouldn't crow to loudly about one Trent Lott. More, just as we have seen with Spain, governments freely elected are always transient. That's true for inimical administrations as well as friendly ones. AS LONG AS ELECTIONS ARE CONTINUALLY HELD. The history of democracies, INSISTS, that people free to vote will always vote for the own welfare, with mistakes to be sure, but that has import. That’s why democracies don’t go to real war with each other. Such a war would clearly be peoples against peoples, not peoples against Bin Laden.

Roads and schools will win out over {72 hot chicks who cannot be proved to exist in waiting}. If the elected govts do not deliver these opportunities, then they WILL get fired. This does not assume “they” are like us, it assumes “they” love their children. This will continuously isolate the zarquoids among the Muslims. Once that happens, humanity wins.

Of course this process seems limited when one considers the galactic twerp of Iran and his mullah madmen circling the well, waiting. We may have to deal with them, or our close allies might. But yet .. one idea out of that conundrum may yield some hope…isolate Iran and admit Israel to NATO.

As Wellington said of Waterloo, ‘it was a near run thing’. So this will all be. Must be.

I have no doubt we are going to the brink. None. I have no doubt before it’s all done we’ll buy more duct tape, and stock clean water. But I hope there is a way there are not too many rats in the cage in this close and closer world.

But there may yet prove to be too many to have religious intolerance and bigotry in close proximity to freedom of speech. I which case, we all know what the end must be. Frankly I have no doubt we would do it.

We did it before just to reduce our fighting men’s casualties and shorten a war. Imagine what we would do to save our society.