22 Sep 07
Originally posted by MacSwainThere are two options on the table, both of which could work. One is aggressive military action and the other is keeping calm and not letting the terrorists get the drama and bloodshed they want. I favor the former.
ATY takes ALL sides of an issue in only 1hour 10minutes 😕
21 Sep '07 15:59
Yes, they should kick butt, but they need to be careful. There are traps being set for overly aggressive Western nations, I'm sure.
21 Sep '07 16:06
That's another possibility. It's basic human psychology. If people don't get a response to their actions, those actions will ...[text shortened]... ould work if it could be maintained.
The problem is it's not maintainable in America.
22 Sep 07
Originally posted by WheelyHow could you possibly think that ignoring them would work? We did that for decades and only got more terror in return. They were ignored all the way from the disco bombing in Germany in the seventies all the way up until September 11th.
I think you mis-understood points two and three as I did when I first read them. I think the "such" in "such a strategy would work if it could be maintained" refers to the idea of ignoring this nonsense and so backs up point number two.
I think he's right too. It probably would work but couldn't be maintained in the US.
In fact, the onyl thing that did work was Reagan bombing one of Kuddaffies maxi-pads.
22 Sep 07
Originally posted by MerkWe should show them how truly powerful nations founded on democractic (as opposed to theocratic) principles are -- by defending the universal right of any dam fool to say pretty much any dam thing he pleases.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411451535&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
The storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad in July "demonstrated Musharraf's insistence on continuing his loyalty, submissiveness and aid to America against the Muslims ... and makes armed rebellion against him and removing him obligatory," bin Laden said in the t ...[text shortened]...
My question to everyone is, how do you think France and Spain should respond?
22 Sep 07
Originally posted by spruce112358Are you saying that we should defend his right to declare war on France?
We should show them how truly powerful nations founded on democractic (as opposed to theocratic) principles are -- by defending the universal right of any dam fool to say pretty much any dam thing he pleases.
22 Sep 07
Originally posted by MerkIt is you that are making them so powerful.
How could you possibly think that ignoring them would work? We did that for decades and only got more terror in return. They were ignored all the way from the disco bombing in Germany in the seventies all the way up until September 11th.
In fact, the onyl thing that did work was Reagan bombing one of Kuddaffies maxi-pads.
22 Sep 07
1 edit
Originally posted by MerkNo, we rewarded them. That's different than ignoring them.
How could you possibly think that ignoring them would work? We did that for decades and only got more terror in return. They were ignored all the way from the disco bombing in Germany in the seventies all the way up until September 11th.
In fact, the onyl thing that did work was Reagan bombing one of Kuddaffies maxi-pads.
The study suggests that concessions awarded to terrorists during the 80s and 90s for suicide attacks increased their frequency.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism
Original source for the study:
^ Pape, Robert A. "The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism," American Political Science Review, 2003. 97 (3): pp. 1-19.
In contrast
to the existing explanations, this study shows that suicide terrorism follows a strategic
logic, one specifically designed to coerce modern liberal democracies to make significant
territorial concessions. Moreover, over the past two decades, suicide terrorism has been
rising largely because terrorists have learned that it pays. Suicide terrorists sought to
compel American and French military forces to abandon Lebanon in 1983, Israeli forces
to leave Lebanon in 1985, Israeli forces to quit the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in
1994 and 1995, the Sri Lankan government to create an independent Tamil state from
1990 on, and the Turkish government to grant autonomy to the Kurds in the late 1990s.
In all but the case of Turkey, the terrorist political cause made more gains after the
resort to suicide operations than it had before. Thus, Western democracies should
pursue policies that teach terrorists that the lesson of the 1980s and 1990s no longer
holds, policies which in practice may have more to do with improving homeland security
than with offensive military action.
http://fs.huntingdon.edu/jlewis/Terror/Pape-APSR-Aug03.htm
