>>I think you need both. Some folks aren't quite so tame as the British.
Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Muslim Sharia Law... nothing but Tribal tumors in various stages of growth.
"I SWEAR UPON THE ALTER OF ALMIGHTY GOD ETERNAL HOSTILITY TO EVERY FORM OF TYRANNY OVER THE MIND OF MAN"
--Thomas Jefferson
It is this cornerstone, this American ideal, which props up and protects the INDIVIDUAL from the collective will of Tribal tyranny. Yet how many American individuals are able to articulate it?
Easy to get lost when following the Tribal Warlord into the wilderness... easy to forget the American purpose for governance - "TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS".
What happens when the tribal warlord in the wilderness, and his loyal militia, decide they like milk and apples more than they appreciate the inalienable rights of others?
When Warlord militia wanabees (Tom Metzger and Co. for example) are devising to burn down the village.... better to pee on the matches than strike them.
nothing but Tribal tumors in various stages of growth.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days will be long in the land that the Lord thy G-d giveth thee
Looks to me like tribalism sir.
Tribes are making things a might difficult for the American Army in Afghanistan, and without their cooperation, we'd still be losing in Iraq. The reality is, extended family and religion are the only mitigating social forces besides government. G-d gave us religion and told us to bind as family. The reason Islam is so backward is not its "tribalism" but its religion.
I'd bet you've never looked at the Fifth Commandment that way, but it fits the text and particularly the Hebrew better than the usual "take care of your parents" explanation.