A critical book review 5 to 8 page (approximately 250 words per page) - Research Paper Example

They are Western Eastern Orthodox, Latin American, Islamic, Japanese, Chinese, Hindu and African. Samuel P. Huntington, was foreign policy aide to President Clinton, in addition to being a political scientist at Harvard University. Whenever one country interferes in other nations affairs, the cultural factor surfaces predominantly. He clearly visualizes the growing momentum in this direction. He is specific when he writes, “ In the post- Cold War world, flags count and so do other symbols of cultural identity; including crosses, crescents, and even head coverings, because culture counts, and cultural identity is what is most meaningful to most people.

People are discovering new but often old identities and marching under new but often old flags which lead to wars with new but often old enemies.”(20) How to meet the increasing threat of violence arising from renewed conflicts between countries and cultures that rely on traditions on religious faith and dogma? Huntingtons thesis is provocative in the sense that he gives a go the the traditional views that world is bipolar or the collection of states. He classifies them as a set of seven or eight cultural “civilizations”.

Conflict will arise on account of identity of civilizations. Thus he has divided the world, without the actual geographical division! Along with this startling innovative concept, he raises some vital issues. He categorically states that modernization is not tantamount to westernization; links economic progress with the revival of religion; ethnic nationalism scores over ideology in the post-war politics, according to him. The lack of leading "core states" hampers the growth of Latin America and the world of Islam.

Huntingtons views on Islam are hardcore. He points out that Muslim countries are involved in many inter-group violence as compared to