anonymouse - the answer is simple

Submitted by Pat (United States), Mar 10, 2006 at 17:14

THINK ABOUT IT HOW COULD AN ILLITERATE MAN INSPIRE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND 1400 YEARS LATER STILL BE HAVING AN EFFECT ON THE WORLD.

VERY SIMPLE ANSWER: FEAR AND BRUTALITY.
FORTUNATELY, FOR THE WEST, OUR ANCESTORS WERE NOT COWED BY FEAR. THEY DROVE THE MUSLIM CONQUERORS OUT OF SPAIN (OOPS, AL-ANDALUS) AND A FEW DECADES LATER THE OTTOMANS WERE REPULSED AT THE GATES OF VIENNA. SOON THEREAFTER, THE RENAISSANCE BEGUN IN FLORENCE SPREAD TO MOST OF EUROPE, LEADING TO ADVANCES IN ART, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. THE ISLAMIC THREAT FROM THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE (WHICH HAD SOUGHT TO UNITE UNDER MUSLIM CONTROL ALL PARTS OF THE OLD ROMAN EMPIRE) ENDED UP UNITING THE EUROPEANS AGAINST THE OTTOMANS. ONCE THE THREAT ABATED WE WENT BACK TO OUR INFIGHTING, BUT THAT'S A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.

NOW WE ARE UNDOING EVERYTHING OUR ANCESTORS FOUGHT FOR, FREEDOM AND KNOWLEDGE, ALL IN THE NAME OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. WE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT OURSELVES.

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