I got an interesting comment to my last post on World War Three. You can view it in the comments section of my last entry at http://middleclasswarrior.blogspot.com/ .
My respondent was an American woman living in Dubai. I’m sure she is saturated by the Arab take on things. We, on the other hand, never seem to get the Arab side of the story.
So I decided to take the lady’s advice and READ, READ, READ. I came across one the world’s shortest books, Islam’s Contribution to Modern Culture by I. C. Yu. Among those contributions are hijacked airliners, public and videotaped beheadings, suicide bombings, polygamy, honor killings, and female circumcision.
Then I got hold of a copy of one of the world’s longest books, The Jews Contribution to Modern Society (Part One) by C. More Wright. The list of what the Jews have given our Western culture in the areas of medicine, science, the arts and entertainment takes more than one volume.
That’s a tough take on things, but that’s the way things seem to many of us in America.
All kidding aside, I can’t think of much that Islam has done to move the world forward. The most advanced Islamic societies seem to be the Arab emirates and Pakistan. Elements of those societies seem to have an interest in participating in modern society. But within those countries are the repressive and reactionary elements that support radical terror networks.
A myth that’s been perpetuated for some time is that a group of Jewish bankers controls things. While it’s true that some Jewish families have been involved in international banking and finance, today’s reality is quite different. One of the major stockholders in Citicorp is the Saudi Royal Family. They also own substantial stakes in other American companies, not to mention the fact that they are substantial holders of U.S. Treasury debt. Ever wonder why the Treasury and Commerce departments are so willing to sell our port facilities to Arab countries? Maybe it’s because our government is scared to death that those countries will stop financing our national debt.
Like most Americans I’m tired of hearing about the problems in the Middle East. Nothing ever seems to get solved. It’s easy to blame Israel for the failings of Middle Eastern economies and rally the Arab street. It’s an old tactic; prop up a straw man so the masses won’t rebel against their own governments. Since its founding, Israel has become a convenient target of radical mullahs and despots.
