what the west doesn't understand about combating terrorism...

[silverpatronus]

terrorism is a mentality. terrorists hold no allegiance to any country or any person; they hold fast only to their ideals and their hatred. capturing/killing terrorist leaders does NOTHING to weaken terrorist groups. attacking 'terrorist countries' (what rubbish...there is no such thing as a terrorist country) does NOTHING to weaken terrorist groups. in fact, all these do is give them a larger recruitment pool. TERRORISM CANNOT BE FOUGHT WITH MILITARY MIGHT! to remove a terrorist's power, you have to remove the source of his hatred. diplomacy and good foreign policy weakens terrorist groups by ensuring that their recruitment pool dries up. this is not to suggest that we all roll over and give terrorists what they want, far from. but violence will only ever beget more violence. we are not fighting an enemy that plays by the rules of engagement. we are not fighting an enemy with honour. we are fighting an enemy who thinks nothing of coming like a thief in the night and slaughtering us while we are unaware. we cannot fight that by shooting at shadows and dust in the wind. the only way we can fight that is by TAKING AWAY THEIR REASON TO WANT TO HURT US.

[Jacobin]

1. They should bribe congress like the Israelis do

It would be cheaper and fewer people would get killed.

Although it would be less spectacular.

[lindashaw]

2. I don't think we can ever convince this administration of this.

Back to the question: Can you negotiate with a terrorist? SHould you give them what they want? I say, why not give them a job? What could it hurt? It certainly doesn't cost as much as a war, and it just might work.

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. I agree. "Terrorism" is not ideological, it's tactical.

And as such, "War Against Terrorism" is a worthless term. But it's catchy and simple, which is what Rover and his prince know will sell.

[DUreader]

4. They Understand Perfectly and Have Understood Since "The Reign of Terror"

At least since then if not earlier.

"Terror" is their bow to play us like a fiddle while the world burns.


on edit: Advance warnings of 9/II, Patriot Act Pre-Written and Ready to Go, White House on Cipro weeks before the Thrax-attax,

Blatant lies about WMD unquestioned by our 'free-press'

etc.

[sweetheart]

5. I can't help but wonder

If these imbalances cannot be corrected with high quality financial
markets and a sound rule of law, with universal rights of property
and sufferage.

These things don't come from war. Preacher meet chorus: :-)

[ArkDem]

6. We should all immediately convert to their brand of Islam?

That would stop it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. A link for you and for all

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/false-dilemma.html

[rman]

7. supposedly they have no reason, they "just hate us"

This idea is perpetuated by the fact that we don't negotiate with them.
Thus it become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Insider]

8. for this admin, it has never been about terrorism

terrorism was just a tool for their own evil intentions, a way to perpetual war mentality, feeding the MIC (like cold war & communism, with a side of oil). me thinks they have not a care about how to really reduce the terrorist threat.

[kiahzero]

9. The problem is that fundies are hard to negotiate with

Fundamentalists are unable to compromise - they get everything they want, or they go home pissed off and start sending off the death threats. Al Qaeda will not be satisfied until the world is one Islamic state under Sharia.

[Terran]

10. You are absolutely right

and even Kerry and our Dem leaders either don't recognize this, or cannot bring themselves to say it because it sounds "soft on terrorism". Well, "soft" my ass--Bush is "stupid" on terrorism. The bogus War on Terror is NOT the answer, any idiot can see that.

Dirk

[seabeyond]

12. in 3 years bush has the middle of the road

middle east people rooting for the terrorists. i remember way back, before the axis of evils and bush and invasion most people in the middle east thought suicide bombing was horrible