Dan Sockle

America's Jihad Dan Sockle

(Second Edition) Religion vs. Culture; Islam vs. ISIS; Politics vs. Truth; and the Media - Friend or Foe? America has dug itself into a hole. Our relative isolation, educationally speaking, has resulted in an often-dysfunctional foreign policy going back decades. Our public education system, including much of "higher education," public and private, has generally subordinated or ignored geography, other world languages, cultures, religions - and even civics or the "-ism's" impacting humanity. Our legal system is built upon an adversarial process for resolving disputes. Like many of the tribal cultures we strive to understand, our own criminal justice system is generally retributive, not restorative. Our media thrives on the most extreme, outrageous, and bloody. Pundits and talking heads model shouting matches with little or no effort towards achieving mutual understanding, compromise and collaborative problem-solving. We are an instant gratification society with far too many impediments to constructive conversation about the issues that should matter most. Our "Greatest Generation" is dying and our "all volunteer" military has resulted in a miniscule percentage of our population ever having served any kind of cause greater than themselves. This further reduces our exposure to, understanding of, and respect for both our own disparate cultures across fifty states, and, of course, the multitudes outside our borders - about which we understand so very little. We are at a point in history where political and religious fundamentalism and extremism have brought the world to dangerous crossroads. Sadly, as evidenced by the increased suffering of innocents, most notably the worst refugee crisis since World War II, America is ill-prepared to effectively, and compassionately, sort it all out. There is no one magic bullet, no one expert, no one leader, and certainly no easy answers to save the day, unite the world, achieve World Peace, or resolve the "fact wars." Every individual has developed his or her own truth and view of the world around them based upon their individual life experiences and journeys. Hopefully, most human's instincts are to do right by those who are suffering, dying, or otherwise in distress or disadvantage through no fault of their own. Chaplains, Interfaith/Cultural Outreach, NGO's and veterans are among our most important assets. This book's intent is to take a definitive step towards gaining a better understanding and respect for those coming from backgrounds and places much different from your own. Muslims and non-Muslims, military and academia, you will read about the lives of twenty-four people from various parts of the world, but also very much like you in their hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. You will agree with many and disagree with some, but the key is to gain a better understanding of how they have come to their views of the world around them - and their visions of a better future - for themselves, their children, grandchildren and future generations. Veterans, Rotarians, Mediators and others sharing common values, are arguably the best positioned, as individuals and through global affiliations, to turn the tide on radicalism. We are all humans. We are increasingly in this world together. Let's make the most of it.