I Love Cynics!

We hear the word nearly every day on the news, but do we really know what it means? Each night we receive pictures of combat in Iraq and blame is placed squarely on Islamic fundamentalists. We come to think that it’s an issue far from home.

Fundamentalists are everywhere. That is one of the points that Stuart Sim’s book Fundamentalist World: The New Dark Age of Dogma presents in stark reality.

There are several types of fundamentalism pursued in this book. From the common religious genre to the political and economical arenas, the book guides us through the world of those whose beliefs are immobile and unflinching of criticism. A critical view shows us worlds unwavering in their support of dogma.

We hear about religious fundamentalism every day. Whether it’s from the battlefields of distant countries or the demand that Intelligent Design (a handy word for creationism) be taught in schools here at home. These are the “in your face” fundamentalists. These are the people that will kill “infidels” and abortion doctors in the name of their God.

Sim notes religious fundamentalists, like all fundamentalists, reject any dissent. Dissent is to be dealt with quickly and harshly. If that means excommunication, personal attacks or murder than so be it.

But there is much more to fundamentalism than religion, as Sim points out. Other aspects of life can be based on unmoving support of dogma.

He takes a close look at economic fundamentalism. From ardent supporters of communist control (Sim himself being a socialist) to capitalism, people and groups, who insist that certain economic systems are the only workable solutions, swearing by the works of Marx or Smith, exhibit the same fanaticism as Christian and Islamic fundamentalists.

Sim demonstrates how these ideals have led to conflict around the world. This is shown dramatically in the effects the policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have had on various countries. It is no coincidence that the terrorist attacks on the U.S. aimed squarely at the heart of the financial district of New York.

Strict adherence to a set of rules, the dismissal, on principle, of conflicting ideas, and the punishment of dissent are all aspects of a fundamentalist thinking. This inflexible devotion to ideology or scripture invariably leads to conflict. According to Sim this conflict continues to grow as the world becomes more connected.

This becomes increasingly more evident when looking at political fundamentalism. In the United States, it is party vs. party. A president, displaying both religious and political fundamentalism, declares we are either with him or against him. If we question his politics, we are labeled traitors. He tries to place religion in schools, and remove rights from homosexuals, claiming a “calling” to spread democracy, while curtailing freedoms on the home front.

But political fundamentalism is by no means limited to the American presidency. From China’s repressive control of dissidents to Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist government, control of lives and refusal to listen to other ideologies is rampant across the globe.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in the background behind many of today’s current events.

Get Fundamentalist World at Amazon.com.