Yes, it's that date again. As 1066 And All That said, the day and the month are memorable but not the year. (1605 in case you are interested but, really, I do not see why you should be.)
We must assume that readers of this blog are more or less knowledgeable of the story so there is no need to rehash it. Instead I am linking to a blog I wrote earlier on another outlet, drawing some parallels with the present situation.
It is, perhaps, worth adding that this blog does not subscribe to the theory that Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators were innocent victims to the Machiavellian Cecil's machinations nor was he a freedom-fighter. On the contrary: the man and his comrades were anxious to impose the most autocratic and obscurantist system of that time on England. Guy Fawkes himself is supposed to have fought on the Spanish side in the Lowlands and to have offered his services to the King of Spain on a subsequent occasion.
"Fukuyama then goes on to explain that radical Islamism 'is as much a product of modernization and globalization as it is a religious phenomenon; it would not be nearly as intense if Muslims could not travel, surf the web, or become otherwise disconnected with their culture.' "
I think he makes a very valid point there. To some extent radical Islam is a defensive reaction.
When he goes on to say that "Democracy and modernization in the Muslim world are desirable for their own sake" I'm not so sure I agree. Any push for democracy and modernization will simply encourage further manifestations of radical Islam. I'm inclined to think that if Islam wishes to reject democracy and modernization then it's entitled to do so.
It may be that such values are simply incompatible with Islam. In which case encouraging further Moslem immigration to western countries is a very very bad idea.