The prolonged and costly standoff in Iraq, both in human lives and monetary expense, should have become, by now, the cause for some reflection on the part of the present administration, regarding its strategy in the Middle-East. Unfortunately for the American people and world community, however, Washington has yet to show such signs of true concern over the deteriorating situation and the tragedy which continues to afflict the region. The threat this is posing to the world which we'd leave to the children, is growing rapidly - but continues to be mostly ignored by world leaders. To more fully understand the futility of a continued armed struggle with the Arab world, it is imperative for Western diplomatic leaders to begin attempting to understand the essential issues driving this conflict between East and West - or more precisely, between the Judeo-Christian culture and its Islamic counterpart.

Though the cultural differences between them are founded within their respective historical roots, which eventually coalesced into separate, distinct and clearly defined religious identities - it is a grave mistake to assume that this religious creed is the essential cause of the conflict between Judeo-Christianity and Islam. The notion that these three monotheistic religions (regardless of the differences between them) are undisputedly rooted in the same Biblical history of the Hebrew people, is a factor which intrinsically unites these cultures, far more than it divides them. In looking at their end-goal aspirations, it is plainly evident that they all aspire for one same outcome within their respective versions of the final redemption (aftermath of the apocalypse or end of days). Within each of these three faiths, the vision entails the emergence and installation of a new kingdom, or world political hierarchy, led by the God-sent deliverer (redeemer or messiah), who is expected to inspire the world with a renewed spirit of truth, peace and justice - and bring about a transformation of the present hierarchical construct, by uniting the nations of the world under one new leadership. In the root creed of each of the these monotheistic faiths, there can be no doubt that they all await the emergence of this one same, God-sent man, into the world.

There is no conflict whatsoever between the Jewish people's awaiting the advent of the Hebrew messiah and the Christian world's same longing for the return of Christ to the world. The prophecies of the Bible and New Testament clearly interweave these two distinct prophecies and expectations into one event, described as the glorious rebirth of the human spirit into our civilization in the end of days. Though it appears, however, that Islam remains at odds with these prophecies, this is merely a superficial conjecture arising only due to a particular ignorance, or lack of understanding of the Koran. While it is true that Islam has no specific Mohammedan deliverer for this advent, the essential reason for this, however, is because Muhammad attests the advent of the messenger of the end of days, or the messiah, to the very same emergence of the Judea-Christian messiah. Islamic faith, therefore, holds that this one advent, or the man who will lead it, is to rise from the Western world but would also hail from semi-Islamic roots. More clearly stated - Judaism, Christianity and Islam are each awaiting the advent of the one same God-sent man to unite the peoples of the world, under the same just and righteous new leadership. This is the essential reason that we must look beyond the issue of religious tension for the more essential causes which divide these cultures today.

The claim that the presence of the nation of Israel in the Middle-East is what fuels the present conflict, is in itself also unsubstantiated when considering the vast expanse of land occupied by the Arab world, compared to the marginally small area in which Israel resides. In seeking to fully understand the motivating forces behind these claims, it would be prudent to also look beyond the detailed grievances, and more importantly, to lend ear to the spirit in which they are made. The essential grievance over the presence of Israel in the region is not so much a territorial one, but rather an expression of indignation, arising from the Arab world, regarding what it perceives to be Israel's co-operation with America and Europe for the purpose of Western colonization - intended to bring about the socio-economic subjugation of their region into their fold. This is, in reality, the fundamental issue which stands out from the Arab world's dispute with the existance of Israel, and not the actual founding of the Israeli state itself, nor its occupation of the disputed territories, as is widely perceived. In looking at the expanding socio-economic infrastructures of America and Europe today, this concern within the Arab world (though not the means employed to express it) should be quite understandable, given the cultural differences which drive the two polarized sides. All which brings us to the root cause of the aforesaid conflict.

The cultural differences between Judeo-Christianity and Islam might be easily condensed into the type of differences we see between two brothers growing together under one roof, within one family. While the one may be an energetic entrepreneur whose primary concern is the family's fiscal success and its climb upwards upon the ladder of social prominence - the other might be the type to whom this ambition holds little or no interest at all. Such differences are quite common within any family structure and are evidently prevalent within the deeply embedded collective consciousness of East and West cultures. The conflict arises, not so much because of the presence of two such brothers under one roof, but rather due to the perceived energetic attempts of the one to subjugate the other into his service. This is precisely the issue which needs to be addressed in order to draw closer to a peaceful resolution of the Mid-East conflict.

Though we've become accustomed to the relatively high standard of living in our economically driven lifestyle, and though this fundamental basis for Western culture has become an obsession which we take for granted, as a pre-existing condition we must all conform to in order to ensure our continued survival in this world - this is not necessarily the case within the Arab world and other third world countries. There are other more basic social standards there, though also exercised with a similar obsession, which lend a hand towards the inability of Western leaders to more convincingly persuade the Arab populaces of the benefits of Western socio-economic and cultural progress. The prevalent impression made by a culture which believes that it is superior to others, and the manner in which it attempts to impose its standards on what it perceives to be an inferior one, is the core issue which the Western world needs to become more attentive of. To simply state this premise, I will summarize it with the following imaginary scenario (though well founded when pondering the behavior of both sides in the conflict), describing the underlying currents of a typical Western diplomat's meeting with their Arab counterpart.

This Western diplomat visits an Arab country, full of pride and flaunting his economic superiority at his hosts. They, however, are not moved by the tempting gifts of a rich lifestyle and material gain. They have a behavioral code of honor which Western leaders are simply not able to comprehend. When the hosts (also overly proud in their ceremonial expectations) realize that the Western diplomat is not interested in their code of honor theatrics, and only wishes to push forward his own economic prowess at their expense, (albeit for the benefit of both cultures but with no sensitivity to the Arab tribal code), the Arab honor is then put on notice. Within this cultural standoff, and under such a threat of subjugation, his hosts await the next opportunity they might find to forthrightly slash the trespassing Western diplomat's throat and send a message of extreme disapproval of his behavior to his superiors. Western leaders, in turn, point to this behavior as indicative of irresolvable hostile intentions and begin organizing defensive colonization efforts, in order to defend their lifestyle of relative freedom and democracy. Such recurring events eventually snowball into the irreprehensibly violent acts of extreme terrorism and bloody wars which the world suffers as a result.

Though we may all be convinced of the inevitability of the continued rise of Western socio-economic domination of the world - and its expanse into regions which have yet to be conquered - there is very little assurance that a military conflict with the Arab world will bring about the desired results. Unlike any other time in history, the threat which such a conflict imposes today, endangers our entire civilization to an unprecedented degree - far more than the Soviet threat at its worst hours. The proliferation of nuclear weapons of mass destruction into the Arab world since the fall of the Soviet Union, and the extremist suicidal tendencies found in these cultures, bode ill for the notion that Western use of military might will succeed to instill a fear of resistance within the Arab populaces. Just the opposite appears to be true, actually, as the calls of extremist Muslim leaders for an all out Jihad, even at the threat of the destruction of our entire civilization, continue to rise into prominence and popularity on the Arab street, due to the use of force against them.

And so, we stand today before a crossroads and must reflect upon the situation we have before us, if we are to truly ensure our survival on this planet. When asking the question whether it might be thinkable that world economic leaders, who are pulling the strings in Washington and Europe, may be unable to grasp the scope of the threat facing the world, due to their over-enthusiastic lunge for world economic domination...well, it would be sad but true to assume that this is precisely the case with such forces in the world today. This would not be the first time in history where extemist economic zeal has led to the destruction of an empire, or even an entire civilization.

The danger we are facing now is increasing exponentially with every drop of blood shed in the Middle-East. The time is at hand to begin searching for a more constructive method with which to soothe the irate and extremist Arab rage.

Before it becomes too late and we no longer have a world to save... for the children.