Wars.
Dennis Prager paints a disturbing picture of current wars, real and otherwise. In the larger conflict, Prager says, the US stands alone as the only Judeo-Christian nation devoted to capitalism. (*) Some may wish to quarrel with the notion that America is a Judeo-Christian nation, but the larger question is whether he is basically right.
This is an occasion to analyze the nature of what war we actually fight.
Fortunately, despite the barbaric 9/11 attacks, we have averted a war of civilizations. Western Civilization is not at war with Islam, and Islam is not at war with Western Civilization.
War has not been averted between Islamic militants and its primary opponents: Western Civilization, the Jewish people, Hindus, and moderate Muslims. War between militant Islamism and its secondary opponents including Buddhists and atheists has been relatively mute. For the most part, the secondary opponents are not currently engaged. Through their words and deeds, from 9/11 to the hundreds of suicide bombings, militant Islamists have started this war of Islamofascism against the peace-loving peoples of the world. This war continues to rage.
The third war Dennis Prager speaks of is what is commonly called “the culture war.” This is the political conflict within Western societies over what is proper in government and in morality. Patrick Buchanan’s famous 1992 speech at the Republican Party convention is one of the major statements in the conflict. In my view, this conflict should not be called “the culture war,” because we are fighting an actual war, the War on Terrorism. To refer to a domestic disagreement, even a wide-ranging one, as a war is to lose focus on the real war.
The cultural conflict is reckoned by conservatives like James Bowden to have begun in 1962. (†) The reference is unclear, but it seems to refer to Engel v. Vitale, a Supreme Court decision on school prayer. (‡)
The cultural Left is not allied with militant Islamism, however. Such a link has been the subject of speculation, but thus far, there is no reason to believe it exists. Most importantly, the cultural conflict is not fought with violence. Therefore, the cultural conflict is not a war.
It is important that a starkly drawn civilizational war not occur. Furthermore, it is vastly preferable that a general bipartisan foreign policy be forged. We liberal hawks bear the true mantle of liberalism and the Left. For conservatives like Prager to put into the same category terrorists and cultural Leftists is counterproductive. It works against the possibility of a bipartisan consensus in foreign policy. Bipartisan support for the Cold War was important to marshalling sufficient force for victory. It may also be critical in the War on Terrorism.
Avoiding a war of civilizations abroad and keeping the cultural conflict in perspective at home are both necessary to best fight the War on Terrorism.