Fight the Root of Terrorism With Bombs, Not Bread

Capitalism Magazine ^ | July 25, 2005 | Alex Epstein

[hripka]

Summary: America should redouble and refocus its military action, not increase its foreign aid, if it wants to attack the "root cause" of terrorism.

Body: In light of the recent suicide bombings in London, and the general inability of the West to prevent terrorist attacks, there is much talk about fighting the "root cause" of terrorism. The most popular argument is that terrorism is caused by poverty. The United Nations and our European and Arab "allies" repeatedly tell us to minimize our military operations and instead dole out more foreign aid to poor countries--to put down our guns and pick up our checkbook. Only by fighting poverty, the refrain goes, can we address the "root cause" of terrorism.

The pernicious idea that poverty causes terrorism has been a popular claim since the attacks of September 11. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has repeatedly asked wealthy nations to double their foreign aid, naming as a cause of terrorism "that far too many people are condemned to lives of extreme poverty and degradation." Former Secretary of State Colin Powell agrees: "We have to put hope back in the hearts of people. We have to show people who might move in the direction of terrorism that there is a better way." Businessman Ted Turner also concurs: "The reason that the World Trade Center got hit is because there are a lot of people living in abject poverty out there who don't have any hope for a better life."

[EagleUSA]

Exactly. Bombs and pig's blood.

[ExcursionGuy84]

No 72 Virgins for You, 'throat-slitting, head-chopping' ragheads!

[cwb]

Yeah...and that's why the leaders of terrorism are some of the wealthiest people on the planet?

[dead]

Maybe we can put bombs in the bread.

[Blzbba]

"The most popular argument is that terrorism is caused by poverty. "


Hopefully, this and "they just need democracy" will go the way of the dodo after the well-fed, free British Muslim terrorists killed 50+ people on 7/7.

[XHogPilot]

Ping,

As a former Taliban official said, "The Americans are fighting so they can live and enjoy the material things in life. But we are fighting so we can die in the cause of God."

[Man50D]

If poverty is the root cause of terrorism then Abraham Lincoln should have been a terrorist.

[CHARLITE]

"Kofi Annan has repeatedly asked wealthy nations to double their foreign aid, naming as a cause of terrorism "that far too many people are condemned to lives of extreme poverty and degradation."

There is abosolutely NOTHING on the face of the earth dausing more "extreme poverty and degradation" than Islam.........which has had this effect upon millions upon millions of people for the past 1,400 years. End Islam and the "degradation" part of Kofi's lamentation will most certainly end. Bring former slaves (read "the faithful") into the 21st century with free enterprise and capitalism, and they'll stand a great chance of eliminating poverty as well.

What a weasel Kofi Annan is........and what NERVE he has! He, his son and their cronies found a way to "eliminate poverty" for themselves, by double dipping into the pig trough in the Oil-for-Food game, so he's a fine one to pontificate on this subject!

Thanks for the post, hripka!

Char (: