Religion, Culture not cause of violence in ME

Interesting poll here. The Program on International Policy Attitudes polls world-wide on various issues and periodically issues reports. The one I found particularly interesting is the worldwide poll asking whether violent conflict is inevitable between Islam and the West.

(The questions and methodology are found here.)

This was a "...survey of over 28,000 respondents across 27 countries conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland....between November 2006 and January 2007."

This poll is obviously questioning whether worldwide public opinion and current events supports the thesis of Samuel P. Huntington's book:

Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

Dr. Huntington proposes that the clash beteen the West and the Islamic Middle East will result in a violent confrontation.

The result of the poll is that worldwide opinions do not support Huntington.

"The global public believes that tensions between Islam and the West arise from conflicts over political power and interests and not from differences of religion and culture, according to a BBC World Service poll across 27 countries. [Snip]

"The poll also reveals that most people see the problems arising from intolerant minorities and not the cultures as a whole. While 26 percent believe fundamental differences in cultures are to blame, 58 percent say intolerant minorities are causing the conflict – with most of these (39% of the full sample) saying that the intolerant minorities are on both sides.

"The idea that violent conflict is inevitable between Islam and the West is mainly rejected by Muslims, non-Muslims and Westerners alike. While more than a quarter of all respondents (28%) think that violent conflict is inevitable, twice as many (56%) believe that “common ground can be found.”

Since modern conservatives are right-wing authoritarians driven largely by fear of strangers and those who are different, they have clearly bought into Dr. Huntington's thesis.

Fortunately the majority of the rest of the world does not agree with them. Once our NeoCons and Authoritarians are out of office, that should make finding workable solutions to the problems in Iraq, Iran, and the rest of the Middle East a lot easier.

Note that I said "should", not "will." There is inherent uncertainty in this future set of solutions, and that uncertainty is part of what sets our right-wing Authoritarians and NeoCons off into fear, panic and anger. That's why they must be removed from the decision centers of American foreign policy.

Want specific names? Dick Cheney first, G.W. Bush second, and John Bolton has already been sent packing. The entire Cheney cabal, as described by Larry Wilkinson is part of our American foreign policy problem. It's a shame we can't have a coup, round them all up and throw them into prison. But that's what they'd like to do to us, and it is inherently undemocratic and unAmerican, so we don't do it. But I wonder if Patrick Fitzgerald would be interested in another Special Prosecutor job?

[Ah, fantasies, fantasies. When I was younger, my fantasies were restricted to supermodels and intelligent gorgeous actresses - Helena Bonham Carter? Laura San Giacomo? Why are political fantasies now clouding my horizons? Sensless, sensless.]