Why would a buncha terrorists

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by MrCoffee
ill equiped and spread out around the world want to take on the mightiest country in the world. I ask myself that qustion every day, dont you?

This is easy to answer.

In the last 100 years or so the world has progressed.  Some regions more than others.  The middle east is one of those regions that has not.  People live in squaler while their despot leaders get rich off of oil profits yet do nothing to better their country.  This creates anger amongst lower/working class people.

Then they turn to their sheiks and immams and these religious leaders point the finger at Israel and the US.  The poor then get worked up into a frenzy and vioalla....you have fanatics.  

This is of course my opinion.  I can only back it up with saying this.  I've been watching alot of discovery channel about Dubai.  The leaders their realized that they cannot depend on oil sales for much longer as their supply is dwindleing.  So they decided to turn their country into a tourist mecha.  This kind of forward thinking represents progress to me.  It seems that people their are gainfully employed.  You don't hear to much about terrorism there nore terrorists coming that country.

This is of course my opinion and it's not based on any type of relative study but just mere observations.

[Nilsen]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
This is easy to answer.

In the last 100 years or so the world has progressed.  Some regions more than others.  The middle east is one of those regions that has not.  People live in squaler while their despot leaders get rich off of oil profits yet do nothing to better their country.  This creates anger amongst lower/working class people.

Then they turn to their sheiks and immams and these religious leaders point the finger at Israel and the US.  The poor then get worked up into a frenzy and vioalla....you have fanatics.  

This is of course my opinion.  I can only back it up with saying this.  I've been watching alot of discovery channel about Dubai.  The leaders their realized that they cannot depend on oil sales for much longer as their supply is dwindleing.  So they decided to turn their country into a tourist mecha.  This kind of forward thinking represents progress to me.  It seems that people their are gainfully employed.  You don't hear to much about terrorism there nore terrorists coming that country.

This is of course my opinion and it's not based on any type of relative study but just mere observations.

Not a bad theory at all.

[Rolex]

If you're really serious about understanding why any group does anything, or what they want, there is a way to find out. You have to do some research into it, then take their side in a civil discussion.

If you aren't willing to do that, then you're not serious about it.

Firstly, let's look at the original statement:

"Why would a buncha terrorists ill equiped and spread out around the world want to take on the mightiest country in the world. I ask myself that qustion every day, dont you?"

Is this a true statement to start with? If you're referring to Al-Qaeda and September 11th, then it should be specified.

If you're referring to someone or something else, then there is no reason to ask yourself anything about it every day, since no one else has attacked the US.

[Saintaw]

Ok, need to stockpile on sugar and rice... world is about to end. I agree with Guns... historical moment

[Nilsen]

A man of means and education is harder to fool than a poor uneducated man.

If im not mistaken Hitlers follwers were mostly unemplyed or poor. They were promised, and given work and food. A man like him could never haven gotten were he did in a content enviroment.

Religion can play a part if the religion is used to comfort and lead the poor man. Religion in a content enviroment is usually not dangerous at all.

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by Saintaw
Ok, need to stockpile on sugar and rice... world is about to end. I agree with Guns... historical moment

LOL

Here's another you might agree with.  I don't harbor any disallusions that the anger against the US is also attributed to our medaling with ME affairs (as well as our close ties to Israel)

I read something today that struck me as refreshing:

“It is ironic that Muslim extremists are portraying themselves as anti-imperialist, when in fact Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are nothing more but a creation of the CIA.”

[john9001]

Originally posted by Nilsen
A man of means and education is harder to fool than a poor uneducated man.

If im not mistaken Hitlers follwers were mostly unemplyed or poor. They were promised, and given work and food. A man like him could never haven gotten were he did in a content enviroment.

 

the german industrialists and intellectuals thought they could control hitler, so they supported him, after all the NAZI party was small, how much power could he have.

[ChickenHawk]

Originally posted by Goomba
Think about it...to them, God is the only reason to be alive, God is the only source of thought, only religious piety has any value, the individual is meaningless, and only a priest has the capacity to make a decision.

We represent the polar opposite...Western culture values the freedom of the individual, to some extent espouses the idea of a personal relationship with one's God(s) (not to mention the freedom to choose one's religion), we value diversity and difference, we struggle and debate and argue over ideas and thoughts and social values.  We are everything demonic to their way of thinking, because we think that the individual has value and generally refute the idea that we can kill anyone in God's name and it's all good.

They don't fear the physical threat we represent...they're all too happy to get dead quick.  They fear the very idea that a culture of freedom of thought might upset the whole social structure they've built to avoid having to think for themselves.

The whole Islamic fundamentalist movement has made it's agenda plain and simple;

Convert and Submit...or Die.

I think you've touched on the heart of the problem here.  You have two different cultures that will never understand each other and globalization has brought them crashing together.

I often hear that the reason for the US going to war is to protect our way of life.  Some people in the Arab countries feel that their way of life is under attack and feel justified in jihad.

The problem from the western point of view is that we don't subscribe to these radicals religious reasons for terrorist suicide but from their cultures point of view, they are revered and looked up to as martyrs.  As the war progresses, each side feels more and more justified in their actions.

A contained war like the one we are fighting in Iraq will never stop terrorism, just like Israel will be unsuccessful in eradicating all of Hezbollah from Lebanon.  The problem is they refuse to wear red and stand in the open in a straight line like the British were so careful to do for us in the revolutionary war.  The fighting between the west and middle east will continue for generations until one side completely defeats the other in a WWII like large scale assault.  And that will only last until the other side has recovered or been eradicated.  And another page in history is turned.

[Goomba]

I believe Gunslinger is basically correct...poverty and hopelessness have been identified as a common theme in any extremist psychology.  A lack of hope for the future nurtures feelings of hopelessness and a lack of belonging.  People in this situation (particularly young men who also see no hope for marriage) will find somewhere to belong (gangs, militias, insurgencies, etc...) and something to live for (defeating the enemy, dying for God, representing the gang, etc...).

Dubai does represent an interesting paradox compared to the rest of the region, for the reasons stated.  Maybe others will see the benefits of such an approach, rather than the enormously successful strategy employed thus far.

[lazs2]

sandie was, I am sure being his usual pithy and sarcastic self but I believe that he has hit on it...

"Because they're enemies of freedom and democracy. Duh."

They are of a religious belief that is the exact opposite of fredom and any form of democracy... their religion allows no individual freedom.

I believe that the success of the west is what they fear.. the loss of control of their people soooooo... they need to make it a religious issue so as to not lose control.

freedom means the end of their power.

lazs

[Iceman24]

"But I already banged the 7 virgins."

Karaya, the last 3 weren't virgins, trust me you got the sloppy seconds bro LOL