| Rational, sober, logical citizens wonder what | | | | convince themselves that they somehow count |
| exactly the terrorists want. What purpose does it | | | | for something. With no goals but widespread |
| serve to fly planes into buildings, kill and maim | | | | destruction, how can they win? They can wound |
| police recruits by the hundreds, or blow up | | | | the world to assuage their own pain but it can't |
| innocent commuters on mass transit? Such a | | | | get them anywhere because they have nowhere |
| question carries the assumption that there is a | | | | to go.At the end of a war, soldiers return home |
| goal hidden beneath the madness.Historically, | | | | with more, or less, successful adjustment to real |
| terrorism has often been used to bring about a | | | | life. The terrorists can never go home again. Their |
| desired conclusion. The Irgun in Palestine pursued | | | | battle will never be over because fighting is all |
| terrorist acts to achieve the state of Israel. The | | | | they have.We use the phrase "The war on |
| activists of the IRA sought a free Ireland without | | | | terror." To call it a war suggests that there are |
| British garrisons or influence. The Russian | | | | opposing views in conflict and that one view will |
| Bolsheviks fought for food, money, and some | | | | eventually prevail. Since the terrorists have no |
| semblance of personal power. In isolated pockets | | | | view, they can never win unless the entire world |
| all over the globe, terrorist acts are being | | | | is destroyed. Failing their ability to get their hands |
| committed right now to give birth to political | | | | on immense stocks of nuclear or biological |
| change, define a new national state, relieve the | | | | weapons, that is unlikely.So what is the world to |
| oppression of tyranny, or to economically and | | | | do? Stand idly by while the laughter of innocents |
| spiritually transform a society.The current | | | | continues and disrupted economies lead to mass |
| terrorists, the loosely organized confederation of | | | | desperation?No, we continue to use soldiers, |
| Al Qaeda and its multiple offshoots, seem to have | | | | weapons, and military tactics to thwart their |
| a different agenda. Their guiding philosophy | | | | efforts and wipe out their toxic existence.And we |
| appears to be anarchy: the absence of any | | | | get back on the buses and subways, just as the |
| structure or order at all. If they are merely | | | | great folks of London and Madrid are, and reclaim |
| anti-western, why blow up so many of their own | | | | lives and lifestyles that do have meaning, that |
| people? If they want a fundamental Islamic | | | | stand for something, that represent a goal and a |
| society, why boycott the voting booth? If they | | | | future. The soldiers can continue their mop-up |
| want the United States out of Iraq, why attack | | | | sweeps but it is the commuter who returns to |
| the very security forces which are the only | | | | work, the police recruit who continues to train, |
| forces that can trigger an early withdrawal?When | | | | the farmer who continues to plant, the production |
| we wonder what side they are one, we are led | | | | worker who continues to assemble, and the |
| to the inevitable conclusion that they don't have a | | | | doctor who continues to heal, who are the real |
| side. They are fanatics without a cause, soldiers | | | | victors.Standing for something, anything, will, by |
| without a country, commandos without a mission. | | | | default, always triumph over the empty darkness |
| They have no underlying goals except disruption. | | | | that the black flag of anarchy represents.Virginia |
| They are ideological nihilists: nothing is worthwhile, | | | | Bola is a licensed clinical psychologist with deep |
| nothing has any value, nothing counts.Spawned | | | | interests in Social Psychology and politics. She has |
| out of a deep hatred fostered by utter | | | | performed therapeutic services for more than 20 |
| powerlessness, lack of direction, and a total loss | | | | years and has studied the effects of cultural |
| of belief in themselves or anyone else, they live | | | | forces and employment on the individual. |
| only to act out their hatred in actions designed to | | | | |