If terrorism is caused by poverty, injustice, & exploitation by the US- why aren't we attacked far more often?
600731
I think Muslims are the only ones daft enough to blow them self's up for some one elses cause.
606911
Terrorism is not new.  The weapons and options of the terrorists are more powerful as society advances.\n\nThere is a little known amazing act of terrorism that occurred in Michigasn during May of 1927:\n\nhttp://www.msu.edu/~daggy/tbsd/\n\nSpeaking as a person of broad education (science and humanities, acquired on my own), I think the future will involve better education in ethics and morality and identifying and controlling potential criminals and terrorists.\n\nThere is currently great failure in both these areas.\n\nThere are too many people who are deprived of education and opportunity, but many terrorists are not from these.\n\nA terrorist is mostly a very evil person who does not know how to work for a better world.\n\nWhy don't you explore the motivations of the man involved in the Michigan incident, also a suicide, and see how it matches modern profiles, Timothy McVeigh, others.\n\nThere was a man in Colorado who drove a bulldozer around inflicting millions of dollars of damages, also killed himself.\n\nTerrorists who wish to inflict great damage while killng themselves.  Needs some good analysis.\n\nPlease study this for us.  I am already working on other things, cannot help, sorry.\n\nIt is far from being solely an Islamic fundamentalist problem.
549261
no because that would have made us as bad as them, but your right Americans are hypocrites they've been funding terrorism for years and then complain when it affects them
653680
No.  Remember, most terrorists in democratic countries are second generation immigrants, like London's four subway bombers.  Also, most people who turn to terrorism while living in the Middle East are middle class - the poor are too busy trying to scrape by and the rich have no reason to upset the status quo.  The problem involves mostly how well immigrants assimilate into new environments and how easy those environments are to integrate into - some nations are easier than others - and the overall employment (not average income) rate of the country in question.
1182964
Terrorism exists as a cheap and pretty reliable political instrument. It is very easy to get started: in every society there are desperate people who, if worked well with and encouraged enough, may constitute a striking force which can be used by security service of a country as a pressure tool towrds the object country. There is a sophisticated switch on/off mechanism. This is classic, if You want a state-sponsored terrorism.\nThere is another one which is totally unmanageable. It is a new wave we have today. How it works? Issue a fatwa in Internet and proclaim, for instance that killing Americans may bring a direct way to paradise - Paradise NOW! People in remoted areas get inspired and prepare an attack without relying on anyone - what they need is some technical, religious and maybe financial aid. That's it - a hotel is blown up into pieces by a European looking guy without any beard or turban.\nWhy this exists? It is a way of self-expression for those who are committed and ambidextrous tool for power-interested groups/governments.
378518
We do speak of terrorists, and as you have pointed out seem to blame entire nations and religions for the acts of a few people, like people blaming the whole of germany for the war rather than just the nazi's etc
699788
Terrorism is a relatively new phenomenon, many still believe everyone has a conscience.  I am with you, these people need to be dealt with differently, bottom line saving innocent lives..  The following is some insight by a retired general.\nSubject: Muslims, terrorist and the USA : A different spin on Iraq war.\n\nThis WAR is for REAL!  \nDr. Vernon Chong, Major General, USAF, Retired\n\nTo get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.  Our country is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it, that we have faced in your lifetime and mine (which includes WWII).\n\nThe deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this  war and even fewer who realize what losing really means.\n\nFirst, let's examine a few basics:\n\n1. When did the threat to us start?\n\n Many will say September 11, 2001.   \nThe answer as far as the United States is concerned is 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the following attacks on us:\n \n* Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;\n*   Beirut , Lebanon Embassy 1983;\n*   Beirut , Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983;\n* Lockerbie , Scotland Pan-Am flight to New York 1988;\n* First New York World Trade Center attack 1993;\n* Dhahran , Saudi Arabia Khobar Towers Military complex 1996;\n* Nairobi , Kenya US Embassy 1998;\n* Dares Salaam , Tanzania US Embassy 1998;\n* Aden , Yemen USS Cole 2000;\n* New York World Trade Center 2001;\n* Pentagon 2001.\n\n(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide).\n \n\n2. Why were we attacked?\n\nEnvy of our position, our success, and our freedoms.  The attacks happened during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton and Bush 2.  We cannot fault either the Republicans or Democrats as there were no provocations by any of the presidents or their immediate predecessor, President Ford.\n\n3. Who were the attackers?\nIn each case, the attacks on the US were carried out by Muslims.\n\n4. What is the Muslim population of the World? \n25%.\n\n5. Isn't the Muslim Religion peaceful? \n\nHopefully, but that is really not material.  There is no doubt that the predominately Christian population of Germany was peaceful, but under the dictatorial leadership of Hitler (who was also Christian), that made no difference.  You either went along with the administration or you were eliminated.  There were 5 to 6 million Christians killed by the Nazis for political reasons (including 7,000 Polish priests).  \n(see http://www.Nazis.testimony.co.uk/7-a.htm)\n\nThus, almost the same number of Christians were killed by the Nazis, as the six million holocaust Jews who were killed by them, and we seldom heard of anything other than the Jewish atrocities.  Although Hitler kept the world focused on the Jews, he had no hesitancy about killing anyone who got in his way of exterminating the Jews or of taking over the world - German, Christian or any others.\n\nSame with the Muslim terrorists.  They focus the world on the US , but kill all in the way -- their own people or the Spanish, French or anyone else. The point here is that just like the peaceful Germans were of no protection to anyone from the Nazis, no matter how many peaceful Muslims there may be, they are no protection for us from the terrorist Muslim leaders and what they are fanatically bent on doing -- by their own pronouncements -- killing all of us "infidels."  I don't blame the peaceful Muslims.  What would you do if the choice was shut up or die?\n\n6. So who are we at war with?\n\nThere is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorists.  Trying to be politically correct and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal. There is no way to win if you don't clearly recognize and articulate who you are fighting.\n \n\nSo with that background, now to the two major questions:\n\n1. Can we lose this war?\n\n2. What
157452
I think liberals have a valid point when they say that we have alienated some countries over Iraq, but most of those countries weren't really lining up to help us anyway. The prevailing attitude that you see with many liberals is that America's foreign policies are to blame for 9/11 and other terror attacks, and this is simply not true. The terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 were the same terrorist who attacked America several times during the Clinton administration, when Clinton went out of his way to be "the good guy" towards the islamic world. Foreign policy is not to blame. The terrorists simply hate the Israelis, and therefore, we are guilty by association.
16514
The book "Whats So Great About America" has the answers to this question. But in brief, I think education and military force and vigilance are the answers. \n\nWith education, terrorism and fanaticism can be halted in future generations. With miltary strength and vigilance, we can guard against present threats and strike back as well.\n\nWe need Islamic countries as allies, or else we will continually be seen as the Great Satan. But I think we should be allies with a progressive nation like the UAE.
671224
While not all terrorism emanates from the Middle East, the way things are today, the majority of it does.  \n\nAutocratic regimes (dictators, presidents for life, etc.) tend to breed poverty, dissent, and violence.\n\nIraq was not only brutal to its own people, but was providing itself as a staging area for terrorism.\n\nDemocracies do not attack each other.\n\nSo the United States gains:\n\n1.  The loss of a staging area for the terrorists\n\n2.  A democracy in an area without one\n\n3.  Possibly, the impetus to get the peoples of the surrounding countries to demand democracy for themselves
647172
By intensive involvement of the communities from which terrorism springs in the ongoing global community. This will eventually result in the children of those communities becoming more and more "citizens of the world," rather than breeding grounds for terrorists. Easy to say, but very, very difficult to do.
151297
It's logic....considering 9/11.  We are concerned with lowering our incidence of another attack.  And the Arab World in general hasn't been so friendly to us either....why with all the people so willing to strap a bomb to themselves and walk into a place where they could kill 20 Americans......It doesn't seem that other regions of the globe are so willing to do the same.....wouldn't you be concerned??
420437
I agree with you, it is hard to imagine Americans needing more evidence than that to retaliate. I think not only should we retaliate, we should do it harder. American soldiers know what they are doing when they enlist, they are putting their lives on the line to keep things like 9/11 from happening.Remember Pearl Harbor? Japan will think twice next time. We should never allow anyone to attack our civilians. A show of force may deter the next guy on the list from doing the same.
780762
i agree, while we are responsible somewhat for the violence in afganistan and iraq, there is more to it\n\nSri lanka, Rwanda, Sudan, Congo, Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine are shooting eachother up,and we have no hand in that.\n\nthe world hates america, something goes wrong: BLAME AMERICA!!!
409808
The obvious answer is because one operates from within and one from without. I think that your real query is that of motivations. The international are the age old bandits that have always existed. The real internal terrorists are a whole different thing, they can have many motivators and in all cases should not have been allowed to progress to action. The problem that generated them should be tended to in a sustainable manner not a stop gap, and not later, that's what has us here in the first place. Balance is not an option just ask nature, she is answering us now, but the evil sing to distract and take the last on the plate.
1056338
US will never succeed. Like it`s needless saying that we can prevent the bad efffects of globalization. \n\nWorld terrorism is quite a complex problem nowadays. And of course it encompasses not only anti-US movements in the Third World Countries, but also the inner terrorism in developed ones.\nLet`s take Britain, for example. A lot have been said about the origin of the sucide bombers in London Underground. And very important point is that they were Britts. Immigrants, but brits.Brits in their style, manners,views.\n\nTerrorism is not just muslim affair t all.It`s wrong statement made up only to create an enemy,which will unite a nation. I think government easily uses this tactic:we need a "small victirious war".\n\nBut the origins of the terrorism lay deep inside the structure of the society. It is probably us, who create reall terrorists. Us and people we elect. You are absolutely right about iranian family hatred with America. I think you may be also interested in the book "Why world hates America?" (unfortunattely, I have forgotten the author). \n\nDo you remembtr Huntington`s "Clashes of civilizations"? Don`t you find it somehow coincides with today situation?
907952
Many of these so called "terrorists" are freedom fighters who do not accept the US govt foreign policies. The US govt has double standard policies based on "YOU ARE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US" policy. This is utter nonsense coming from the most" powerful and foolish" man on earth. The US govt should look into the root cause of terrorism to eliminate there problems and thus effectively fight terrorism. War only creates resentment from the civilians and illegal occupation of other countries will create more freedom fighters. Remember that these freedom fighters dont have Tanks,fighter jets etc and have only pathetic weapons compared to the invading forces, so they will obviously resort to guerilla warfare tactics. I think that the British govt should dis-associate from this so called war on terror and concentrate on key issues of world peace.