You're quite right there Brad. The question really comes down to: How do you change a culture? Staying with the Middle East (the rest of world will just have to wait ), there is a culture of violence and deceit among the leaders of many of the remnants of the Ottoman empire, it would be foolish to say that Islam doesn't play a role in this culture since it's the dominant social force in the region.
Ok, so if culture is one of the underlying causes, then how would you explain Turkey? After all, it is the heart of what was once the Ottoman empire and Islamic culture. How is it that they could overcome the violence and turmoil that has plagued others? I think you hit on a key point though, when you observed that there is "violence and deceit among the leaders of many of the remnants of the Ottoman empire". So what we observe is that, while the culture between countires, or more importantly, between the populations of those countries are basically the same, the leadership of those countries present a stark contrast.
Given this, might we conclude that leadership may be a more important factor than that of culture? And if so, how might that leadership relate to those areas that I have already mentioned?
Cheers, Brad
To be old and wise, you must first be young and stupid.
), there is a culture of violence and deceit among the leaders of many of the remnants of the Ottoman empire, it would be foolish to say that Islam doesn't play a role in this culture since it's the dominant social force in the region.
