Wednesday, April 1, 2015
What needs to be discussed regarding ISIS
Much has been talked about regarding the ISIS phenomena but I argue not enough focus has been on the true culprits behind this scourge. What you are seeing in the Arab world is nothing short of a meltdown of biblical proportion. All the conflicts across the Middle East - putting aside the Palestinian/Israeli issue - is a reflection on what exactly? Clearly, a toxic mix of religion and extremism is what we see on the news - but what is truly happening? Unfortunately, the media fails to explain the context, instead they do the body count routine, present the gore and mayhem, give the simplistic explanation that "Islamic extremism" is all you need to know about the mayhem in that region. Let us say you see someone under 18 misbehaving, even committing criminal acts and in that scenario who is to blame for such anti-social behavior?
You obviously hold the parents responsible. The parents are responsible for raising a kid who doesn't engage in criminal activities or in any kind of delinquent behavior. Therefore, why is it we absolve the governments where these ISIS fanatics come from? The reason is many of these fanatics come from countries that are allied with the US. Why after 911 we didn't punish the Saudi regime considering how all the hijackers were Saudi citizens?
What needs to be said about all the Arab countries is that they are failed states. And as a result, such dysfunction produces all kind of maladies. One is religious extremism. This extremism grew in a cesspool that is Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Arab emirates, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the list goes on - where governments are aristocratic/dictatorial. These governments failed miserably to educate their people, to provide jobs, to provide a better life and the list is endless how these governments failed in every measure possible. They run these countries like their own personal slave plantations. Anyone who dares to question their rule is met with prison or death. There is no freedom of expression or freedoms of any kind regarding political activity. The situation is dire for many.
This is the context, not an excuse for the fanaticism or the violence. In order to win this battle against extremism, one has to understand where it comes from. The right believes more bombings or military force - including ground forces - is what is needed to defeat ISIS. Such action will only add more recruits to ISIS not defeat it.
Our focus should be on these governments. We need to stop propping up these wretched regimes. That means letting these fanatics get their pound of flesh. This process has been brewing for a generation and our involvement in that region has only slightly delayed the inevitable. We don't need the oil from that part of the world as we have become oil independent. So what is the excuse now? Why be the ones siding with kings, emirs, sheiks, and dictators?
We need to pull out completely from that region and let these people work out their differences. Those who say if we leave now the region will only implode need to be reminded that the implosion has already happened. We need to stop meddling and let these fanatics and those people who are unhappy with their situation direct their anger at their own governments rather than us becoming a punching bag or a distraction conveniently propped up by these corrupt regimes to avoid any accountability.
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