Albright on Colbert

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was on the Colbert Report last night, speaking about Iran. It was gratifying to finally hear someone on TV say that it's not a "clash of civilizations" it's a "battle of ideas." Because that's what it is. There's no giant clash going on between Christianity and Islam. It's just easier to fight Muslims if you think that way. If you want to fight ideas, it takes a lot of work and a lot more time, and involves things like soft power - which of course is not nearly as sexy or as tangible as hard power.