Those behind the merger plan will be hoping that synergy - rather than culture clash - will be the result.

BBC: Analysis

Greed was their motivation rather than a clash of faiths.

ECONOMIST: The new symbols of anti-Americanism

Partisan politics is driven by team loyalty rather than a fundamental clash of worldviews.

FORBES: Lessons from the 2010 Election

Europe's diversity may once have been a disadvantage, a clash of cultures and languages rather than a healthy mix of skills.

ECONOMIST: Europe's tech entrepreneurs

Although Arab peoples may revere the study, writing, and teaching of history, their leaders are more likely to view a clash of historians as a source of threat, rather than a source of strength.

NPR: Historian Robert Satloff