--- In [email protected], Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Osama is a millionaire. Many of the terrorists come from affluent or > upwardly mobile lives--esp. in Britain where many are college educated. > Honestly, the idea that it is caused by poverty may just be PC BS or > government disinformation. The connection between terrorism and > poverty has been disproven again and again--but don't expect to > hear the from a politician.
While I was nodding my head at some points, the broader tone and implications of this articl emade me shake my head. "Politicians and much of the media in Britain are engaged in a familiar Western practice after a terrorist attack. They think they can explain it using Western standards." On the other hand, Tom Friedman and others have made a persuasive case that bin-laden and others have been quite clear on what caused their grievances and what it would take for them to "move on". An implication of this is that their jihads are more grievance-based than enemy-specific based. The Moojahideen fought the Russians fiercely to rid Afghanistan of Russian invaders, and they stopped fighting Russians when the Red Army pulled out in 1989. Bin-laden helped organize and he fought with the Moojahideen in Afganistan to fight off the Russian invasion. The CIA funneled literally billions of dollars to the Moojahideen via Zia head of Pakastan at the time (The Secret War of Charlie Wilson is a fascinating account of it.) We liked fundamentalist muslim jihads then when it helped to shake apart the Soviet empire. We don't like them when they are directed at us. The jihadists were happy to work with us when we had a common grievance: the russian invasion. They work against us when we create grievances for them. Jihadist grievances inlude massive support of Israel in light of their slaughter of Palestinian in the refugee camps, military rule of the wast bank and its human rights violations, support of a repressive Saudi and other regimes in muslim countries, western imperialist impacts going back to the beginning of the 20th century and the desecration of Islam's holiest sites, in their view, by US presence in Saudi Arabia in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. If Palestine were a free, indpendent, propsperous state, I think a substantial portion what inflames muslims and creates the furror that transforms some into terrorist, would subside greatly. So while terrorists operating in western countries are not impoverished, their cause, their furor and self-righteousness stems in good part from the poverty and repression in the west bank, and additionally in muslim countries which have been afflicted economically by western powers over teh past 100 years. Further, in Afghanistan, Karzai (sp) is really only president of Kabul -- 90% of the country is in warlord's hands over which he has little influence. The Tailaban are making a strong comeback. A major fuel on the fire there is poverty. If Afghanistan had a thriving economy, strong schools and infrastructure, it would be much less suseptible to terrorists emerging there, and provide much less fuel for jihadist minds and hearts throughout the world. Similiar stories, different details, for Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, etc. So to conclude as Cal does that poverty has no link to terrorism is anaive and superficial claim -- and dangerious if it becomes imbedded in policy making themes. "Now unemployment and hopelessness among Muslims are the root cause of terrorism. Finding jobs for them so they can drive nice cars, live in upscale flats and attend West End theaters supposedly will convert them to the British way of life." This is a typical empty strawman arguement. The options are not impoverished and repressed muslims vs. muslims as upscale Brit clones. Its about assisting 100s of millions of impoverished and repressed muslims rise to a basic level of non-repression and economic viability. "Or maybe evil America caused the terrorist attacks. If only the U.S. had not invaded Iraq and dragged Britain along, perhaps Britain might have been spared the bus and tube bombings." Again strawman bs. What did contribute to all the bombings, to a degree, is the past and current presence of massive amounts of US troops and civilian support structures in what muslims consider sacred lands. Its not relevant if a westerner does not "get it", that the lands are not sacred to him so why should anyone care if he is there. "These are not Muslims without a future. These are bright and educated students who, if they wished, could be productive and prosperous members of British society. But many embrace a false theology and a god who requires them to kill infidels." A western christian telling a muslim that they have "embraced a false theology and a god" does not solve ANYTHING. Just as white civil rights workers in the early 60's were bright and educated students who, if they wished, could be productive and prosperous members of suburban America. But they were shocked and dismayed at the state of civil rights in the south, were pissed off, and risked careers, life and limb to do something about it. Why is it so hard to imagine idealistic muslims doing the same. "No amount of aid from the G-8 industrial nations to the "Palestinians," nor resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, will pacify these current and potential killers." Sure it will. As well as reducing repression in the west bank, saudia arabia, egypt, etc. Cal has used a number of empty arguments, not substantial ones, to draw this bogus conclusion. "Even if Israel was obliterated (the goal of much of the Muslim world), the terror would continue until the entire non-Islamic world is under their control." This is his conjecture -- and he appears not a person whose wisdom and isights I would place much faith in. The Jijadists did not follow the Russians back into Russia after they force marched them out of Afghanistan. Its a western myth, perhaps with racial and genicial undertones, that Muslims seek world domination. (An underlying implication is that the west has to kill them all before they kill us all.) Why don't we focus on helping to end repression, poverty, lack of eduction, etc in the muslim world, and see where that brings the state of hostilities between muslim and non-muslim worlds. http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20050712-091449-9219r.htm To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
