Monday, January 03, 2005
Jean-Francois Revel on the roots of terrorism
The theory that terrorism derives solely from economic inequalities among nations does not bear scrutiny. Most of the terrorists came from the most comfortable social milieus in the wealthiest Muslim lands; some had gone to Western universities. So the origin of the new hyperterrorism lies in ideology: in the strange world of Islamic extremism....
To argue that the only way to combat terrorism is by eliminating economic inequalities between nations is not merely to misjudge the reasons for terrorism; it is above all to evade offering practical resistance to it. This eschatological argument, making defense policy contingent on the advent of a perfect universe, grants permission to placidly await the end of the world. For Europeans, this is but a cover for their incapacity to formulate an operational strategy for the here and now. For Americans of the far Left, it is a new avatar of their old "blame America first" posture. With similar sophistry, the pacifists and neutralists during the Cold War preached that the democracies had no right to contain or even criticize totalitarian regimes until they had erased all injustices at home and those within their sphere of influence. In both cases, this indirect way of justifying inaction derives from an identical idee fixe: anti-Americanism.
7 Comments:
By 
, at
Mon Jan 03, 10:46:00 AM:
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/31/1546207
The actual answer to that burning "why do they hate us" question.
The Koran contains some fascinating material on the nature of muslim resilience. Penguin publishes a nice paperback translation. It's a short read, really, and it's an eye opener.
Peace.
By 
Gordon Smith, at
Mon Jan 03, 11:13:00 AM:
The Blame America First crowd, as you and Rush Limbaugh call them, are vilified for seeking a more perfect union. Economic disparities and policies are a part of the stew that creates murderous enmity. Other ingredients are unjustified military interventions, violations of the Geneva Conventions, Human rights violations, etc.
There is no justification for the murders perpetrated by terrorists. Knowing that some people are just looking for a reason to eliminate Americans, we can be confident that radicals will continue to commit criminal acts against innocents. The war on terror is therefore fundamentally unwinnable as it is currently framed by the Bushhawks.
By working to build a more just, more inclusive society that operates from the basic priniciples of the Constitution, we move towards inspiring unity with a powerful U.S. rather than anger as the U.S. exercises its unprecented economic, military, and cultural power in nations across the globe.
Self-examination is not weakness. Self-improvement is not denying that we are doing some things right. To accept and encourage injustice, no matter who commits it, is to work against the spirit of our great nation.
I've gone and rambled... Happy New One, Hawk.
By , at
Mon Jan 03, 01:33:00 PM:
Reading Revel is an incredible pleasure. I was first introduced to him by a Frenchman who posts (oddly enough) under the name "Lafayette". That I persisted in translating his rather lengthy article from the original French shows how much I enjoyed it - my French is really quite rusty.
- Cass
By TigerHawk, at
Mon Jan 03, 02:00:00 PM:
You can translate from French? Cass, is there no end to your talents?
I have no talent for any language other than English (and some might argue even with that claim). My father was an expert on medieval France, and my mother speaks French quite well. I took it in high school and college and am over there fairly often on business, and my pronunciation is still so hideous that I elicit smiles from the nicest French people, who helpfully switch immediately to English. It is humiliating, so say the least.
By Pile On®, at
Mon Jan 03, 02:58:00 PM:
I hadn't thought about LaFayette in a long time, I wonder if he still posts at Scrappleface?
By , at
Mon Jan 03, 04:02:00 PM:
Why the Word Trade Center was targetted:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/31/1546207
Why victory remains elusive:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140449205
Peace.
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