From: Ramez Naam (mez@apexnano.com)
Date: Tue Feb 18 2003 - 13:02:22 MST
From: Dehede011@aol.com [mailto:Dehede011@aol.com]
> Is it really? I know we did participate in the rise of the
> Shah to some extent. But are you underestimating the deep
> desire of Moslems for a state that is ruled by Moslem law.
> I know some pretty moderate Moslems that deeply and
> sincerely believe that Moslem law is superior to secular
> rule.
FYI, I was born in Egypt and still visit there from time to time. I'm
an atheist and I'm happy to be an American, but I believe my
upbringing and family give me a bit more insight into the middle
eastern mindset than most people.
As far as I can tell, most people around the world want the same
thing. They want a happy, comfortable life. They want safety and at
least a little bit of freedom. They want opportunities for themselves
and their kids.
My belief is that fanaticism and hatred are inversely correlated to
freedom and opportunity. If you take away all the hope that someone
has for a better future, then you leave that person much more willing
to engage in destructive behavior.
In the middle east today there's very little hope. Most arabs are
extremely poor. Even in rich countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar,
only a tiny minority reap the benefits of the oil wealth. The rest
live in poverty with no way out. They look at their governments and
they see corrupt dictators who steal from the country. They look
again and see that their governments are supported by the US.
This feeling of hopelessness and oppression gives rise to fanaticism
and violence. When you're desperately poor and uneducated, the idea
of a vengeful god who will send you to paradise if you kill his
enemies is awfully appealing. It's even better when his enemies are
the people who have what you want (comfort and affluence) and are also
the ones who are directly or indirectly oppressing you.
That's why I believe that the best thing the US could do to reduce
terrorism in the long run is to help uplift these awful parts of the
world. Last year the US spent more than $400 Billion on defense and
national security and only $10 Billion on foreign aid. To me that
looks very shortsighted. We should be paying dictators to allow a
free press in their country. We should be building schools and
training teachers. We should be paying the poor of impoverished
countries to build infrastructure in those places, just as we did in
the US during the great depression.
Those are the steps that will reduce global poverty, hopelessness, and
fanaticism.
mez
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