Islamofascism?

At the risk of driving the Iraq issue into the ground -- if it is even possible to over-analyze a circumstance of such great import –- I feel compelled to say a few words more before I let this issue sit for a while.

I heard a snippet of a speech by Bush today that contained a slight element of truth. He mentioned that no matter the causes or circumstances surrounding the invasion of Iraq the reality is that the US cannot afford to lose now. Before I dissect the partial truth of that paraphrased statement let's take a gander at some of the opinions of others relating to this war.

Some view this as nothing short of a clash of cultures. La Shawn Barber is certainly not alone when she states "As wild as it may seem to Americans, especially heathens, the war against terror is a religious war. Whether the enemy chooses to conquer us by force with bombs and flaming airplanes, or by our own suicidal and weak-willed acceptance of their demands to change our way of life (swimming pools today; the legal system tomorrow) to adhere to their religious laws, he will attempt to conquer us by any means necessary." The term Islamofascism is the favored term used to describe this nefarious enemy bent on cultural annihilation and assimilation of the West.

Without debating semantics too much it is simply impossible to call the most radicals in the Muslim world fascist. Fascism is a western phenomenon exclusively. It connotes a combination of corporatism, nationalism and militarism. The term fascist cannot be properly applied to the Islamic faction in this conflict.

Primitive, totalitarian and evil, those are indeed characteristics of the Islamic radicals that engage in this fight; however their system predates the notion of fascism.

Of course a debate over the meaning of words is not really productive. The point that La Shawn and many others adhere to is that this is a battle between cultures, and the enemy of our culture is attacking us by overt and subvert means.

On this point, history and empirical evidence combine to show that if the neoconservatives are right and we are in a culture war, then it is simply not a fair fight or even one we should concern ourselves with. (Not fair as in their culture has no chance against a moral, free and just culture - if we are really that we have nothing to fear. If we are not that then we are fighting an unjust war for it is unjust to fight and kill for something not worthy of fighting and killing for.)

"What," you say? Just look at Europe, or France specifically; Muslims have accomplished in the last 40 years what could not be done in centuries of religious warfare – conquest of Western Europe. I say true, France lost a culture war it did not know it was fighting. (I will not make the joke that France is beaten in every war it fights unless it is commanded by a non-Frenchman.)

Perhaps France lost the cultural war and is well on the way to assimilation because its culture was inadequate to prevail. There are only two ways one culture can, historically speaking, supplant another. One is via military conquest and occupation. The other is by simply having a "better" culture. Better in that sense does not mean more desirable but rather more adaptive, prolific and extendable. It is essentially the survival of the fittest.

If the US is engaged in a cultural/religious war with Islamofascists, as many would propose, then who exactly are we fighting and are they really worthy of a fight? Consider for instance that in the period prior to 630AD the Middle East surpassed the West in numerous categories including mathematics, science, commerce and medicine. Numerous empires of enormous scale rose and fell and rose again over the centuries proceeding the introduction of Islam; since around 630AD, nothing, NOTHING at all of significant consequence. (I am not knocking Islam per se, just stating a fact.)

So Bush says we simply cannot afford to lose the battle in Iraq and implies and sometimes specifically states that the fate of our culture is at stake. The evidence simply does not support this view. We cannot afford to lose by "staying the course", a failed and flawed course. In that sense Bush spoke the truth.

Folks say that paleoconservatives are quick to point out what is wrong but short on answers. Here is an answer for you to consider – leave Iraq to the Iraqis, clean up our "culture" in the US (i.e. eliminate decadence, greed, egalitarianism and the welfare mentality), and stay out of the business of other people. It is just too easy to maintain a culture that will prevail against all others.

Ronald Reagan spoke about a "City on a Hill". He had it right in that regard. Good culture is one that others want to emulate; not just the latest pop-culture, rump shaking music video but real culture and real institutions that create inspiration.

If you want an answer to the problems created by globe-trotting foreign policy, corporate greed, social decadence and moral apathy -- that is our enemy, not crazy Muslim radicals -- then look no further than the very principles upon which many of our institutions were founded. Get that right and all else falls in line.

By the way, La Shawn is partially correct as well - losing a cultural war by being too weak willed to respect your own culture is foolishness.

Islamofascism