[Sam Cree]

"There is only one civilization."

Maybe an analagy of the Roman Empire and the barbaric European tribes is more apt. By comparison, those tribes weren't too civilized, but Rome was eventually overrun nevertheless by various Goths and Vandals.

[CatoRenasci]

Indeed. The Islam world is barbaric, and hardly constitutes a civilization, but it is a collection of tribal cultures united by a hatred of everything and everyone else. We need to learn from the Roman example that we must not become too squeamish about applying the force at our disposal in defense of civilization.

[tsomer]

I'm not sure I agree that the Roman Empire collapsed. Many of the Germans were assimilated, in fact most of the legions were German. Alaric sacked Rome, but by then the capital was in Ravenna. Also, Alaric was Christian (though Arian) and according to the History channel paid homage at the church and forbid his soldiers from sacking it.

I just think the picture of the fall in the west exaggerates things, it took several hundred years. Eventually, Roman culture, combined with Christian ethics, reasserted itself.

Rome was only the Western empire. The Eastern empire continued until the Moslems overran it. That fall was more sudden and permanent, thanks to Mohammedanism.

Yes there are parallels between then and now, distressing ones. But the distinction gives some reason for hope.