Losing the Cultural War


"we're failing badly on the struggle's intellectual and cultural front. Many of the most devastating blows struck against Soviet totalitarianism were inflicted by writers and artists who'd lived under the system and then found allies in the West who appreciated their work and, most important, disseminated it."
[. . .]
the open society's example as a changer of hearts and minds.
[. . .]
Jihadism involves a conscious rejection of democracy, modernity and the open society

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten30-2009dec30,0,1984482.column

Jihadism and the Cold War
The West won the Cold War; we can use some of the same tactics to defeat Islamic extremism.
Tim Rutten
Los Angeles Times
December 30, 2009