War of Ideas, Part 1
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: January 8, 2004

"What you are witnessing is why Sept. 11 amounts to World War III — the third
great totalitarian challenge to open societies in the last 100 years.

As the longtime Middle East analyst Abdullah Schleiffer once put it to me:

-World War II was the Nazis, using the engine of Germany to try to impose the
reign of the perfect race, the Aryan race.

-The cold war was the Marxists, using the engine of the Soviet Union to try to
impose the reign of the perfect class, the working class.

-And 9/11 was about religious totalitarians, Islamists, using suicide bombing
to try to impose the reign of the perfect faith, political Islam."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/08/opinion/08FRIE.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEd
itorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists%2fThomas%20L%20Friedman

=============

I always enjoy Friedman's thoughtful point of view, even if I sometimes
disagree. In this piece he has framed the current conflict in an interesting
manner. I've included the link to the Times in case you'd like to read the
entire column.

I'm sure many of the readers of this news group would find it helpful to read
thoughtful comments on what Friedman has to say. I would especially enjoy
reading comments from clergy of all denominations.

Tom,
Tucson, USA