POLI 260 Lecture 2: Threats to the west | Clash of Civilizations, Realism
20 Apr 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Threats to the west
- For the west, 2 dangers are especially salient.
- Islam - A demographic explosion, a cultural resurgence, and the absense of a
strong coe state to combine a high propensity for conflict
- Partially a reflection of the unruly energies of millions of mobilized young
Muslims
- Asia - especially china!
- Threat derives from the order and the discipline that has fueled Asia’s
economic ascendance.
- Rejecting the individualistic culture of the West as economic success has
reinforced self-confidence and desire for greater global influence.
Trump: B/c they are rejecting our culture, (which is much better), they are a threat!!!!
- Singapore is not a democracy, neither is China, yet they are very very successful.
- This is a
“Can the West renew itself or will sustained internal rot simply accelerate its end and/or
subordination to other economically and demographically more dynamic civilizations?”
- “Manifestations of moral decline”
- “Increases in antisocial behaviour”
- “Family decay, inc. rates of divorce, illegitimacy, teenage pregnancy, single-parent
families…”
- Decline in Social Capital → Membership in voluntary associations and the
interpersonal trust associated such membership;
- General weakening of the “work ethic”...
- Decreasing commitment to learning and intellectual activity, manifested in lower U.S.
levels of scholastic achievement
There has to be something that binds us,
Policy Prescriptions
- If core states are important in a multicivilizational balance of power,
- America should not deliberately offend or destabilize either Russia or China, the
Core states of the ORthodox and Confucian civilizations, respectively.
- America must recover
- Multiple identity…
- What would Jesus do? “Love your enemies…”
- Jesus wouldn’t play hockey lol
- If China invades Taiwan, the US is obligated by treaty, to defend Taiwan militarily
- That’s part of Cinic civilization, though, China’s problem, so we shouldn’t really
be getting involved!
- Also,
- Even if we’re gonna say, let’s play your game, and place some sort of application
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
For the west, 2 dangers are especially salient. Islam - a demographic explosion, a cultural resurgence, and the absense of a strong coe state to combine a high propensity for conflict. Partially a reflection of the unruly energies of millions of mobilized young. Threat derives from the order and the discipline that has fueled asia"s economic ascendance. Rejecting the individualistic culture of the west as economic success has reinforced self-confidence and desire for greater global influence. Trump: b/c they are rejecting our culture, (which is much better), they are a threat!!! Singapore is not a democracy, neither is china, yet they are very very successful. Can the west renew itself or will sustained internal rot simply accelerate its end and/or subordination to other economically and demographically more dynamic civilizations? . Family decay, inc. rates of divorce, illegitimacy, teenage pregnancy, single-parent families (cid:3247)decline in (cid:3247)social capital(cid:3248) membership in voluntary associations and the interpersonal trust associated such membership;
