The west has won

The Guardian (England) ^ | October 11, 2001 | Francis Fukuyama

[liberallarry]

The absolute best article on the conflict between Islam and the West. For those who hate "intellectuals" - forget it. For the rest - this is heaven. You might even forgive the Guardian its left-wing bias.

[atafak]

The answer that politicians east and west have been putting out since September 11 is that those sympathetic with the terrorists are a "tiny minority" of Muslims, and that the vast majority are appalled by what happened. It is important to say this to prevent all Muslims from becoming targets of hatred.

Fukayama does not say that the "tiny majority" story is true, only that it is politically expedient. In fact he goes on to hint that the story is a lie. Some of us believe it is more important to tell the truth, than to cling to this lie.

[IncPen]

Fundamentalists dream of a global Islamic empire. They believe that if they destroy America and the western countries, that they will achieve this dream.

Yeah, just like those 3rd-Worlders... we do all the heavy lifting and they want to step in and take all the credit...

[Cicero]

But there does seem to be something about Islam

Precisely. There are a billion Muslims in the world, and their numbers are growing every day, while most other people are subjecting themselves to "population planning." That's a very large part of the whole world population, not something you can simply ignore and hope it will go away.

On the whole, it was pleasanter to live in the Roman Empire, maybe on an estate in Gaul or Britain, than it was to live in the woods and marshes on the Eastern side of the Rhine and the Danube. But there was something about those pesky German tribes. . . . A certain persistence, a certain weight of numbers.

[Clinton's a rapist]

This seems generally on the money, at least insofar as the Islam versus the West part goes. There are changes coming down the pike (esp. nanotechnology) which will turn everything upside down in the next century but, yeah, for the foreseeable future it's gonna be Western Civilization uber alles.

[McGavin999]

The thing they don't understand is that freedom, once tasted, can never be forgotten. That's why they can't win, they never will win.

[Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy]

Francis Fukuyama reminds me of a 1st century Roman aristocrat, fat, lazy, and well fed, observing that "history was at an end" under the universal benevolence of the Pax Romana. Of course he was wrong, but given the short term trends, he appeared to be right.

Francis Fukuyama is one of those people much enamored of short term trends, and is besotted by a kind of Whig view of history mascarading as a Hegelian dialectic of a zig-zagging historical process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, leading ever upwards. But, contra whatever Hegel or Fukuyama might think, there is no "end point" or final synthesis of history. Every synthesis becomes a new thesis which calls up a rival and opposing antithesis. The process never ends. History does not stop.

[Monti Cello]

Many liberal democracies, including ours, seem to be evolving into free-market police-state tyrannies. You allow markets and free economic decision-making, leaving alive the golden goose, but strangle all other freedoms. Kinda like China.

It's still a little early to declare final victory. The verdict is still out on what will beecome of China and Russia and to assume the most benign alternative is naive.

[Sabertooth]

Synopsis:

Fukuyama, 1989: "History is over."

Fukuyama, 2001" "Now it's REALLY over."

Next?

[x]

But these terrorists had all tasted freedom in the US and Europe and rejected it.

[dennisw]

Precisely. There are a billion Muslims in the world, and their numbers are growing every day, while most other people are subjecting themselves to "population planning."

Demographics is destiny.

[liberallarry]

"...uber alles."

A deliberatly unfortunate choice or words. Made me laugh.

[Cold Heat]

I notice it was originally published in the Wall Street Journal. Great piece! Bookmarked!

[Cold Heat]

(!)

[liberallarry]

"And if we looked beyond liberal democracy and markets, there was nothing else towards which we could expect to evolve; hence the end of history."

"Demographics is destiny."

This is all pure speculation - for those who have a taste for it. I think Fukuyama means that no other systems are visible on the horizen now. Not that none will ever or could ever appear. Demographics is the key. If the population continues to grow we are in for one kind of trouble. If not, another kind.

[Cold Heat]

I'm not a blathering intellect but I believe the authors reference to the end of history was to say that the world after the communist threat was over would be historically boring in comparison. I believe he was right, at the time he wrote the piece in 89. I was very relieved as well and thought the great struggles would be over. They are not, as we have found, but they have changed in location and scope. I believe that without struggle we self destruct. It is our nature. I think that is what the author was thinking.

[Canuck1]

Demographics is destiny.

As they say in the Balkans: "Beat them in the bedroom."

[packrat01]

But these terrorists had all tasted freedom in the US and Europe and rejected it.

They didn't reject FReedom, as much as they embraced Jihad. If they were so well educated, why were they following islam?