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There are comparatively few terrorists who are purely religious fanatics, unless you believe the Middle East is a boiling pot of psychological disorder. It's very highly improbable that the number of people who engage in anti-US behavior all suffer from the kinds of psychological imbalances that create the pure religious maniac (people like Charles Manson).There has to be something that makes these fanatics desirable to the common man. Think Nazi Germany. When we talk about the Nazis, we also discuss the reasons so many Germans fell in line with Hitler's rationalities. Had we addressed some of the issues that caused Germans to flock to the Nazi cause, we might have prevented World War II from happening, without firing a shot.The Middle East today is much like Germany was in the early 30s - pliable. They have enormous potential resources (oil), mirroring Germany's potential for industrial power. They are, however, not "world powers" anymore - mirroring Germany's own fall from a powerful position to a weak one. They are disjointed and unsure of their role in the changing world. Furthermore, while a small percentage of the population have become outwardly violent, most haven't really chosen how they wish to react to the way the world treats them. It's no secret that they don't like how we treat them and if we stay on our present path, treating Muslims like second-class citizens in their own land and insisting on sticking our noses in and violating their sovereignty whenever and however we feel like it, then eventually more and more Muslims will rally to the extremist banner. As it were many have already flocked there, but far from a majority. When/if that were to happen...then we'd be in real trouble.
There are comparatively few terrorists who are purely religious fanatics, unless you believe the Middle East is a boiling pot of psychological disorder. It's very highly improbable that the number of people who engage in anti-US behavior all suffer from the kinds of psychological imbalances that create the pure religious maniac (people like Charles Manson).
There has to be something that makes these fanatics desirable to the common man. Think Nazi Germany. When we talk about the Nazis, we also discuss the reasons so many Germans fell in line with Hitler's rationalities. Had we addressed some of the issues that caused Germans to flock to the Nazi cause, we might have prevented World War II from happening, without firing a shot.
The Middle East today is much like Germany was in the early 30s - pliable. They have enormous potential resources (oil), mirroring Germany's potential for industrial power. They are, however, not "world powers" anymore - mirroring Germany's own fall from a powerful position to a weak one. They are disjointed and unsure of their role in the changing world. Furthermore, while a small percentage of the population have become outwardly violent, most haven't really chosen how they wish to react to the way the world treats them. It's no secret that they don't like how we treat them and if we stay on our present path, treating Muslims like second-class citizens in their own land and insisting on sticking our noses in and violating their sovereignty whenever and however we feel like it, then eventually more and more Muslims will rally to the extremist banner. As it were many have already flocked there, but far from a majority. When/if that were to happen...then we'd be in real trouble.
