If you love it when I admit I was wrong, you’ll enjoy this post.
I used to think America needed to change its foreign policy if it had any hope of ending terrorism. That sort of opinion is never better than a reasonable guess about what is most likely. But it seemed to me that even terrorists have specific objectives, and if they achieve those objectives, they stop terrorizing.
My thinking was that the terrorists were asking for things we’d be better off giving them anyway, for our own selfish reasons. For example, Israel is strong enough and wealthy enough to no longer need our support. And it’s unclear that our heavy footprint in the Middle East is guaranteeing us more oil and less terrorism. It seemed like a win-win scenario to give the terrorists what they were asking for, since the only impact on us is saving some money. Or at least it would save me from transferring my wealth to the pockets of U.S. military industries.
Recently I changed my opinion. While I think there was a period in the past when a different foreign policy would have brought us to a different point, we don’t have a time machine. We are where we are. And where we are is totally fucked.
The problem is with the loose cell structure of Al-Qaeda, and the fact it has become a lifestyle for its members. If we remove all the original reasons for Al-Qaeda’s existence, I believe they would find new ones. It is unlikely the members of terror cells would decide to quit and become insurance salesmen.
While the cell structure of Al-Qaeda is an excellent way to wage war, it’s a bad way to stop a war. If all the existing cells around the world made lists of their reasons for being terrorists, and compared those lists, I think they’d look very different except for the parts about hating Israel and the United States. If the leadership of Al-Qaeda told its cells to disarm, half of the cells would just splinter off and keep on terrorizing. It’s permawar.
One of the problems is that there is a complete disconnect between reality and what terrorists believe. They think God gave them specific real estate, that a horse can fly, there are virgins waiting for them in heaven, and Jews orchestrated the 9-11 attacks. There’s no reason to believe that reality intrudes on their decisions. Tweaking reality would be a waste of time.
(To be fair, the same can be said of America’s government. Just replace “flying horse” with “a guy who walks on water,” and “virgins in heaven” with “the rapture.”)
This leads me to Israel. I used to think Israel was making a mistake to occupy disputed land and give their enemies more reasons to attack and fewer reasons to make peace. Again, perhaps if we had a time machine there was a period in history where that was true. But we’re long past that. Now I believe there is sufficient perpetual hatred against Israel that it would be irrational for them to offer any concessions. It makes more sense to grab as much land and water as they can get their hands on. And it makes sense to keep the Palestinians in a permanent state of wretchedness and powerlessness as Israel consolidates its hold on those resources. In five hundred years, they’ll be glad they have more land and water.
I don’t think there’s much chance of Israel getting nuked. Even the craziest Muslims wouldn’t irradiate their own holy lands while standing downwind and hoping for the best.
While I think Israel’s policies are a dark grey form of evil, I support them because at this point they are being entirely rational. It would be hypocritical to deny any other nation the right to pursue their self-interest.
If the Palestinians ever display an ability to offer a credible peace, I’m willing to revise my opinion. If not, the best advice I can give them is to say goodbye to their shit.
Meanwhile I’m going to invest in Halliburton and see if I can get back some of my money.
Your advocation of Israel rationally pursuing its own self-interest by repressing the Palestinians is disconcerting because you've removed morality from the equation. It sounds like you would encourage a teenager to bully a young child for his lunch money.
I realize that replying to this post months late probably precludes anyone reading my response. But when I read this post I felt a little dark spot appear on my soul, and responding is my way of trying to scrub it clean.
Posted by: Scott | October 30, 2007 at 08:11 PM
Once the French left Algeria, the Algerians stopped terrorizing them. Case in point.
Posted by: Gerrit | June 12, 2007 at 11:29 AM
Wow. I think I actually hate you. Congratulations, you're the first person I've ever actively hated who wasn't a politician. You and your inhumane attitude is why everyone in the rest of the world hates the United States. You sit at your desk in your comfortable little suburb with no idea of what life is like for the rest of us. You have no idea what it's like to go to Palestine and see bullet holes in your grandmother's kitchen window and learn that 5 cousins they didn't tell you about were also killed in random Israeli check points. How dare you pass judgment on those of us with actual problems and how dare you spread your hate and evil to all the idiots who read your blog and think you know what you're talking about? You have no idea whatsoever of the responsibility your minor celebritydom affords you. Scott Adams, you truly disgust me.
...Although, I do really think it's cute the way you think Al-Qaida is related to Palestine. It's run by Saudis, not Palestinians. There are plenty of groups in Palestine who do hate America, your idiotic foreign policies have taken care of that, but Al-Qaida isn't one of them.
Posted by: Arifi Waked | June 11, 2007 at 12:36 PM
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Posted by: theshoesbargains | June 11, 2007 at 06:57 AM
This is a different approach and I understand that it seems reasonable when you're on the other side of the world safely away from here, war-torn middle east. You would be suprised how funny your comments seem to those of us who are living in middle east. But after all, it is life and things are not likely to change.
Posted by: sinan | June 09, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Reality is that irrationality and evil rear their ugly heads when people are afraid. It doesn't matter how moral or good or well-intentioned you generally are, if you become afraid, your higher functions of your brain shut down and the fight-or-flight functions take over and give you the balls to do whatever you have to do to get rid of the things that seem to be threatening you.
If you want to cure irrationality and evil, you have to help people feel safe, and stop threatening them, for heaven's sake.
Of course, we're not terribly good at that, because we are just as irrational as everyone else.
But we have our moments of cognitive clarity, and it would be just spiffy if we used those moments to come up with a plan to find better ways to deal with our problems than being evil.
Posted by: Turil | June 08, 2007 at 06:54 AM
Ahmadinejad belongs to a cult that thinks they have to destroy Israel and start a armegeddon type war to make the 12 Imam come out of hiding. Seriously. They think he is hiding in a well.
Ahmadinejad has said plenty of times on the record that they plan to get nukes and use them against Israel and that if 100 millian Muslims have to die as collateral damage that is okay.
If you want to know what is really going on in the ME, you have to read their newspapers. And MEMRI translates their newcasts. The European and US media seem intent on ignoring the Mahdi cult for some reason.
Posted by: Penny | June 07, 2007 at 06:27 PM
Q: How many terrorist bombings have there been in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, China, India, Hungary, etc, etc, etc?
A: Zero
my dear Greg... first get your facts right ...
india possibly has been the worst affected country by terrorism... from long before you guys knew india existed...
suddenly on 9/11 you wake up to the existance of something called terrorism... and yeah like everything american you become a "world" authority on it...
Posted by: Gaurav | June 06, 2007 at 11:06 PM
"I don’t think there’s much chance of Israel getting nuked. Even the craziest Muslims wouldn’t irradiate their own holy lands while standing downwind and hoping for the best."
As the famous story about the scorpion and the frog crossing the river ends, "you forget, my friend - this is the middle east".
Posted by: Chris Hulley | June 06, 2007 at 09:48 PM
You have an interesting thesis, but I am having a hard time finding examples from history to support it. Look at Vietnam which is now considered a bosom buddy and favored trade partner. That nation had a lot of intractable people, many downright crazy suicidal ones, who used terrorism as a very successful tactic and did so uninterrupted for many decades through at least several sets of external enemies back even before the French and Japanese. We got kicked out and they had pretty good cause to want revenge. Yet, I know of no incident of them following us home to continue “picking at the scab.” Same for Somalia and Lebanon where we exited with tails between our legs.
Or, look at Korea. Call that one a draw instead of an eviction. Technically, we are still at war with them. It is merely in ceasefire. Although they seem to have the ability to pierce that far heavier guarded border than our own with frequency, I don’t recall them coming over here for any incidents.
Would it make a difference where the terrorists essentially lost such a Malaysia or Northern Ireland instead of won or tied? Events would suggest no. Why then, other than guilt or fear, is there the automatic assumption that a withdrawal from Iraq would lead to Al Queda or others continuing to pursue a war in the States?
Granted, it seems intuitive, but where is the preponderance of the evidence showing it happened in similar situations in the past?
[more irreverence at resistence-is-possible.blogspot.com]
Posted by: Lawless One | June 06, 2007 at 06:36 PM
You have an interesting thesis, but I am having a hard time finding examples from history to support it. Look at Vietnam which is now considered a bosom buddy and favored trade partner. That nation had a lot of intractable people, many downright crazy suicidal ones, who used terrorism as a very successful tactic and did so uninterrupted for many decades through at least several sets of external enemies back even before the French and Japanese. We got kicked out and they had pretty good cause to want revenge. Yet, I know of no incident of them following us home to continue “picking at the scab.” Same for Somalia and Lebanon where we exited with tails between our legs.
Or, look at Korea. Call that one a draw instead of an eviction. Technically, we are still at war with them. It is merely in ceasefire. Although they seem to have the ability to pierce that far heavier guarded border than our own with frequency, I don’t recall them coming over here for any incidents.
Would it make a difference where the terrorists essentially lost such a Malaysia or Northern Ireland instead of won or tied? Events would suggest no. Why then, other than guilt or fear, is there the automatic assumption that a withdrawal from Iraq would lead to Al Queda or others continuing to pursue a war in the States?
Granted, it seems intuitive, but where is the preponderance of the evidence showing it happened in similar situations in the past?
[more irreverence at resistence-is-possible.blogspot.com]
Posted by: Lawless One | June 06, 2007 at 06:35 PM
Oh, yes, Scott, one more thing: you don't have to get every al Qaeda cell. You just need to cut off their money and state-sponsored support. The ones you have to convince are the states that support terrorists. Do that, and the terrorist cells will dry up. So, if we convince the big sponsors (read, "Iran") to stop, we're 90% of the way there.
Posted by: Bruce Harrison | June 06, 2007 at 03:06 PM
It makes no difference why they believe what they believe. The real reason you aren't going to get them to stop (the Muslim fanatics, Arab and Persian) until it becomes too painful for them to continue is that their goal is to convert the entire world into a Muslim theocracy. At least, that's the stated goal, and the minions believe it. The leaders just want the power to rule the world.
Hard to find many intermediate goals that might make them stop, with the exception of destroying Israel, which to such crazed lunatics like Ahmadinejad seems like a pretty good first step. However, if you read the texts they're using to teach their schoolkids in Iran, they're really preparing for a war with the US.
As far as Israel getting nuked, Iran probably won't nuke Jerusalem for just the reason you state (blow up their holy land), but they will nuke Tel Aviv and the other major cities, particularly the port city of Haifa. That's one of Hezbollah's big targets, at which they're still firing missiles as we speak. If they destroy the major business, industrial and port bases, they will effectively destroy the country.
I would be interested in knowing why you think Israel's "policies are a dark grey form of evil." They occupy lands not because they just up and said one day, "Hey, Moishe, you doing anything today? No? Well then, why don't we take over the Golan Heights and the West Bank!" You may have forgotten, but Israel has been attacked numerous times by Arab armies, most notably in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982. The Arabs had a simple goal: kill every Jew in Israel.
Israel occupied the lands they did to provide a buffer between them and all the people who would like to kill them. Over time, they have given much of those lands back, and their reward for so doing has been more dead Israelis. So I'm confused as to why you think Israel is evil, while the Arab Muslims who are trying to kill them seem to be, to you, just being themselves. Or am I misunderstanding you?
What we should have done three years ago is bombed the crap out of Iran's nuclear facilities and showed them that they couldn't do what they're doing with impunity. Think how different the world would be today: there would be no Hezbollah in Syria; Lebanon would have returned to the enlightened democracy it was before the Muslims invaded; we wouldn't have the intense pressure from Hezbollah in Syria lobbing bombs into Israel; Iraq would be pacified, since there would be no support from Iran, no IEDs being shipped to Iraq to kill our soldiers, no support of Syria by Iran. . . the list goes on.
Which is what our left-leaning citizens never understand. Their pacifist ideology, that says we can't stop a problem when it's small, always leads to either having to stop it when it's big, or letting it grow even bigger until it's impossible not to confront -- and then, millions of human beings have to die in the process.
As George Washington said, all nations operate in their self interest, and to expect them to do otherwise is foolish. Yet many on the left seem to want the US to do exactly that: ask the rest of the world what is in THEIR best interest for us to do, and then do it, regardless of the cost to us.
That may be fine with you, Scott, but it's not with me. And hopefully not with the majority of Americans, because if it is, then we're half way down the road to Armageddon, and when we get there, the living truly will envy the dead.
Posted by: Bruce Harrison | June 06, 2007 at 03:03 PM
Yeah, Scott, your first mistake before was in assuming that everyone was smart enough to know when to take the money and run. Numerous compromises between Palestine and Israel have been thwarted because each side felt they were owed and could hold out for something better. Thus, no compromise.
I'm going to have to agree with the vast majority of the other commentors - that in general people don't think through the consequences of their actions (at least in the way you think they will). If bombs in the holy land are a good thing, as long as they get rid of some of the "evil" people there, then wouldn't an even bigger bomb, or a nuclear weapon, potentially be even better? If not to all the would-be terrorists, then at least to a dangerous handful. Just like how there's always going to be a few would-be terrorists in any given people, there should also be a few lunatic terrorists out of that smaller number of people. And perhaps one 'lucky' enough to lay his hands on something with that much power to destroy.
Posted by: aurorabeacon | June 05, 2007 at 08:35 PM
You'll probably want to sell that Halliburton stock very soon after the 2008 presidential election. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the next government starts up some serious fraud investigation into Halliburton.
Posted by: Neal Miskin | June 05, 2007 at 07:48 PM
A lot of people are coming to the same conclusion as Scott Adams has in regard to the Israeli-Hamastinian conflict and Israel's never more than uneasy relations with the rest of the Arabs in particular and with other Moslems in general.
There never will be any peace between Israel and the Hamastinians. Because they both covet the same piece of land, and both their cultures have built-in constraints against any fundamental compromise.
And I am super pleased by that. Because I see this as as a force that one day will compel the Jews to expel the Hamastinians to distances farther away from their heartland.
Actually, "some day" is right now. Because good old american-style urbanization and outright suburban and exurban sprawl, combined with some of the most intense fundamentalist Zionism on the face of this planet, and backed by solid support from the western bible Christians (although with almost no support from leftist or liberal Jews of the West), Israel's population continues to expand in almost every nook and cranny of Judea and Samaria that has no Arabs parked on it. And more of those fine concrete walls go up all the time to make sure the Hamastinians remain bottled up.
The fact is, there is no arab future in any part of Hamastine, and there never will be. The jobs in Israel that they used to commute to every day have now been taken over by gastarbeiten from China, the Phillipines, Romania, and any other anybody-but-Moslems sort of country where where the folks are raised to work hard for cheap money, keep their mouths shut while on the job, don't get involved in local politics, and expect no right to remain in Israel after their jobs run dry.
And who exploits these folks working in Israel? Some of the toughest, most cunning and ruthless Russians who were smart enough to marry jewish wives and make their way from Mother Russia to Israel with them. In the post-communist era, these guys always land on their feet, and they are winners wherever they land.
(These Russians -- Jewish and maybe quite a few who really aren't -- will be the bosses of all Israel one day. And I think that will be good. Because if I respect anything at all in this world, it is the toughness of Russians, regardless of whatever religion or dogma they babble. There's something about them that reminds of the hard streets of Chicago when I was a kid there.)
So there's no ecomomy whatsoever for the Hamastinians, and there never will be. Who on the outside would be stupid enough to invest in a factory, that regardless of what they think is being produced there, will be turning out junky but dangerous Qassem rockets that are fired off as soon as they are produced?
And what happens to that factory, so carefully built with funds from some stupid benefactor? The Israelis blow the bejesus out of it, and leave a pile of smoking rubble along with some burned and mangled hamastinian corpses.
Before this is all played out, they will have no water either to drink, bath in, or raise some measly crops. And their sewage will flow down their streets in open channels.
(Weaping Willies from the western world will travel there for purposes of wringing their hands over all this, and the Hamastinians, true to form, will take them hostage, as they do frequently in Gaza. Which serves them right for trying to help such people.)
The smart and younger ones among them even now do anything possible to get to hell out of there. Which is the only thing that makes any sense for them. Why stay in Hamastine as part of a large family trying to live on $100 per month, when you can get jobs around Dearborn, Michigan and Detroit where you can make $500-$1000 per week, where there are no concrete walls, and instead of a miserable donkey, a man can buy a Ford or Chevy on easy payments?
Hey, all you poor sensitive souls out there. I know it pains you to read all this. Because it surely flies in the face of all the peace on earth/good will to men stuff that you ingested with your momma's milk. But that's the way the world really works, in all its not-infrequent ugliness.
The truth is, thorough ethnic cleansing is the one kind of peace that that has worked throughout world history. Go ask the Poles, Czechs, Balts, Russian, Slovaks, Hungarians, Romanians, Serbs, Croats and Slovenes who expelled 16 million ethnic Germans from their lands following World War II.
And besides. Who questions any of this after all the conflicted people get settled somewhere? Two days after its off CNN, not only does it no longer exist, but nobody even remembers that it ever did exist.
So i drink a toast to what I think will be the final solution of the Hamastinian problem.
And don't any of you ever forget, even for a minute, that the Israelis are the ones with the 175-250 nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, plus the means to deliver them onto not just the holiest of holies of all their enemies, but also what remains of the biggest share of the world's oil supply, if push comes to the wrong kind of shove.
Otherwise, for what other reason could any of you imagine these brightest people in the world not only dreamed out and thought out the theories of nuclear fission and fusion 60-70 years ago, but also built -- and are still building -- that Israeli nuclear and thermonuclear stockpile?
It used to be easy to shove them around. But when they say "never again", I think that's exactly what they are warning the world about. Because that's the way I would handle it, if I were responsible for the destiny of the Jewish state and nation.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Posted by: Arnold Harris | June 05, 2007 at 06:45 PM
Israel was founded in by expatriate Jews who drove first the British out of the land, then fought the united might of the muslim/arab world with very little (if any) support from Western nations, and won. They invited the arab peoples living on the land to stay and be part of the country- not to renounce the pitiful thing they had as a religion- but to be citizens of the state of Israel.
Unfortunately the arab governments all urged the "palestinians" to flee, but would not accept them as emigres into their own countries. Instead they foisted them onto the UN in refugee camps. They constantly bombarded them with propaganda and presented their plite as being the direct result of the existence of the "Jewish state" and not their own policies. They made sure they were kept impoverished and uneducated despite the oil wealth these nations had and kept for themselves. It is the "palestinians" and their arab brethern who have been responsible for the statelessness of these refugees. Refugees now for nearly sixty years. That is insane. and The result is insanity.
Sadly too many people have been deluded by the misery to see the reality here. The arab nations continue to refuse substantial aid and deny the 'refugees' entry into their own (failing) nations.
islam is a false religion based on submission. Its tenets are espoused by infallible imams whose word is law and cannot be questioned. Their holy book is wholly trash talking about everyone who is not part of their crazy murder cult. You cannot build a vibrant society on this basis. So they have a history and a present of not doing so.
Israel is like a garden of technology and agriculture in the arab desert world. The existence of Israel shows what can be done through hard work and application of it to positive ends. The islamic creed however pretty much stops with the espousal of islam and does not reward enterprise and creativity as it insists on submission to its imams.
islam is a "religion" of death and destruction and cannot abide Israel because Israel has brought life to the desert where islam wishes to bring only death.
America may have a shoddy image in some people's eyes but it has become the greatest nation in the world as the result of individual enterprise and not through submission to madmen. We are looked upon as the beacon of freedom in the world and the land of plenty for good reason. I am sick and tired of people who decry the United States while they give our enemies who are literally violent and evil in their actions a total pass.
Just check out France. They recently elected a president who actually likes and supports America. Can 50 million Frenchman be wrong? Not by the light of ten thousand burning cars.
Posted by: Noah Vaile | June 05, 2007 at 04:55 PM
May Phill the prince of Insufficient light get you. But if you keep going this way, next time it would be Satan, the Prince of Darkness, oops sorry you already have Pissident Bush, the Prince of US. My best wishes.
Posted by: Ajay Pal Singh Atwal | June 05, 2007 at 11:37 AM
"I have heard it from many people, it doesn't work or I sound unrealistic, well that's what they said about Gandhi too and scoffed at what he proposed. It worked then and It's got to work now."
Brilliant, ny. Ghandi, who suggested that the Jews in WW2 should have avoided any disagreemernt and willingly beel slaughtered by the Nazis because then they'd have seen the error of their ways.
Ghandi's plan works perfectly if your enemy knows he/she should (and will) feel guilty for killing you. If your enemy has actually convinced himself that killing you is better for society, religion, or whatever other reason then all you've done is make the goal of killing you very easy.
Now, the question is; do the people cutting off the heads of anyone they think is "against their religion" while pushing girls without proper covering back into burning buildings feel guilt for mass slaughter of peopel they consider their enemies?
Well, I saw the gatherings when these societies in the Middle East saw the video of 9/11... I don't think that was guilt.
So, your goal is to surrender and die peacefully; while encouraging everyone else to do the same; because you've misunderstood why Ghandi's plan worked against the British and why it won't work here.
Best of luck with that, but don't expect a lot of support from people who aren't convinced that al-Queda has the same level of moral guilt for killing as the British military during the colonization period of India...
Posted by: Gekkobear | June 05, 2007 at 08:32 AM
It's permawar with the terrorists that exist now, but there's no reason to continue acting in a way that keeps producing more.
Posted by: Cloud | June 05, 2007 at 08:15 AM
The question is: how can we stop the US government from creating ever more terrorist groups and dictators through foreign aid? Of course we would still have some problems if we didn't create our own enemies... we'd have about the level of trouble that Switzerland suffers.
Posted by: Bill | June 05, 2007 at 07:44 AM
You are all nuts. There is no war on Terror and nobody cares about Israel or Palestine. "War On Terror" is propaganda. Period. Israel is the U.S. foothold in the region in the Middle East – it is a strategic partner.
2,973 people died on Sept 11. ...and the U.S. has spent about $500 Billion in the war on terror. That is about $200 Million for every person who died. Do you feel any safer?
500 Billion is about $2000 for every American – a nice tax rebate. It is also enough money to build about 500 world trade centers. I don’t want to speculate what 500 Billion would do for schools or hospitals. No doubt the states will spend a whole lot more before the "war" is over. To suggest that the U.S. made a 500+ billion investment to end terrorism is nuts. If the U.S. was trying to save American lives, it would have spent the money are lowering saturated fats in foods and decreasing drunk driving.
There are decreasing resources in the world and the U.S. is fighting for the lion’s share of those resources. It is rationally moving to continue its existence as THE superpower by controlling the asset that is most important to nation building.
Terror and Religion is what fuels the war - not what causes it. Bush, like all world leaders, will not personally fight because he has wealth and an education. So he needs someone to do it for him - and guess what? Religion / freedom / terror are the perfect tools to make this happen. The U.S. government needs to work with ideologies you are willing to die for. Soldiers are not fighting because they are paid $200 per week. They are fighting for freedom! (Who's I don't know, but FREEDOM by god!) Israel? Sure, if you are willing to fight for it, we can throw that is as well!
Let's stay focused people! If you want to stop the war, lower the demand for scarce resources - oil. Simple. Whenever a resource is scarce, has high demand, and lacks reasonable substitutes - people will fight. If you suggest anything else you are ignorant or delusional.
If the demand for oil cannot be decreased then maybe we should accept that a war for oil is actually a good thing. In which case we should also accept that to some degree terrorism will be a by-product of such a war. The have-nots generally dislike the haves.
Want to end terrorism? This will never happen – stop dreaming. Terrorism is the only means for a severe underdog to fight back. The more uneven the match-up, the more likely the underdog is to resort to terrorism. It is like when the bully picks on the small kid at school. Eventually the small kid kicks him in the nuts and the bully cries foul.
Want to decrease terrorism? I think a good starting place is if the States stops attacking countries on false pretences and stealing their resources. In short – stop picking on the little guy. Understand that this may mean you need to catch a bus a few times a week. A bit of terrorism is the market price for oil.
Posted by: Toby | June 05, 2007 at 07:38 AM
You are all nuts. There is no war on Terror and nobody cares about Israel or Palestine. "War On Terror" is propaganda. Period. Israel is the U.S. foothold in the region in the Middle East – it is a strategic partner.
2,973 people died on Sept 11. ...and the U.S. has spent about $500 Billion in the war on terror. That is about $200 Million for every person who died. Do you feel any safer?
500 Billion is about $2000 for every American – a nice tax rebate. It is also enough money to build about 500 world trade centers. I don’t want to speculate what 500 Billion would do for schools or hospitals. No doubt the states will spend a whole lot more before the "war" is over. To suggest that the U.S. made a 500+ billion investment to end terrorism is nuts. If the U.S. was trying to save American lives, it would have spent the money are lowering saturated fats in foods and decreasing drunk driving.
There are decreasing resources in the world and the U.S. is fighting for the lion’s share of those resources. It is rationally moving to continue its existence as THE superpower by controlling the asset that is most important to nation building.
Terror and Religion is what fuels the war - not what causes it. Bush, like all world leaders, will not personally fight because he has wealth and an education. So he needs someone to do it for him - and guess what? Religion / freedom / terror are the perfect tools to make this happen. The U.S. government needs to work with ideologies you are willing to die for. Soldiers are not fighting because they are paid $200 per week. They are fighting for freedom! (Who's I don't know, but FREEDOM by god!) Israel? Sure, if you are willing to fight for it, we can throw that is as well!
Let's stay focused people! If you want to stop the war, lower the demand for scarce resources - oil. Simple. Whenever a resource is scarce, has high demand, and lacks reasonable substitutes - people will fight. If you suggest anything else you are ignorant or delusional.
If the demand for oil cannot be decreased then maybe we should accept that a war for oil is actually a good thing. In which case we should also accept that to some degree terrorism will be a by-product of such a war. The have-nots generally dislike the haves.
Want to end terrorism? This will never happen – stop dreaming. Terrorism is the only means for a severe underdog to fight back. The more uneven the match-up, the more likely the underdog is to resort to terrorism. It is like when the bully picks on the small kid at school. Eventually the small kid kicks him in the nuts and the bully cries foul.
Want to decrease terrorism? I think a good starting place is if the States stops attacking countries on false pretences and stealing their resources. In short – stop picking on the little guy. Understand that this may mean you need to catch a bus a few times a week. A bit of terrorism is the market price for oil.
Posted by: Toby | June 05, 2007 at 07:37 AM
I believe -
A policy of hatred begets more hatred.
A policy of murder begets more murder.
Just saying that killing more people in the process of acquiring more land and water should continue appears to be an "I give up" & "I have no hope" attitude. First thing is to stop all blood shed whether an opponent agrees or disagrees or is hell bent on wiping you off.
I have heard it from many people, it doesn't work or I sound unrealistic, well that's what they said about Gandhi too and scoffed at what he proposed. It worked then and It's got to work now.
Posted by: ny | June 05, 2007 at 07:29 AM
I believe -
A policy of hatred begets more hatred.
A policy of murder begets more murder.
Just saying that killing more people in the process of acquiring more land and water should continue appears to be an "I give up" & "I have no hope" attitude. First thing is to stop all blood shed whether an opponent agrees or disagrees or is hell bent on wiping you off.
I have heard it from many people, it doesn't work or I sound unrealistic, well that's what they said about Gandhi too and scoffed at what he proposed. It worked then and It's got to work now.
Posted by: ny | June 05, 2007 at 07:22 AM