[arthurus]

Islam is violently expansionist when it has the resources to be violently expansionist and quiescent when it lacks those resources. Moslems gain those assets by constant raiding, and in the past, by piracy. When their target societies become too strong and inflict truly massive defeats on the Moslem forces repeatedly until the paynim have insufficient resources to continue the Jihad then they fold in on their own countries and tend to their sheep and their dates until another time when the Infidel nations lose awareness and become weak. In the twentieth century the infidel West eagerly plied the Moslem world with resources for Jihad by buying the oil instead of taking it and by copious foreign aid.

The Umma does not produce sufficient surplus of its own to be able to expand and if raiding and piracy are prevented or totally defeated then it cannot wage its Jihad. The Umma needs only sufficient production to support a tiny ruling class in splendour and the millions at bare subsistence. The People do not produce any more than for their survival because the Sultan or the Bey confiscates everything else. Commerce is carried on by the rulers and minimally by others who lose most of their gain to the Sultan. That is all why when Israel turned over the lush and profitable greenhouses the Israeli residents had built in Gaza to the arabs they destroyed it all. They could not profit from the operations but they could take rare and momentary pleasure in the destruction.

[Riflema]

Slightly off-topic, but your (highly accurate) quote caught my eye:

The Umma needs only sufficient production to support a tiny ruling class in splendour and the millions at bare subsistence. The People do not produce any more than for their survival because the Sultan or the Bey confiscates everything else. Commerce is carried on by the rulers and minimally by others who lose most of their gain to the Sultan.

Sounds like the missing link, policy wise, between our OneWorld would be masters and the IS, no?