Warp,
The Middle East was, as we all know, one of the cradles of civilization, with not only the Nile cradle but also the Tigris-Euphrates cradle to talk about. It was most likely the happy climate and the fairly easy (for the time) transportation via rivers and gulfs and seas that made for the rapid transfer of trade and ideas. When one thinks of technology and learning, one need not think of religion, even if the religion dominated the area.
For example, Galileo and Copernicus both lived in Christendom, as did Newton, but few historians of science would talk about their contributions as "Christian." Western, yes, but little to do with Christianity. Think about Darwin for a moment.
Similarly, inventions and contributions of the ancient mathematicians, astronomers and technologists (there is, apparently, an argument that gunpowder is a middle eastern rather than a Chinese invention) living in Muslim cities (from Granada to Alexandria) might not be credited to Islam but rather the climate, geography and demography of the times.
As you know, it is hard to find any exceptional discovery, invention or concept arising out of the Islamic world for the last 500 years or so, perhaps because the breezy, liberal world which existed in the area pre-1200 has been replaced by repression and intolerance.
We are now told that the evil they see in the West is something called "consumerism." The world would somehow be better without fast food, grocery stores, standardized broadcasts, telecommunications and transfer protocols, well made but inexpensive clothing and footwear, effective medicines and supplements, safe vehicles and, up until 9/11, safe planes?? It's not consumerism, it's freedom of choice. What is it about freedom of choice which is so threatening to these fanatics? Could it be they are terrified of the rise of computers and telecommunications over rifles and horse transport?
As I noted before, the terrorists appeal to an emasculated (male) population with a clever mixture of fear, envy, greed and impotence, all wrapped up in The Big Lie, effectively couched in something they call "The Scripture."
1933, Hitler appeals to an emasculated (male) population with a clever mixture of fear, envy, greed and impotence, all wrapped up in The Big Lie, effectively couched in something he calls "Mein Kampf."
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. |
