Kampfabsage

Bestselling author Ilija Trojanow and Indian poet and cultural critic Ranjit Hoskote have written a radical polemic titled "Canceling the Clash: Cultures Do Not Fight - They Flow Together" as a response to new enemy images. They aimed to counter Samuel Huntington's thesis of the "clash of civilizations," but the topic is more relevant than ever. The delineation of one's cultural identity is unfortunately gaining traction again. New enemy images are being created worldwide, and conflicts are being fueled. The authors expose the absurdity of this mindset and challenge the prophets of a cultural world war. They demonstrate that the merging of cultures is what makes cultural identity and civilization possible in the first place. It is an encouraging appeal to our reason. Trojanow and Hoskote have updated and expanded the book, which was first published in 2007; Pankaj Mishra has written a foreword for the new edition. "The only constant is change," says an old proverb. If the Western world wants to isolate itself, it believes in the end of history. It believes that its system is the best and final one, that Western culture is complete and finished. It is doomed to death. Ilija Trojanow.