What should the West do Now about Islamic Terrorism?

[George-ananda]

Well, I don't know at this writing if this particular Munich case is motivated by Islamist hatred of the west. But there have certainly been enough cases to warrant discussion of this issue.

What do we do about such cases? I think if there are people with enough evil and madness in their hearts they can always find a way to cause the deaths of innocents on the scales we have been seeing.

Should we go for tighter boarders and greater vetting and questioning of entrants? Should people of certain ethnicities (such as those where the people are predominantly Muslim) receive more aggressive vetting?

Should we give police and intelligence agencies more rights to question and investigate people they deem suspicious? This will come at the cost of what some will see as intimidating and scaring some who have no great evil intentions. But I have to believe truly innocent people might get scared and inconvenienced, but I don't believe they will be harmed.

Do we say we are doing the best we can and accept that these type of killing events are just going to happen from time to time and maybe our press should report it but not over-report it? And at the same time our authorities continue searching and investigating at the same level that they have been?

Should we become more isolationist and turn away from involvement with the Islamic world both economically and militarily. If we become more isolationist do we stand by for the killing of innocent villagers in the Islamic world and sit on our military hands? Are we expected to be humanitarian even at the risk of being labeled interventionists?

Or do you take the anti-west (usually anti-American) view that the west has caused the majority of the problems. But even still you have to address the question of the safety of innocent people on western soil.

What do we do NOW about Islamic terrorists in the west? (remember the past can never be changed)

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

A gigantic glass parking lot would be a great start.

 

[Godobeyer]

The West is just paying what their politic leader done in Syria and Iraq and Libya.

since 2011 ,For 6 years your politics leaders supporting terrorists in Syria and Libya by guns and weapons ,they fooled you , by supporting rebels,revolution, blah blah ...etc

Stop supporting terrorists in Syria,which they called "rebels" .

 

[George-ananda]

What do we do NOW about Islamic terrorists in the west? (remember the past can never be changed)

I'll go first because I started this potential raucous.

I think we can not let terrorists effect our foreign policy decisions. We have to have an intelligent political debate before all decisions. Liberals and conservative will disagree and vilify each other each time something bad happens but I know of no better system than what is in place now in the west.

I tend to be one that would like to see more aggressive vetting and surveillance of those deemed to have a higher level of suspicion, however, I understand it is very difficult to predict which piece of hay in the haystack is the one that is going to turn into a needle so I still see this as limited.

I think the media can help by reporting but not over-reporting these events (all the vigils, funerals, etc. on national TV). Such follow-up is not really 'news' and gives people the sense of 'it is all around us' and we are under seige. I hear of people that have concerns about traveling to France, Germany, etc. but I think this over the top hysteria partially fueled by media over-coverage.

I think that we also have to accept that marginal groups have no strength to present an official military, so these random guerilla attacks are all they got. Let's do what we have been doing to identify such people but we just have to accept that it is impossible to completely eliminate these types of attacks. All we can do is try to reduce them. We have to be strong and not over-react and give in to fear and accept that we live we all live in a world where our safety can not be guaranteed.

 

[George-ananda]

The West is just paying what their politic leader done in Syria and Iraq and Libya.

since 2011 ,For 6 years your politics leaders supporting terrorists in Syria and Libya by guns and weapons ,they fooled you , by supporting rebels,revolution, blah blah ...etc

The past is the past and there are always 101 interpretations of the past.

Stop supporting terrorists in Syria,which they called "rebels" .

So, there will always be multiple opinions of what the west should do about the Syrian situation. So you happen to be anti-rebel, and the next poster will possibly tell us why the rebels need our support to overthrow an evil dictator.

We have a political process in the west where the differing views are debated and a decision is reached. Conservatives and liberals will almost always disagree but a decision must be reached by our elected representatives; 'inaction' in this case is also a decision.

 

[leibowde84]

The West is just paying what their politic leader done in Syria and Iraq and Libya.

since 2011 ,For 6 years your politics leaders supporting terrorists in Syria and Libya by guns and weapons ,they fooled you , by supporting rebels,revolution, blah blah ...etc

Stop supporting terrorists in Syria,which they called "rebels" .

That is something to stop. But, what can we do. Something obvious needs to be done in addition to not doing this, right?

 

[Godobeyer]

The past is the past and there are always 101 interpretations of the past.

So, there will always be multiple opinions of what the west should do about the Syrian situation. So you happen to be anti-rebel, and the next poster will possibly tell us why the rebels need our support to overthrow an evil dictator.

We have a political process in the west where the differing views are debated and a decision is reached. Conservatives and liberals will almost always disagree but a decision must be reached by our elected representatives; 'inaction' in this case is also a decision.

The present is result of past.

West till now supporting terrorists in Syria ,they called them rebels .

 

[leibowde84]

The present is result of past.

West till now supporting terrorists in Syria ,they called them rebels .

So, are you suggesting that we keep Dictators in power?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

An effective way of dealing with bullies and unreasonable madmen is to show them you are crazier than they are. It would be a great tragedy, and likely in violation of numerous international law, but it seems we are in a position of needing to send an army with a leader who can instill a very deep sense of fear into them, and make them too afraid to even think about attacking us again, much like how Vlad III terrorized Mehmed II and the Ottoman Turks out of Romania (and ISIS is certainly not even close to being able to be compared to Mehmed the Conquer).

 

[Godobeyer]

So, are you suggesting that we keep Dictators in power?

This is it!
the interventions was the problem.

ah ,West supported (rebels) terrorists to remove dictator, or not friendly regime (to West) !

I prefer to live under dictatoric regime than voilence and terrorism.

 

[Valjean]

I'm of the opinion that much of the militant Islamism and terrorism is in reaction to Western exploitation and nation-building, enforced by militarism.
We've been trying to counter this with more of the same militarism that originally created the problem. The result, predictably, has been even more radicalism.
I think it's time we addressed the causes, rather than he effects.

 

[leibowde84]

This is it!
the interventions was the problem.

ah ,West supported (rebels) terrorists to remove dictator, or not friendly regime (to West) !

I prefer to live under dictatoric regime than voilence and terrorism.

What about the other side of this, though. Do you not see any responsibility on the Dictators to be friendlier internationally?

 

[Jumi]

@Godobeyer is right. ISIL atrocities is result of some Western countries (not all of course, mostly big players) supporting the Islamist rebels there. Just like Iraq it was easy to see that, it was a bad idea from the start.

 

[Valjean]

If you want the stings to stop, quit swatting the hornets' nest.

 

[leibowde84]

@Godobeyer is right. ISIL atrocities is result of some Western countries (not all of course, mostly big players) supporting the Islamist rebels there. Just like Iraq it was easy to see that, it was a bad idea from the start.

That doesn't answer the question of what should be done now, though. So, what should be done now?

 

[YmirGF]

I'm of the opinion that much of the militant Islamism and terrorism is in reaction to Western exploitation and nation-building, enforced by militarism.
We've been trying to counter this with more of the same militarism that originally created the problem. The result, predictably, has been even more radicalism.
I think it's time we addressed the causes, rather than he effects.

Though I agree, we also have to assure the Muslim world that we are not out to exterminate Islam. However, the reality is that Islam is not compatible with most other forms of government and is extremely intolerant of anything even approaching criticism due to the entrenched belief that Islam is the One True Religion and that all other systems of belief are man-made and therefore flawed. It's difficult to have a meaningful conversation beyond that point.

 

[Godobeyer]

What about the other side of this, though. Do you not see any responsibility on the Dictators to be friendlier internationally?

Why West care about others regime ?

We saw the result now is sending terrorists from around the world to fight that regime .

Now the main problem is not democraty in Syria or Iraq or Libya , the main problem is these terrorists " rebels".

 

[Rick O'Shez]

If you want the stings to stop, quit swatting the hornets' nest.

Didn't work too well with that other bunch of fascists, the Nazis.

 

[leibowde84]

Why West care about others regime ?

We saw the result now is sending terrorists from around the world to fight that regime .

Now the main problem is not democraty in Syria or Iraq or Libya , the main problem is these terrorists " rebels".

Rick has a point too. Facists/dictators have caused incredible worldwide damage, far worse than what is going on now, when left alone in the past. Look at Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. Sometimes we have to act.

 

[Laika]

We could always mock them?

If you don't want to give into the fear mongering and sign away you liberties based on the illusion of security, here is some offensive western humour to savour free speech and wait out the hysteria. Enjoy