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I will attempt to be bold, and put to this very alive and learned eruiditious Ironworks audiance, a definitive way to stop terrorism. It may not be fully practical, rather it's more of a fundamental and philosophical approach.


It all come down to understanding why people become terrorists and MORE importantly why people don't.

The basic underlyings for terrorism is not in the mind but very much a factual problem. However, to solve it we have to use a different approach.




Why is there Terrorism?

Think of it simply and natrually: I have a dislike or contempt for a neighbouring nation or a race/religion of people. My country doesn't want to goto war with that nation due to any number of reasons.
I take matters into my own hands. Thus, terrorism.




How to Stop Terrorism?

Perhaps it is foolish to say any measure will stop terrorism infinitely. There are always individuals that work beyond most people's logic and perception. Therefore we can always expect our fair share of mishaps along history's millions of unrecorded incidents.

So here we go. What will it take for a terrorist to NOT commit his/her act of destruction?
We all have places we don't like and people we prefer weren't there. Whether it's a race, a nation or your boss at work. But we don't go around killing them or blowing their cars up, do we? Do we?! *jokes*
Why not?

1) Compassion for human life. We were brought up knowing compassion for human and animal life. We know what is right or wrong. Though we may commit little crimes to occasional larger ones, the majority of us lead normal lives.

2) Too much at stake. We are good at seeing if what we have to loose is worth what is to be gained. This is what drives all organisms forward, and evolution forward. Is bombing another country worth it if I run being caught? What about my job? Family? Friends? How will I look on TV? Will I be disgraced, extradited, sentenced to how long?




So with those 2 underlying principles of human operation we tackle the problem.

1) It's hard to imagine that one can teach any compassion for ALL human life to a terrorist who is about to kill as many as (s)he can. He/she doesn't regard those who they are about to kill as humans, and I doubt any form of education will teach them otherwise.

Perhaps education at an earlier age might help? But as with children, they are just as much if not more so influenced by: parents, friends and the society arounds them. Even strangers and events.

2) the Balance. Weighing the odds. It's in us all. Everytime we get up in the morning we start weighing the odds. Ever decision we mentally calculate gains and losses.
To stop people making this decision we have to tip the odds.
Make it such that these people have more to loose from being caught!

Right now the odds aren't good:

Advantages:
1) National hero (conscience gets away with it)
2) Self satifaction and pride (very important)
3) Payment (some governments to it)
4) Religious praise (zealotry exists)
5) Revenge/Avenge?

Risks (harder as it varies)
1) Getting caught/killed (ultimate sacrifice)

Shall we add to the second list?

2) loosing your well paid job
3) never seeing your lover/children
4) international disgrace





What I propose from here on is logical deduction. EMPLOYMENT, is the key underlying for these discontent, desperate fanatics.

Opportunities for an honest life with a good pay and the chance to have a family. The chance to use ALL this energy to improve their own lives unimpeded, and not to direct it at others.



[ 09-23-2003, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Avatar ]