Posted on 12/05/2004 8:34:49 AM PST by Andy from Beaverton
Can we fight terrorism constructively?
Editor's note: Filling in for David Horsey this week is Rick Steves, author of the "Europe Through the Back Door" books and host of the popular public television travel program, "Rick Steves' Europe."
On Sept. 11, 2001, the World Trade Center towers collapsed and angry clouds of dust chased U.S. citizens through the streets of New York City. The world was outraged. And the United States was outraged. So much so that -- three long years later -- many Americans still refuse to even dignify the attack by asking, "Why did they do it?"
But we must understand the enemy to combat them. Let me play the role of one of the thousands of Muslim parents who've named their babies Osama in the past year and look at the situation from the point of view of these devout Muslims offended and threatened by the reach of U.S. power.
Who was actually being attacked on that terrible day? The targets chosen were not symbolic of average Americans (say, a shopping mall or sports stadium). They weren't symbols of the freedoms that this country stands for (Statue of Liberty). Rather, the 9/11 hijackers went straight for the institutions of U.S. might in the world: international corporations (the Trade Towers), the U.S. military (the Pentagon) and -- had the fourth plane reached its likely goal -- our commander in chief (the White House).
So, why did they do it? Because "they hate freedom?" Come on -- that's ridiculous.
A billion Muslims throughout the world have three serious concerns: Palestine needs security and self-respect; they want the American military out of Islam; and they want control of their natural resources (to charge whatever they like for their oil). These are three basic foreign policy questions that any U.S. president could address without compromising the security and interests of America or Israel.
The United States' overwhelming global dominance is unprecedented in human history. Many Muslims fear the Americanization of their culture. In addition, the United States declares natural resources (such as oil) in Muslim countries "vital to its national security." And our immense military -- as big as the rest of the world's combined and unfightable by means other than terrorism --defends U.S. access to markets and natural resources throughout the globe.
It's clear that maintaining our dominance by force is costly in civil liberties, our moral standing in the world, tax dollars and human lives. So my Burning Question is:
Could we more effectively fight terrorism by understanding what motivates it and then taking away the source of the anger? Wouldn't it be cheaper and wiser to just face our enemy, ask "Why?" and respond constructively?
Well, so much for the Rick Steves guides to Europe for me. I'll write him and tell him (and his family) that there are economic consequences for idiotic political opinions voiced by naive and unqualified people. Has nothing to do with so called "free speech". I feel free to vote for or against anyone with my money and pocketbook.
I hope nobody takes any of his books at the book stores and drops them into the store trash cans with a nice latte on top of them.
SHUT UP AND SING, STEVE!!!
Islam means SUBMISSION!!! SUB ...SUB.....submission being under someone's thumb....it does NOT stand for freedom! Stevie is an idiot.
Americans are united?!
Yeah sure. Like 150 years ago. Like 40 years ago.
They have inalienable rights to speak out and work to force America's submission to "world opinion."
We have inalienable rights to say NO! and defend against them.
A clash of inalienable rights.
It don't get no simpler. There is no peaceful solution.
I urge President Bush to act to prevent another enemies-within caused win-the-battles-lose-the-war outcome. I have no problem with the temporary suspension of Constitutional rights. It should have been done to shut down the enemies within 40 years ago.
We've lost more rights to the enemies within court actions during peacetime than we could ever lose permanently due to war time.
I think Rick has spent too much time in foreign parts. I'll never watch his show again.
This seems to be the root of the lefties philosophy. Abstract logic. In my 50 years I have never come across so many individuals where there opinions, excuses and answers defy all logic I have ever been taught. It defies factual and theoretical problem solving, which BTW coincides with the ideas and ideals of the insurgence to civilized society we are currently at war with. They truly live in a seperate universe. If only we could exile them to permanently reside in their never never land utopia of let bygones be bygones. The world would truly be a better place.
Steves is a simpleton with a lisp. And what's with his title "Europe through the back door"? Hmmm.
While I agree with your premise, I take issue with one of your key points. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is in no way a major newspaper!
It's a worthless, biased, inaccurate, slanted liberal rag. Sad to say, it satisfies the reading needs of the majority of Seattleites perfectly.
Rick should stick to his dayjob recommending restaurants in Paris...
He's not all wrong, though, he simply tugs on a few convenient and reasonable items and then has the uncanny ability to come up with all the wrong conclusions.
Exhibit A:
But we must understand the enemy to combat them. Let me play the role of one of the thousands of Muslim parents who've named their babies Osama in the past year and look at the situation from the point of view of these devout Muslims offended and threatened by the reach of U.S. power.
Understand the enemy, we must. Unfortunately Rick Steves is as dumb as the proverbial post.
What the terrorists are threatened by is those insolent Jews tha refused to submit to rock worshiping at Makkah, or the American Satan who stops the Islamic goal of territorial conquest of the Darul Harb with their military might. It's a last desperate gasp of an intolerant 7th century ideology panicking when it sees millions of young Muslims to wander from the strict wife beating interpretation of Islam to listen to western music, wear the clothes of western whores that reveal the flesh of he ankles and face, and who dare to think democracy might just be preferable to having a sex crazed Mullah run their nations at home and support the AmeriKKKan Satans economic might with their pocketbooks...
What Steve can not, or will not, answer is how do you deal with someone who reads his holy book or scriptures and with the blessings of his highest religious authorities, is convinced his god commands him to kill us?
"they want control of their natural resources (to charge whatever they like for their oil)"
THEY ALREADY CHARGE WHATEVER THEY LIKE FOR THEIR OIL!
"Rick, can you spell OPEC?"
Yeah, Rick. We know.
And particularly because he is so PC-enlightened, that is precisely why he can't understand Islam, or even the history of his own nation, or those he visits. I've never heard such clumsy explanations of old cathedrals and what they meant coming from anyone but that guy. He's a favorite for pledge-drives on the local PBS, which is here in Northern CA, home of the ultra-leftist-ultra-ultras-liberals . . ultra (did I say, ultra - they always say that about conservatives). Him or 'sister Wendy'.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.