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Sam Huntington wrote a book called the "Clash of Civilizations" in 1996, in which he held that the "fault line" between Russia and the West would be replaced by the fault line between the West and Islam.

Huntington points out that Islam has historically attempted to conquer the west. They had successfully expanded westward until stopped at Tours in France in 732 A.D. The Crusades were a counterattack, but the Turks came back and laid seige to Vienna in the 17th century until driven back by burgeoning Europe.

The west burned itself out in the civil wars of the 20th century and radical Islam is on the march again. It has redeclared war on a wide range civilizations: The Hindus, the Orthodox Christians, Western Christians, and seculars all over the world. From Ambon to Jolo; from Bosnia to New York the message of the radical Islamist is the same: Kill the Infidel.

Modern day radical Islam has one fatal weakness, which they foolishly account to be their strength: it is the intensity of their hate and their will to conquer. They have in turn attacked the Indians, the Russians, otherwise apolitical Christians, and in due time will attack the Chinese, Japanese, the Papua New Guineans and the Eskimos. They have no bretheren but themselves, and manage to fight even among themselves. Huntington is right. There can be a war between civilizations and the radical Islamists have made it so.
br> This will also be a global war, but American diplomatic power, never strong to start with, cannot expand it thus. Radical Islam itself will ensure that this war will be prosecuted in every corner of the globe. They are a one-note movement incapable of any riposte other than the outrage or threat. There will never be radical Islamic humor, radical Islamic charity (except to their own), radical Islamic consumer goods or entertainment. They are sour, dark and joyless. The only note they can play is the drumbeat of death. In the coming struggle, I have no doubt that Islamic fundamentalists will retaliate with nerve gas, bioweapons, bombs, knives and everything they like so much. And their targets will be schools in France, concert halls in Britain, cruise ships in the Adriatic, churches in Russia, markets in the Philippines and Hindus in their temples. And at the end of it all there will be lynch mobs everywhere. Radical Islam will provide the noose.

Amazing.

I have been using that phrase, "clash of civilizations," ever since the attack, and I had not heard of Huntington or his book.

In any case, I believe he is correct. My hope is that the conflict will recall the West to its own roots and make our civilization worthy not just of salvation, but of celebration.

So its OK with everyone to be racist now? Because I've been reading tons of blatantly racist/bigoted posts.... and now I'm not surprised that we're hearing about Arab Americans being beaten and harassed in the last few days.

If its OK to be racist now, maybe Jim Robinson should take down the 3rd rule that we see right above the reply box.