Is Global Warming Responsible for the ‘Arab Spring’?
My next witness was a noted Salafist Scholar (SS). Here is our interview, which took place in his study within the Islamic institute built appropriately atop the ruins of the former Library of Alexandria.
RZ: So sir, do you think that global warming is the underlying cause of Arab anger against the West?
SS: Yes, absolutely.
RZ: But what about the Koran’s Verse of the Sword? Sura 9:5 says “Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them.” That would appear to be an incitement to hatred and violence.
SS: Nothing could be further from the truth. Jihad is an effort of inner struggle. When the holy Koran calls upon us to “kill the unbelievers,” it is simply urging us to seek out and defeat that part of ourselves which refuses to believe in Allah’s command to love. When it says “wherever you find them,” it is making clear that such love must apply everywhere to everyone. So that far from urging hatred, violence, or war, Sura 9:5 requires all Muslims to engage in universal and perpetual love.
RZ: I see. But global warming is a cause for anger?
SS: Yes, because it is the work of the Jews and the Crusaders, pigs and dogs, the despicable enemies of Allah. They must all be killed.
RZ: But I thought you said…
SS: Look at their crimes, O ye people! Look upon the Crusaders, whose unholy factories and cursed camelless carts even now spew forth the smoke that threatens to destroy all that Allah has created! Look upon the Jews, whose evil medicines are allowing the infidels to multiply their numbers, so that their destruction may multiply as well! Shall such as these be suffered to live? O ye people, harken to your prophet, peace be unto him, pick up your swords, and as it is written, kill the unbelievers wherever you find them!
RZ: But that was written during a period of global cooling.
SS: A foolish lie of the unbelieving philosophers! Unbelievers can only speak foolishness and lies!
RZ: Even Thomas Friedman? He agrees with you on the West’s guilt for global warming, and calls for removing all Jews from most of Palestine.
SS: O you of false faith! Unbelievers may not speak truth, but Allah can do anything. It is Allah who allows the fish to breath beneath the water and the birds to fly through the air. It is Allah who has created the Earth, the Sun, the stars, and all the seven heavens. It is written: Allah is omnipotent. Can we then dare to imagine that it might be beyond his power to make Thomas Friedman write something that is wise?
At this point a shadow of doubt crossed the scholar’s face and he began to shake uncontrollably.
SS: Infidel! Your clever disputations shall avail you naught! I will show you how we deal with those who seek to undermine faith in Allah. Where’s my sword?
As the scholar entered his closet to rummage among the extensive collection of refuse there, I checked my watch and noticed that I was running late for my plane. So, being too polite to interrupt the man’s passionate search, I slipped quietly from the premises.
It may be noted that while the scholar did clearly support Mr. Friedman’s position, there were a few peripheral elements of his testimony that might be latched on to by malicious skeptics seeking any excuse to dismiss his evident concern over global warming as a mere pretext. I therefore resolved to obtain definitive testimony from a more eloquent representative of the Arab people.
This piece is a true classic.
Oddly enough, on the face of it, Friedman is right. Off the face of it, blowing off having 7 billion people in the world rather than the 3.5 40 years ago, is like shoving 50 people in a telephone booth and then crying about telephone booth architecture. When is a drought a drought, a landslide a landslide if almost no one lived in those areas before? A tree falling in an empty forest does make a sound but it doesn’t fall on anyone.
There is not a single doubt in my mind that the Arab Spring is basically a population issue. It’s not ideological, it’s not climate, it’s people who won’t address the one issue that will make their lives better – fewer children. Well, you still have to blame something, don’t you?
85 million people in Egypt on one river. Sudan killing Sudanese for oil. Sudan will start taking Nile water soon, as sure as I’m sitting here. And then you’ll have a “climate change” war when Egypt invades the Sudan. And guess what, since Egypt has been such a nice neighbor, Israel will help build Sudanese dams. They’re already being good neighbors and building a railroad to help ease Suez traffic.
Except we are also producing more food that we were 40 years ago.
Instead of a phone booth we have a call center.
So why are food prices soaring?
Because production and transportation prices are soaring.
Why are production and transportation prices soaring?
Because energy prices are soaring.
Why are energy prices soaring?
Because of Islamist greed and “environmentalist” scams.
Cut those energy prices and food prices will drop, and the “Arab street” will be stuffed and sated. (The eco-freak hordes can just gnaw their own lips in frustration.)
And of course population growth is decreasing, heading back to or even below replacement level in many countries, including Third World countries, including those Arab and Muslim countries. It is primarily due to increasing wealth, although genetic collapse due to inbreeding is affecting Arabs and Muslims as well.
No, the problem is that instead of a Green Revolution in agriculture, we are facing a “Green” Revolution of Islamic Fundamentalism along with a “Green” Revolution of anti-industrialization. Worse, those two other “Green” Revolutions are working together in a general anti-Western, anti-freedom campaign.
If we could just get rid of those two, that “GangGreen” as it were, things would be significantly better.
Yes, BUT: As Spengler/Goldman has pointed out (about a month before he became known to most of PJM’s audience, I assume), more food may be produced, but the majority of that is being consumed in Asia, where rising living standards are literally pricing the oft-illiterate and largely-unemployable Arabs (particularly Egyptians) out of the food market. $2/day for bread doesn’t sound like a crisis unless you’re an Arab pulling in $1.02….
Who’s ‘we’ and ‘where?’ Food is obviously not distributed across the globe like oxygen. Just as obviously, some areas have outstripped their ability to feed people. Many years ago I was reading a back-packer’s guide to Indonesia and they had a short bit about how the island of Java had benefited from a new strain of rice that increased yields to the point it made a huge difference in Java’s ability to feed it’s people. The world’s headed for trouble. First up was NE Africa and Nigeria will follow as will the Middle East.
you are a smart one aren’t you
I thought I was reading Frank Fleming – very funny and spot on!
The only question is how many will read this and think ‘FIB’ is a real prince.
Too bad Thomas Friedman’s first name wasn’t William, he could go by his given acronym: WTF.
There is a regional drought. Israel has responded by building more desalination plants and improving recycling of wastewater. It is a net exporter of food and the technology to produce it under low water conditions.
Egypt is responding by destroying its economy and turning to religious fundamentalism. Right on its border is a country eager for peace and cooperation with the tools to solve its problem and it has done everything it can to destroy that relationship. Syria is responding by reducing its population by artillery which should make more food available to those who survive. The survivors have already pledged to turn the guns south at the soonest opportunity.
Let them rot.
Global warming is responsible! But not in the way the ignorant Friedman describes. The myth of global warming justified a phony need for ethanol for fuel. The conversion of corn from feed to ethanol distorted the corn market and raised prices for all agricultural products. Egypt and other Arab countries dependent on food imports were priced out of the market creating food hardships for their populations. Of course, restrictions on oil and gas production in the US did not help either.
If one can overlook the horrendous cost, it is quite ironic.
Food prices are rising and will continue to rise and this does have huge global consequences. We are going to have to learn to eat cheap.
Tom Friedman understands that what he has famously called the Flat Earth society, or something like that having to do with international trade. Prez Barack Hussein gave the world a big speech extolling the vast potential of Moslem entrepreneurialism. Vitalizing the countries of Islam won’t be easy, though. Most Islamic republics are in pretty rough economic shape. So what we should do is give ‘em a big dose of DOE venture investments. Rat there, all in a neat package, the Arab Spring is conflated with an economic recovery program and boom, we have a re-election to celebrate. And then we will see Tom at the microphone leading the cheers (although Paul will be up there giving speeches, too).
Come on Mr. Zubrin, you and I both know that the Arab spring was caused by a Zionist plot to poison the Arab water supply and to use the blood of Muslim children to make Matzoh. Not to mention our control of the Arab banking system.
Don’t you know anything?
(Actually, on a different note, I’d love to see an article from you about how space exploration has hopelessly stalled; I read your book back in the ’90s about how we could get to Mars relatively cheaply. How far away that possibility seems now.)
Can’t verify the connection between global warming and the Arab spring nightmare. But it clearly caused the endless swelling of Tom’s ego.
The concept that just wholly escapes me is why does any intelligent, erudite person consider Mr. Friedman’s writings on energy or climate? There is nothing in his background that would convince anyone who reads that he has any expertise whatsoever in these technical disciplines. Since ignorant people consider his words, and I admittedly know nothing about Arabia, perhaps they will consider my dumb thoughts.
Arabia is mostly dry. It has been dry for a long time. It, and neighboring nations are mostly populated by Muslims. This religion has factions, as many do, but the nations of Islam tend to have brutal dictatorships of one or the other sect. Religious tolerance of other factions is not wide spread, and there is lethal hatred of Christians, Jews, and other non monotheistic faiths. Today, their followers are murdered; it was not always so. With the advent of ubiquitous communication, the natives of these lands have discovered that their oppressors are not primarily Jews, or Satanic Yanks, but their own leaders. In Islam, the prime purpose of police is to kill those Muslims who disagree with the regime. If history is any guide, there will be continued slaughter until peaceful coexistence with those who believe differently emerges from the horror. But the climate will still be dry.
‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ said Alice. ‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the cat. ‘We’re all mad here.’
Thanx Mr.Zubrin for taking us down the Rabbit Hole to keep us informed on what is going on in Wonderland these days. I’m sure that Lewis Carroll would approve but maybe the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Door Mouse might object. Maybe not, they’ve probably been killed off by global warming.