I just finished reading Jonathon Haslams' "The Spectre of War--International Communism and the Origins of WWII" It is about how fear of International Bolshevik revolution made it possible for appeasement of Hitler. But it is also about how ideological states like Communist, Fascist, Nazi don't act like normal states and this was part of the failure of democracies. They would sit back and think these new type of states would sooner or later come around and they never did.
In his conclusion he writes ... "the Islamist revolution, as with the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, did not just peter out. It had been a long time coming and it did not lack ready tinder. The" moderates" did not take the place of the " extremists"... Moreover, as in 1919,the fanatics proceeded to spread the revolution abroad with a speed, a vigour, a discipline and a determination that took everyone aback. " He writes that industrial capitalist democracies made the same mistake as before, assuming that these states are run by like minded rational actors.
Appeasement didn't work in the past and it is not working now. Unfortunately, part of the reluctance to face this threat came after WWI, people were tired of war. This is also the case now, after several mistaken wars, the people we should engage militarily, the Islamist and the Russians, are quite able to push the anti-war buttons.
Super interesting. Reading George Clare’s book about life in Vienna pre-WWII and he describes the same phenomenon. No one wants to believe ideologues are committed to their path.
They should listen to Sam Harris. At the end of Haslams' book he writes about countries like ours boosting free money and lending leading to inflation and other stuff. He wrote this in 2021. I was a rabid Obama supporter because I felt he would be a centrist and I was for better healthcare. I do wonder if the Republicans wanting to make him a one term president(this during the great recession) helped cause his woke drift.
I do wish I had voted for John McCain and Mitt Romney.
I just finished reading Jonathon Haslams' "The Spectre of War--International Communism and the Origins of WWII" It is about how fear of International Bolshevik revolution made it possible for appeasement of Hitler. But it is also about how ideological states like Communist, Fascist, Nazi don't act like normal states and this was part of the failure of democracies. They would sit back and think these new type of states would sooner or later come around and they never did.
In his conclusion he writes ... "the Islamist revolution, as with the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, did not just peter out. It had been a long time coming and it did not lack ready tinder. The" moderates" did not take the place of the " extremists"... Moreover, as in 1919,the fanatics proceeded to spread the revolution abroad with a speed, a vigour, a discipline and a determination that took everyone aback. " He writes that industrial capitalist democracies made the same mistake as before, assuming that these states are run by like minded rational actors.
Appeasement didn't work in the past and it is not working now. Unfortunately, part of the reluctance to face this threat came after WWI, people were tired of war. This is also the case now, after several mistaken wars, the people we should engage militarily, the Islamist and the Russians, are quite able to push the anti-war buttons.
Super interesting. Reading George Clare’s book about life in Vienna pre-WWII and he describes the same phenomenon. No one wants to believe ideologues are committed to their path.
They should listen to Sam Harris. At the end of Haslams' book he writes about countries like ours boosting free money and lending leading to inflation and other stuff. He wrote this in 2021. I was a rabid Obama supporter because I felt he would be a centrist and I was for better healthcare. I do wonder if the Republicans wanting to make him a one term president(this during the great recession) helped cause his woke drift.
I do wish I had voted for John McCain and Mitt Romney.