““They are told that in Islamic State they will fight a historic fight, a final fight between good and evil,†he said. Those young people who were completely unimportant in their countries will be very important [here]. And for the first time in their life, somebody is telling them that they are important,†the journalist said.”
Let me preemptively say that there is no appeasement of evil, and I'm not advocating that. However, I think it is very important to underscore that despite the left’s accusation of ‘global warming’ fueling radicalization, it's actually more accurate to pin some of the responsibility on the celebrity-based society that the left have engendered.
We have replaced the search for meaning and spirituality with the search for ‘fame’ and ‘recognition’. There are plenty of dispossessed and lost people out there who feel like their lives don't matter. Some here will probably say that they are losers, and maybe they are to some extent, but then maybe we all are to some extent.
One of the things that has always impressed me about conservatism is that it seems to value all life, irrespective of whether or not 10,000 hits come up when you search your name on google. I think one important weapon we have against radicalization is the ability to convince people that they matter, even if they're not occupying an office in Washington DC, aren't on television every night, and aren't written about by the media. This obviously isn't likely to stop those who grew up being taught hatred in the Madrassa’s, but it just might have an effect on enough people to make meaningful change.
Every society has members who feel inadequate in some way. ISIL offers young male sunnis weapons to obtain the power and recognition they crave.
I mention the size of the enemy to point out the absurdity of trying to kill them all.
I do value life but we must value killing the killers more. Otherwise we are nothing more than sheep to the slaughter.
Any messages the West has to offer marginalized sunnis would fall on deaf ears.
Islamic civilization is collapsing. The most talented arabs are leaving arab lands en masse and joining the West. That will be a bumpy merger but it is irreversible and the long term solution to radicalization.