Why are Islamic states poor and extreme?
"To me, the answer seems simple: The predominately Christian nations have become more economically advanced, more globalized, which naturally leads to a more cosmopolitan outlook.
It's impossible to do business with people while slaughtering them, and it's pretty hard to do business with them while telling them that they'll burn in hell forever. Modern global capitalism has its faults, but religious intolerance isn't one of them.
The politically incorrect view of Islam seems to be gaining momentum. It would be naive to ignore in Islam a deep thread of intolerance toward unbelievers, especially if those unbelievers are believed to be a threat to the Islamic world.
There is obviously a sense in which the blame-Islam-first crowd is right, and Islam is part of the problem. The attitude of Islamic fundamentalistsÑan abhorrence of the non-Islamic worldÑconflicts with the logic of globalization, and something has to give. But if history is any guide, what will give in the end is reactionary religion, not technological progress. And the result will be, as it has been in the past, the evolution of a more humane, tolerant faith."
via Slate
I've just begun a reread of a fascinating book called "The Noblest Triumph : Property and Prosperity Through the Ages" by by Tom Bethell. He argues, convincingly I think, that it's property ownership (not religion) that separates the Third World from the First. Most Third World economies (ie. our friends in Afghanistan) are tribal in nature and there is no incentive for self-improvement, whereas most First World economies encourage property rights and ownership. There's an interesting argument that there's no such thing as intellectual property, inasmuch as an idea, once spoken, belongs to everyone (because everyone is free to improve upon it). And he makes a convincing case (before its day) that promotes Napster. Just my 2 pennies.
QTip 28 Oct 2001