The Future is Muslim, European or American

Town Hall ^ | February 25, 2003 | Dennis Prager

[dinok]

This is probably the best definition of our world at this point in time I have ever read.

I agree 110%.

(Thanks for posting it.)

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Bump for later.

[LenS]

One, Christianity is spreading rapidly in Asia and Africa. And it's doing quite well in the Americas where the less vigourous churches are losing out to the rapidly growing more conservative churches.

Two, capitalism has grown greatly in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Latin American, East Asia, much of South Asia, and even in communist China.

Third, if conservatives are doing so badly in the US, how come the liberals no longer control Congress or the White House?

Mr. Prager is way too pessimistic. As Sovietologists did in the Cold War, he's severely understimating the strength of our side and overestimating the strength of our enemies.

[sd-joe]

This is a fantastic article, and spot on.

[davisfh]

If the militant Muslims somehow gained a plurality in one of the states or, God forbid, in the entire nation, it would be stunning to see how quickly the non-militant Muslims would come on board. There would be no Christian, Jew or person of any other faith who would be safe.

Quoting from something a friend of mine wrote recently: "Contrary to the impression which Muslim propagandists try to convey, Islam is not compatible with the Judeo-Christian culture of this country. It is an alien religion of an alien culture that is politically repressive, oppressive to women, opposed to the separation of church and state and intolerant and violent when the occasion allows."

[Porterville]

Yeah, but we got the weapons.

[yonif]

One, Christianity is spreading rapidly in Asia and Africa. And it's doing quite well in the Americas where the less vigourous churches are losing out to the rapidly growing more conservative churches.

Asian and African Christian movements are getting lots of hostility from the corrupt governments there. Take for example Christians in Indonesia. Furthermore, the Churches in the Americas are also being threatned by the governments there as well.

Two, capitalism has grown greatly in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Latin American, East Asia, much of South Asia, and even in communist China.

Capitalism might have grown, but it does not mean the other forces Mr. Prager is talking about aren't trying to prevent it from continuing in the form of American capitalism. I am talking about the European forces that are pushing for these states to adopt welfare type systems.

Third, if conservatives are doing so badly in the US, how come the liberals no longer control Congress or the White House?

It is more then physical power. He talks about the people themselves. Take for example the number of people who know our national anthem or pledge of allegience. He is saying that Liberals have taken over our schools and are teaching students in the ways of European socialism.

[Porterville]

One more point...what about the one billion Hindus??? 2-3billion Christians??? We will not go queilty. Infact, we have already won.

[Porterville]

Finally, what this article is mistaking for the truth is the residue of the past...It haunts us like a shadow but that is all it is; the Ottoman Empire fell, Nazi's, Socialist, Fascist, Communist, all failed... Their only legacy is echoes of the past screaming for attention, like an aging actor protesting the war...

[sd-joe]

I think Dennis Prager is very close to accurate. It is a frighteningly lonely position that we are in.

I do not doubt your claims, but they do not overthrow Prager's point.

Christianity may be spreading in many areas, but Chrisianity itself is very split in its socio-economic beliefs and support. I have been stunned by some of the statements coming from the pope and the vatican lately.

Capitalism has been gaining influence in certain areas, but in many of those areas it is mixed into a strange brew of other philosophies. I don't yet have a lot of confidence in how Russia and China are going to turn out for instance.

In the US, yes Conservatives are currently doing well, but these things can change so rapidly. Reagan was wonderful, but then Clinton managed to get in and do tremendous damage.

[wtc911]

"GLOBAL CALIPHATE" do a search. This effort by Islam is not new. It has just been buried in the press.

[Enemy Of The State]

[always vigilant]

For later...

[Torie]

The conflating of socialism, securlism and support of international non miliary institutions is discordant, silly and wrong.

[ez]

But there are now three ideologies competing to shape the future of mankind. They are militant Islam, Western European secularism and socialism, and American Judeo-Christianity and capitalism.

First, let's call the WE secular socialists by their religious name to level the playing field...atheists. So the struggle is between the Muslims, the Judeo-Christians, and the Atheists, with Iraq acting as the lynchpin that is allying the Atheists and Muslims against Israel and America et al. This is why Iraq is so contested. It unites the efforts of the world against us, eerily Biblical in its' implications. Iraq holds much of the oil that will finance the socialists and atheists for the struggle, and cannot be ceded to the Alliance.

If this seems fantastic to you consider the recent words of "Osama Bin Laden"...

It is not harmful in such conditions for the Muslims' interests and socialists' interests to come along with each other during the war against the crusade, without changing our faith and our declaration that socialists are infidels. Socialists' leadership had fallen down a long time ago. Socialists are infidels wherever they are, either in Baghdad or Aden. Such war which may take place these days is similar to the war between Muslims and Romans when the interests of the Muslims came along with the interests of the Persians who both fought against the Romans.

[x]

Excellent, intriguing article, but it doesn't take China into account. One fourth of the earth's population is bound to have an effect on the future.

Also, Britain and Israel both went far in the direction of socialism earlier, further than France or Germany in the 1940s and 1950s. Things do change and today's natural allies may be rivals tomorrow.

He gets Europe's secular/social democratic synthesis right, but America's Christian/capitalist blend may be more unstable and harder to export. Secular humanism and socialism reinforce each other, though both make for decadent and unsustainable social orders. There are conflicts between Christianity and capitalism that may make the American synthesis hard to maintain.

[ez]

Yeah, but we got the weapons.

WMDs level the playing field...

[Mears]

A very scary article,but I'm afraid I agree with it.

I told one of my sons about 10 years ago that the U.S.'s day was over,and he laughed. He's not laughing anymore.

This is one time I sincerely hope I'm wrong.The brainwashing of children in our schools is appalling,especially here in Newton,Massachusetts.I hope it's not too late to make some changes.

Was it Khruschev who said that we would destroy ourselves from within? I don't know if this is what he had in mind,but his words were prophetic.

[Torie]

Secular humanism and capitalism are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, the latter is really needed to effect the ends of the former. It is an apples and oranges thingie. Mixing in nationalism and a Pavlovian hostility to international organizations merely leads one farther astray. This is one of those grand unified theories that lays an egg.