So, through the eyes of a political calculist like Karl Rove, how do you see the current Mohammed cartoon controversy playing out on the world stage? Here are some starting links to get your head around it:
From the Rovian view, letting this conflict play itself out is the best strategy. His essential approach toward political rivals is to give them enough rope to hang themselves. Don’t respond to every point. Don’t let them define the argument. Rather, allow them to yell and scream and increase their agitation until they take themselves right over the cliff of reason. Subtly remind the public what they are witnessing and let them draw their own conclusions.
The same may be happening now with the fundamentalist rage that we are witnessing in the burning of an embassy and in “new Holocaust” threats. The Muslim world is allowing itself to be defined by violent thoughts and actions, and the average citizen can easily make the comparison: the West publishes cartoons, and Islamist mobs firebomb buildings.
While unintentional, this is classic political rope-a-dope on the part of the West. Many people will draw the conclusion that Islamists are fundamentally and violently opposed to Western mores. Moderate Muslims do not make the headlines, and are unfortunately lumped in with the extremists. Remind you of a certain American political party?
Oddly enough, the mainstream press has not made a substantial attempt at framing this. The left has been strangely quiet, too. I address that tomorrow…
(For the record, I’m not an advocate of mocking any religion. Until, of course, one is told that one can’t.)
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