[b]9/11 casualties: 2,996
War on terror casualties: 919,967
War on terror spending: $1,078,467,889,141 and still rising every second[/b]
In 2008 the RAND Corporation released a study that examined terrorist activities, looking specifically at how they are ultimately destroyed or self-destruct. Their report suggested that any US policy truly grounded in the idea of ending terrorism and not just "playing politics" should focus on measures to either destroy adherents reasons for being in terrorist groups or provide better options for adherents to address their grievances. Specifically, the study found that membership in terrorist cells and organizations declined for the following reasons:
1. 43% of membership loss happened when members converted to mainstream political/religious movements.
2. 40% of the decline happened because of law enforcement activities and apprehension
3. 10% of membership left because the group achieved their stated or perceived goals.
4. 7% by being neutralized through military action.
Under Bush, virtually all US resources were directed at the single least effective method of ending terrorism: Military action.
Mainstream media channels such as Fox News and the Bush administration have also encouraged religious and racial hatred among the general population, which has sparked cultural wars among many groups.
The US Army considers the superiority of the American culture to be self-evident and acts thereafter. If they would realise that you can't turn people into Americans by force of arms, the war would go much smoother.
Could the first reason be [I]caused [/I]by military action?
also you should really rename the thread, we got like 5 already
[QUOTE=Sputn!k;24749403][b]Could the first reason be [I]caused [/I]by military action?[/b]
also you should really rename the thread, we got like 5 already[/QUOTE]
Chances of terrorist groups converting to mainstream religious/political movements due to military action applied to them are almost non-existant, in fact, military action would probably encourage new members to join the terrorist groups, and it almost certainly did.
Yay! FreeThinker is back!
Was expecting another stupid post from freethinker, this one containing conspiracies. Was pleasantly surprised.
But can't we just respect the dead.
[QUOTE=teeheeV2;24750584]Was expecting another stupid post from freethinker, this one containing conspiracies. Was pleasantly surprised.
But can't we just respect the dead.[/QUOTE]
Exactly this, yay for it not being another dumbass conspiracy topic.
On topic though, we did go about this the entirely wrong way. US could have handled it way better
I hate it when America acts without thinking... :saddowns:
[QUOTE=acidcj;24751915]I hate it when America acts without thinking... :saddowns:[/QUOTE]
It's hard to do the right thing when you are full of bigots and sheep.
[QUOTE=teeheeV2;24750584]
But can't we just respect the dead.[/QUOTE]
No, because apparently we shouldn't respect people who died at the hands of this and 'get over it lol'
So in effect, if there were only a few minor terrorist groups that were "allegedly" CIA trained at first. Now after invading all middle east countries we've created recruitment for the so called al quida? They keep recruiting while we keep occupying?
[QUOTE=FreeThinker;24749244]Mainstream media channels such as Fox News have also encouraged religious and racial hatred among the general population, which has sparked cultural wars among many groups.[/QUOTE]
Examples. Please.
Oh, that's right, you can't give me one. You're just touting an opinion you absorbed from sitting in front of the TV while someone with an agenda fed you lies, amirite?
[QUOTE=Sir Muffin;24768957]Examples. Please.
Oh, that's right, you can't give me one. You're just touting an opinion you absorbed from sitting in front of the TV while someone with an agenda fed you lies, amirite?[/QUOTE]
I see it happen alot, why do you think there is a guy going to burn those books?
edit
this is like the 3rd time you said can you prove it to something that everyone knows is true so it seems you dont get how common sense works
[QUOTE=IStanI;24757936]So in effect, if there were only a few minor terrorist groups that were "allegedly" CIA trained at first. Now after invading all middle east countries we've created recruitment for the so called al quida? They keep recruiting while we keep occupying?[/QUOTE]
Yeah pretty much.
These wars did what the leaders of these groups couldn't possibly do otherwise.
When you're accidentally killing civilians, destroying an already fucked up economy and taking control of the government, a lot of people are gonna get pissed.
And with good reason.
What the US military is trying to do is fight a thousand year old ideology which their entire culture is based on.
The main problem with the war, is that it was exactly what Bin Laden wanted.
It has done nothing but spawn perfect propaganda for Al Qaeda.
Instead of going to war with Iraq on some random tangent, Bush should have focused on finding Bin Laden and going into Afghanistan if a war anywhere was even needed.
But on that note, i don't feel a "war" in Afghanistan was needed at all.
It should have been special forces soldiers hunting Bin Laden down.
Not a full scale, slow moving invasion force.
An Army can't move with the speed needed to track down a single fleeing man.
Especially not in a country where you don't know who's trust worthy, and who's crooked.
Iraq has only fueled the anti-US fire in the middle east.
It's served as the best recruiting tool ever.
Then the US comes and finds more ways to make stories that can be spun out of proportion.
The whole Islamic center, the burning of the Qua-ran, all of these things can be played up by terrorist groups to make the US look like a bunch of angry, racist, muslim-hating white folk who just want to come to the middle east and fist-fuck some democracy into everyone.
Any sadly, that's how we get played to look.
While America's intentions are good in Iraq and Afghanistan, we're all in over our heads.
We're fighting an army that doesn't follow any rules, in a place that has a large support base for them.
And every day the numbers grow, and with everything the US does here, and over seas that the terrorist leaders can show to the people and say "Look what the US does to Muslims in America, can you imagine how they will treat you here?" what's to stop someone from joining up?
America basically got in over our heads, and now we're stuck trying to clean up the mess left by 2 wars that weren't needed, and could have been solved through better means.
Had the US spent the time and money to promote understanding, and strengthen communities in potential hot-spot countries, it could have gone a lot farther.
Terrorism is an idea that you have to defeat, not the people.
It's like gangs.
As long as there are poverty stricken kids being pushed around by the people around them, and held back by the people above, they will reach out for whatever can help them.
In most urban cities, gangs equal protection, fame, family, and money.
Terrorist groups give you the same thing, but instead of fame, you get "religious approval" and access to heaven.
[QUOTE=JohnStamosFan;24774773]The main problem with the war, is that it was exactly what Bin Laden wanted.
It has done nothing but spawn perfect propaganda for Al Qaeda.
Instead of going to war with Iraq on some random tangent, Bush should have focused on finding Bin Laden and going into Afghanistan if a war anywhere was even needed.
But on that note, i don't feel a "war" in Afghanistan was needed at all.
It should have been special forces soldiers hunting Bin Laden down.
Not a full scale, slow moving invasion force.
An Army can't move with the speed needed to track down a single fleeing man.
Especially not in a country where you don't know who's trust worthy, and who's crooked.
Iraq has only fueled the anti-US fire in the middle east.
It's served as the best recruiting tool ever.
Then the US comes and finds more ways to make stories that can be spun out of proportion.
The whole Islamic center, the burning of the Qua-ran, all of these things can be played up by terrorist groups to make the US look like a bunch of angry, racist, muslim-hating white folk who just want to come to the middle east and fist-fuck some democracy into everyone.
Any sadly, that's how we get played to look.
While America's intentions are good in Iraq and Afghanistan, we're all in over our heads.
We're fighting an army that doesn't follow any rules, in a place that has a large support base for them.
And every day the numbers grow, and with everything the US does here, and over seas that the terrorist leaders can show to the people and say "Look what the US does to Muslims in America, can you imagine how they will treat you here?" what's to stop someone from joining up?
America basically got in over our heads, and now we're stuck trying to clean up the mess left by 2 wars that weren't needed, and could have been solved through better means.
Had the US spent the time and money to promote understanding, and strengthen communities in potential hot-spot countries, it could have gone a lot farther.
Terrorism is an idea that you have to defeat, not the people.
It's like gangs.
As long as there are poverty stricken kids being pushed around by the people around them, and held back by the people above, they will reach out for whatever can help them.
In most urban cities, gangs equal protection, fame, family, and money.
Terrorist groups give you the same thing, but instead of fame, you get "religious approval" and access to heaven.[/QUOTE]
Bin Laden gains nothing from sending some planes into buildings, his country is now flooded with another countries troops and he can't live a normal life, he gains no benefit from 9/11
[QUOTE=General Stanley;24774626]What the US military is trying to do is fight a thousand year old ideology which their entire culture is based on.[/QUOTE]
Delicious irony.
[QUOTE=teeheeV2;24750584]Was expecting another stupid post from freethinker, this one containing conspiracies. Was pleasantly surprised.
But can't we just respect the dead.[/QUOTE]
Wait, how exactly does this post contain any 'conspiracies'? Are you mentally disabled or did you just not read my post? I have never posted any 'conspiracies', I think they make people focus on imagined problems instead of the real ones.
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