Safety & Security.....Civilization 101

I watched the Osama bin Laden videos and was reminded of an old photo of Sitting Bull. [Stay with me on this thread of thought.] Civilization has had a few anarchist road blocks in the past. The Romans had Hannibal, Manifest Destiny had to deal with the Lakota Sioux. All in all, the more powerful force won out. This does not mean might is right. It does mean that you can bet on the side of the powerful winning any future conflicts.

Given the fact that Europeans came to the new world and took the land they wanted against the will of native peoples, how can a guy hiding in the Afghan mountains hope to win? I understand his position. He is concerned about the growth of global Western culture and the impact on Islam. During our recent trip to Europe we stopped at MacDonald's to eat. It is not the same old Germany in which I grew up. Bob Dylan said it best..." the times they are a changen"

If you believe Europeans invaded the middle east during the Crusades. That they began a cultural shift that has led to rock music and MTV in Saudi Arabia. Then you might want to speak out about your culture slipping away. Osama has done that. But, so did Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was a Lakota Chief and the winner at Little Big Horn. Prior to the battle Sitting Bull had a vision, a dream of US Soldiers dying in the fields. He told his dream to his followers who became inspired and engaged the Army in the belief that they could not lose. They defeated Custer and for a short time enjoyed popularity in an Indian uprising.

Sitting Bull, like Osama Bin Laden, was trying to hold back the tide of Western Culture that threatened his values and way of life. Little Big Horn, like 9/11, did strike a blow for native culture. Sitting Bull had a vision and asked for "martyrs' to wage war against the Western culture. History has been pretty clear. The more powerful force wins the argument.

Bin Laden has a limited audience of fundamentalist who, having seen MTV, want to move culture back 1,000 years and become martyrs. Modern Islam, like modern Christianity is much more secular and less literal in the word of the Koran. Jordon and other moderate Islam countries, have struck a balance between Islamic tradition and western culture. In much the same way....stay with me....American Indians have opened Casinos to create a balance between native and the western European culture that defeated them 150 years ago.

So how many Islamic kids want to join a fight to the death in turning back time? My guess is the number is smaller then you would think. There may be support for Islamic values and culture. In my view we can coexist. We will probably see more "terrorist attacks" but I'm betting on history. Sitting Bull could not stop Western Culture and he was tougher guy than Osama. In the long term Osama may just want to turn off MTV and stop complaining.

Here is a link to wiki and Sitting Bull: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_bull#Victory_at_Little_Big_Horn_and_the_aftermath