I've always liked Dan Simmons as a writer. His novel Summer of Night is one that I really enjoyed. I stumbled across his website the other day, and found this piece there in his news section.
I tried to relax. “What do you want to talk about?” I said.“The Century War,” said the Time Traveler.
I blinked and tried to remember some history. “You mean the Hundred Year War? Fifteenth Century? Fourteenth? Sometime around there. Between . . . France and England? Henry V? Kenneth Branagh? Or was it . . .”
“I mean the Century War with Islam,” interrupted the Time Traveler. “Your future. Everyone’s.” He was no longer smiling. Without asking, or offering to pour me any, he stood, refilled his Scotch glass, and sat again. He said, “It was important to me to come back to this time early on in the struggle. Even if only to remind myself of how unspeakably blind you all were.”
Most of us think that history is something that happened in the past, and that it's over. The way things are now, the way they've been since we were born, is the way things will always be. Borders are stable, governments all want what's best for their people, and humanity is advancing towards peace and prosperity for all mankind.
In short, we're ignorant and stupid.
History is what's happening now, not just 400 years ago. It's alive. The world is constantly in flux, no matter how much we'd like to think otherwise. The stability we take for granted is an illusion fostered by one simple reality. We, the United States, have the most capable military on the planet. Nobody messed with the status quo because they didn't want to pay the price.
Well, that may have been true 20 years ago, but it certainly isn't true anymore. We've given up that position of strength, and now we're seen as vulnerable. Other nations now believe they can do what they want, even attack us and that we lack either the ability or the will to fight back. Whether they're right or not is beside the point. Because they believe it, sooner or later they will act on it.
Some already have.
Dan's story isn't important because it details a Muslim threat; it's important because it recognizes a cold truth.
The Pax Americana is over
Posted by Rich at May 2, 2006 12:00 AM | TrackBackI think you IF's are coming true. Any news on Plame? She WAS covert. REady to eat your words?
http://shotsacrossthebow.com/archives/001762.html
Posted by: eio on May 2, 2006 3:52 PMI'm not exactlysure how Plame ties into this post, nor have I seen anything to say that Plame was still in a covert status, or that the White House authorized anyone to leak her status as a CIA employee. Libby has been indicted not or leaking, but for obstructing the investigation into the leak. The recent kerfluffle oer Bush authorizing the release of intelligence information did not include the identity of Plame.
So which If's are you talking about?
Posted by: rich on May 2, 2006 6:21 PM