Resisting The Polarization Industry

Lil' Kim on Cover of One World in 2002

A new poll of Muslims and non-Muslims found that the majority of people believe that it's politics not culture that causes clashes between the "West" and "Islam" and that such clashes are not inevitable.

While this is encouraging considering the mighty efforts of the polarization industry, there are way too many people still buying into the "clash of civilizations" junk. As we well know, it doesn't take many to set the world ablaze.

I wonder what the numbers would be if they do a poll focused on women as representatives of culture. I have a feeling the majority on both sides will revert to essentialist cultural polarization.

(Disclaimer: while I do report on polls, I am well aware of their limitations and biases. Much depends on how the question was phrased, who phrased it, to whom, and why)