My cynicism takes it to the next step in saying that, in modern times, terrorists are the stupid dopes who have their ideologies used against them by their leadership for their leadership's own ends.
Oh, certainly. There is a reason that terrorists tend to turn on their own who try to make peace. If there is peace, the terrorist leaders lose their power; they must maintain the environment of suffering and oppression, or people won't be motivated to follow their commands. It's a self-perpetuating cycle. Israel has fallen into it as well, I fear.
I've often wondered what would happen if the Israelis decided to kill the Palestinians with kindness. Unlike the threats Israel faced from the united Arab nations, the Palestinians really don't have enough power to threaten Israel's existance outright. They make things unstable and unpleasant, but the death toll they inflict is less than the homicide rate in most US cities. What would happen if the Israelis girded themselves, took it on the chin, and instead of retaliating, the SHOWERED the Palestinian people with aid? If they used the resources the devote to creating and defending settlements and instead devoted them to rebuilding Palestinian infrastructure, schools, hospitals, etc.? How long would the extremists be able to convince people to blow themselves up to kill the same people would be helping them renew their economy, teach their children, etc.?
Just a theory. I could be wrong, but as far as I know it has never been TRIED before.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-03-15 10:30 am (UTC)Oh, certainly. There is a reason that terrorists tend to turn on their own who try to make peace. If there is peace, the terrorist leaders lose their power; they must maintain the environment of suffering and oppression, or people won't be motivated to follow their commands. It's a self-perpetuating cycle. Israel has fallen into it as well, I fear.
I've often wondered what would happen if the Israelis decided to kill the Palestinians with kindness. Unlike the threats Israel faced from the united Arab nations, the Palestinians really don't have enough power to threaten Israel's existance outright. They make things unstable and unpleasant, but the death toll they inflict is less than the homicide rate in most US cities. What would happen if the Israelis girded themselves, took it on the chin, and instead of retaliating, the SHOWERED the Palestinian people with aid? If they used the resources the devote to creating and defending settlements and instead devoted them to rebuilding Palestinian infrastructure, schools, hospitals, etc.? How long would the extremists be able to convince people to blow themselves up to kill the same people would be helping them renew their economy, teach their children, etc.?
Just a theory. I could be wrong, but as far as I know it has never been TRIED before.