it's divisive, to put it very mildly indeed

Being not so mild, I found the whole lot to be a poorly argued and tendentious pile of crap.

To cut through all the verbiage and assumed value statements buried like icebergs beneath the words chosen, just ask yourself the following question:

What would the reaction be if the electorates of such bastions of ‘Western Civilisation’ as say the USA, the UK, and Israel were asked to take a 10% cut in our living standards in order to foster the promulgation of civilised values in areas of the world not so currently blessed?

If this choice is presented to ‘western Civilisation’ without being wrapped in the pernicious glitter of hono(u)r, flag, and religion, I am fairly certain the answer would be as dusty as it has always been.

“How do they think we have come through our five thousand years? Honor.” get real – it has had (and continues to have) much more to do with the naked expression of raw power. IMHO only a fool could read history and think otherwise.

But thanks for posting it, TEd, it’s illuminating to see other values being expressed with such rabid certainty…