I myself don't know the real answer as to why terrorism exists, except to say maybe it's man's way of controlling over population on this planet.

Maybe terrorism is a political tool that all countries use, as an excuse to try out new weaponry on others, to see what works and what doesn't.

Maybe terrorism can be attributed to greed or jealousy, where someone wants what the other has but can't get, so he tries to take it by force.

Why can't we all just get along?

Trooper -

I wish we could but some how I don't think we ever will.

Wait, you're in Scotland?

So you are already on an island, albeit a huge one.

I have no answers but I agree it's important to ask these questions.

Or maybe we should have stayed out of wars that weren't ours to fight.

If not ours, whose? If we did not fight, would the war be fought at all?

Dave

I guess no matter what we do, terrorism will always be a part of human nature. There will always be some little nation that will have a grudge against another, either because of jealousy or religious beliefs. There will always be that one little pain-in-the-neck group who will be hell bent on making life miserable for others.

Terrorism cannot be killed. It may be controlled, but it can't be eliminated.

Terrorism is a way for the powerless to influence the powerful out of proportion to their normal limitations. It CAN be a tool for good in the hands of an oppressed minority. In the hands of fanatics striking out at innocent parties it can never be excused.

Dave

Dave -

If not ours, whose? If we did not fight, would the war be fought at all?

Not all wars are ours to fight. We should mind out own business. By the way not fighting a war is called peace.

What is the difference between an oppressed minority and an extremist? I bet most Palestinians would consider themselves oppressed minorities. But the Israelis would consider them terrorists.

A. L., the only peace with terrorists is the peace of the grave.

Dave

Dave -

I don't agree.

My point here, however, was what had we done, meaning the western world, to incur such hatred in the first place?

Why does everyone hate us so much? Maybe it's time we take more care how we treat other people and cultures?

Indeed, let's take care not to send them billions upon billions in economic, cultural and business aid and support. Let's not supply them with technology which they then produce at a lower cost to undercut our manufacturers. Let's not be their first line of defense against terrorist, dictatorial and genocidal governments. There's nothing worse than the oppression of freedom, opportunity and prosperity.

Dave

Dave -

In so many cases though we ARE the "dictatorial and genocidal governments"

Aren't we reaping the hatred we have sown?

Uh, A. L., afraid I have to differ with you on that last comment. The US is hardly dictatorial and genocidal by any sane definition of the terms.

Dave

Haven't you people listened to George Bush? They hate us for our freedom! lol

That makes a good sound bite, but it's a bit simplistic.

It's more that they hate it when our free-living ways begin to infiltrate their much more restrictive socieities.

Dave

Dave -

Maybe they hate it when we try to impose our cultural and religious beliefs on them.

And, frankly, I don't think America is so free anymore.

I'm not sure we actually 'try' to impose our culture and religious beliefs on them - though that is certainly what they hate. Our culture and religious beliefs, especially the culture and the secularism that goes with it, spread naturally through the media and that subjects them to exposure and seduction, and they blame us for that, even though there's no bad intent on our part.

Dave

I think terrorists hate us just because of who we are... Americans! And I agree with Dave, that we should not send so much aid (whether monetary or technology wise), to so much 3rd world countries, that our government should instead, be taking care of its citizens first.

Dave -

"Our culture and religious beliefs, especially the culture and the secularism that goes with it, spread naturally through the media"

Like an STD? We F$£* you and get sick? I can see why they would hate that.

An STD isn't the comparison I'd use since our cultural exports are not objectively harmful. Plus it's not communicated by sex, but rather by contact alone, so if it were a disease it would be much more contagious than an STD.

Dave

Dave -

Maybe our cultural exports are objectively harmful. If our culture is so aggressive and overbearing that other cultures are eclipsed and eventually extinguished by it then that would make it more than just objectively harmful.

We don't force our culture on people. We make it available on a purely voluntary and commercial basis. They then choose to expose themselves to it because of the benefits that come with things like instant news coverage and entertainment. The problem is that they want to pick and choose what they get, and we just put it all out there. They seem to think that we should prefilter our output for their preferences, but that's not the way it works. They need to develop the rational/critical skills to deal with what comes and filter out or ignore what they don't like. The distribution of culture is inherently passive and the responsibility for how it's dealt with rests on the recipient, not the generator.

Dave

Why?

Because it works.

"No one likes that arrogant guy at the party who thinks he has all the answers. Usually he is just an arse with a big mouth."
- A.L. Harper

So true, A.L., so true.

terrorism is the result of injustice in this world.What extremists do is they exploit real issues. That's always been the case -- real issues that both mainstream of certain societies are concerned about as well as extremists

Hard questions I know.

I think this topic is much too complex to address it with a short comment. I do feel, however, that to understand it properly we have to take a look from a perspective different to the one we here in the Western hemisphere are used to. And - to get rid of this simplification "good vs. bad". The world is not that simple!

Claus -

I know the world isn't that simple. Nor is it black and white. What I want is to start people asking the questions. It would probably help if most people could think for themselves.

Great piece, A.L.

Incidentally my email access is problematic today. I won't be able to check my email until tomorrow.