young Muslims

Anyone read the recent article by Thomas Friedman (New York Times) regarding young Muslims? It provided food for thought.

Let me preface later remarks by simply stating I’m a person that looks for ‘root cause’. Unless the root cause is addressed, all solutions are temporary. Anyone who continually has a flat tire knows the solution is not in multiple visits to the air pump. Replace the tire dummy. So it is with many of the problems we face today.

This is NOT a thread about politics or religion. I would ask that you refrain from making remarks in either of those two areas. I know that deep seated beliefs or political views can LOOK like a root cause, but really, it isn’t. Those are just noise. The ROOT cause is much more basic.

This article brought into focus something I had not paid particular attention to, but which makes a lot of sense. Young Muslims are more apt to join a terrorist organization because those organizations at least provide an outlet for high density frustration and anger. Living in repressed societies, they don’t have the opportunities and freedoms we do. I don’t care where you live or what your income level is, if you’re reading this post, you have more than these people could ever hope to have.

We complain (rightfully so) that jobs are disappearing. Some of us more than complain, we’re getting down right angry. What if you’ve never had a job to lose? And no hope of ever finding one?

We complain about the illegal immigrants entering our country in droves. Why are they coming? Because this is the land of opportunity. Hope lies across the border or across the seas.

Between 1980 and 1999, Arab economies registered 370 patents in the U.S. for new inventions. South Korea alone registered 16,328. We don’t see very many South Korean martyrs. (this info was provided by Friedman)

What's to be done? I don’t think the answer lies is just deporting illegals. Nor will a solution be found in just killing all the terrorists. Both of those are temporary. The solution, like the root cause, is much more basic.

Unemployment is becoming a major problem world wide. So far, lack of hope seems to be centralized in third world countries. Unless solutions are found in these regions, they will bring (and have already brought) their problems to our door.

Obviously solutions have to be found. We know those solutions must reside in the realm of job opportunities, but what are they, exactly? Outsourcing jobs for now is going to places like Mexico, China, India. That action in itself is beginning to create problems at home.

With all our combined intelligence, we should be able to figure this out. Erase the noise and focus on the root problem. There is an answer.

 

I disagree with most of your analysts.
One thing begets another.
What was here first? R-word or jobs?
R-word or P-word?

Roots grow, before the tree grows.

 

Sulong,

Yes the R-word was here first, but if the differences become the focus of our attention, a solution will never be found. Ones beliefs are seldom more important than eating or the feeding of children. What is at issue here is the basic hunger for opportunity and a chance to enjoy the fruits of the advancement of mankind.

There's always a tug of war between the have's and the have not's. Those that have often times forget that the have not's don't always get the same opportunity. Sometimes the have not's don't even try. Before the have's demand that the have not's get off their duffs and get busy, they first have to take a long hard look at whether the opportunity is there in the first place. Before the have not's start complaining about their lot in life, they first have to give it 150% effort.

A lot of people are just to willing to point their fingers. That's all well and good if you want to bury your head in the sand. Burying your head has never solved a thing, the problem remains and eventually it'll come back and bite you.

So the purpose of my thread was to invoke some thought. Forget about R and P. I don't believe in handouts. I do believe in a hand up. With the advancement in manufacturing and technology, how do we as a civilization create opportunity?

 

It's clear that the world will not be free from terrorism unless either the world is very tyrannical and muslim, or very free. Our current mixed state is unstable, and we will move to one or the other.

 

All nineteen 9/11 hijackers had a decent, Western standard of living. Osama Bin Laden & Yassir Arafat both became multi-millionaires before they became arch-terrorists.

The impoverished non-Muslims of South America, India & Africa have not built a culture of terrorist bombings. It is almost wholly a Muslim Arab phenomenon.
Draw your own conclusions, I'm sick of explaining the real reasons behind Islamic terror. It's just not PC enough for most of you.

 

Real reasons? What would those be?

Would they be anything like the real reason behind the IRA in their terrorists attacks?

 

Good question rogue -- what do you think the real reason was behind the IRA attacks?

 

Even ex- cultural relativist Alfonso was able to figure out and fully comprehend the answer to this. Perhaps one day, you will too.

 

Okay, lets simplify this thread.

Get past politics and religion.

We have how many million young Americans that will be looking for jobs? How are we as a Nation going to address the issue?

I think Friedman has a point about young Muslims and the lack of jobs. We could be facing that same thing. My youngest son's friend has been out everyday for 4 months trying to find work.

How many young people graduate from college and are unable to find employment? Neither Party has addressed the issue. We as a Nation haven't addressed the issue.

Lets address it here. Lets get creative.

 

A sense of powerlessness.