The Story of Every War

Every time the Arab world goes ballistic over an insult, the West scratches its collective head and wonders aloud how millions of sane people could possibly get this upset over a movie (or cartoon or book[1]).

My opinion: Disaffected Muslim kids are responding to a stultifying and cloistering xenophobia. They're kids; kids are naturally angry at a lot of things, and Muslim kids are probably angry at their imams, parents, and a successful and bossy apostate West, so they burn down a Kentucky Fried Chicken, which isn't a Kentucky Fried Chicken at all, but a convenient symbol of their frustration.[2]

Will any of that make a difference when sides start shooting at each other or dropping bombs?

No, and it never has before.

Old political and religious leaders know how to stir up the indignation of young men to preserve old ways that are changing.

But they won’t stop changing, no matter how many young men die.

That is the story of every war.

Story - NY Daily News: Protests against anti-Islam film erupt across Muslim world >

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[1]
An Iranian religious foundation increased the bounty on Salman Rushdie's head for The Satanic Verses to $3,300,000. Nothing like breathing new life into an old fatwa. Story >

[2]
In Religion 301 (or 303?), Prof Holtrop at Calvin College had us read Bob Goudzward's Aid for the Overdeveloped West. I interpreted it as a leftist/communist perspective on affluence (Goudzward's site is here > ). It was a thin book and I don't recall finding answers in it to questions that I was asking at the time. Dutch Calvinism and liberation theology turned me off, though they introduced me to some good people and sincere hope for change.

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Started: 2012-09-17