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To: Savage Beast
Germany had an earlier, and in many ways quite rich, liberal tradition to draw on. The political parties which dominated by the late 1940s were essentially the same ones (with the exception of the Nazis and Communists) who had dominated in the 1920s. As to Japan, I am not sure if the social engineering was ever very successful. The Zabatsu (sp) still reign and most Japanese today are taught in school that there country was right during World War II, or, at the very least, no worse than the U.S.
18 posted on 11/25/2001 12:30:06 PM PST by Captain Kirk
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To: Captain Kirk
I don't think the world can wait several centuries. The clash of cultures is upon us.

World Civilization will be Western Civilization, combined with Chinese Civilization to an extent which cannot be determined yet.

It may be able to make some accomodations to Islam, but not many, because of the fundamental differences between Islam and Western Civilization.

Islam will accomodate World Civilization or face annihilation.

Moderates within the Islamic world will become secularized, as most Christians and Jews have been. Intransigents will be overpowered and overwhelmed by the dominant World Civilization culture. Ultimately, an altered Islamic world will be absorbed into World Civilization.

If present trends continue, Islam will help catalyze the forging of Russia, India, and NATO into a solid and powerful alliance, an alliance that will ultimately include China also.

A rich, liberal tradition from the past was of little help in bringing Germany from Naziism (or pre-Naziism) to democracy. Democracy was foreign to German thinking and experience.

There are conflicting currents in contemporary Japan, but capitalism and constitutional democracy have definitely succeeded.

Both Germany and Japan are miracles of post-war political and economic success--and American magnanimity in victory.

Success in both countries is due to the sweeping away of centuries-old cultural traditions by less-than-culturally sensitive occupying armies that imposed upon the subjugated populations an American-style constitution, which made them free whether they wanted to be or not.

It also made the world safer for everyone else.

This is the future of the present-day Islamic theocracies.

What do you think?

20 posted on 11/25/2001 5:46:55 PM PST by Savage Beast
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