Terror?

If you know me, you know that I have never really 'gotten over' the attacks of September, 11 2001. Whereas I despise country music, I like that one song with the chorus "have you forgotten?" No. I never have and I never will. Yesterday's attacks in London once again revived my rage. However, I discovered an interesting conundrum. To me, the fundamental problem are the radical, militant Muslims. I certainly do not believe that the problem is Islam, or that all Muslims are trouble. Muslims are not inherently militant or radical. But the radical militants are THE root of the problem.

Now, I'm about to say something that is a bit inflammatory. If you disagree with this coming statement, stick with me for a while.

The only way to end their terrorist ways is to kill or imprison every single one of them. That's right. 100% of them. Leave a single one out there and he will recruit more and / or strap a bomb to himself and go right for it. The argument that we should just leave them alone and they won't attack us is utter crap. According to their view of their religion, those that do not think and believe as they do are an enemy that deserves death. Do you think that Osama bin Laden would hesitate for one minute if he had the opportunity to reduce the entire Western world to a smoldering ash heap?

I would say that the majority of 21st century western thinkers find that particular line of thought to be abhorrent. To over generalize, we are tolerant of differences and understand that the guy next door probably isn't going to look or act like ourselves. Certainly, we value human life over our opinions and the inconvenience of differences.

Therein lies our simultaneous strength and weakness while fighting the radical militant Muslim. Genocide is unacceptable. We will not go to the Middle East and nuke the entire place. Though, I have to admit that idea has held a certain appeal, especially right after 9/11. It is our value of human life that is our difference from the radicals. And it is that difference that allows them to continue to live and do their work. Great Britain values the lives of innocent Arabs and is therefore rewarded with bombs that kill 50+ of her own innocent citizens. It is absolutely not a matter of COULD we obliterate them from this Earth. We certainly could do it. It would take about a half hour. It is a matter of us knowing that there is no feasible way and it is wrong, and therefore we SHOULD NOT do it. Thus, if it is impossible to win a 'war against terror' without destroying all terrorists, and we are unwilling to do the horror that it would take to actually destroy all the terrorists. We appear to be at a stalemate.

The exception to this is to introduce a true free market society to the region. THAT is why we are in Iraq. We are there to help a nation grow from a brutal dictatorship to a thriving economy of personal accountability. It is working, but it will take a looooooong time. Russia is still not there. There are tons of communists in Russia pining for the 'good old days'.

So! God bless Great Britain and be with her suffering. God bless hers and our troops and the heroic work that they do. God bless the Iraqi merchant who opened his first shop a few months ago. And God visit his wrath upon those that would willingly and intentionally kill innocents.