Short Paper #1

["Jonathan D. Fisher" <jfisher-p2ww@mail.utexas.edu>]

Jon Fisher
01-28-02
Short Paper #1



	Unfortunately, I don't know what a cultural conservative native to a
Middle Eastern, Islamic country would say about Huntington's "The Clash of
Civilizations" because I don't know much about Middle Eastern thought- I
registered for this course to learn more about that.  Also, since Said did
reply to the article, I don't understand why we are being asked to figure
out what his response would be.  I can, as a Western cultural moderate,
offer my perspectives on the failings of "The Clash of Civilizations", and
hope that a Middle Eastern cultural conservative would agree with me.  My
basic problem with "The Clash of Civilizations" ("Clash") is Huntington's
suggestion that the best course of action for the West is to accumulate power.
What I do appreciate about the article is Huntington's observation that
Americans' general belief that Western values are universal and bound to
dominate the earth is false, and his argument that such a belief is harmful
to America.
	The main problem I have with "Clash" is that civilization in not culture,
yet Huntington uses "Western civilization" to include both of them.
Western civilization, as he uses it, is basically modern expansionist
capitalism, whereas he defines Western culture as "religious, intellectual,
social, and political levels of the society".  He opens his work by saying
that conflicts of the twenty-first century will most likely be caused by
clashes between different peoples' cultures, but draws the conclusion that
the Western must economically and militarily strengthen itself, and
believes that the "erosion of Christianity" is a threat, albeit only a
long-term one, to "Western civilization".  This makes no sense.  After
World War II, Japan's economy and industry, its "civilization", became
remarkably similar to our own.  Despite these changes, Japan has maintained
a strong sense of cultural independence from America.
	There are difference between Japan and the Middle East, but in any case to
expect the Middle East to feel culturally threatened by America is
arrogant, and only an ill-informed Westerner could feel culturally
threatened by the Middle East.  Indeed, many Muslims in America have
integrated into Western civilization while retaining their own culture.  A
sophisticated culturally conservative Middle Eastern Muslim would probably
not be afraid of a Western cultural takeover.  Nobody who is secure in her
own cultural identity would have such a fear.
	Huntington would have the United States gather power to use against the
Middle East should those in the Middle East who are irrationally afraid of
America take power.  This seems like a good measure of protection, but it
is only likely to cause more trouble.  The more reason people in the Middle
East find to believe that the West is culturally threatening them, the more
resistant they are likely to become to any friendly relations with the West
at all.  If the West treats the Middle East as a dangerous and backwards
place that must be dealt with through coercion, they will probably react in
kind.  If America prepares for a war with the Middle East, it will be much
more likely to cause one, even if unintentionally.