By Mark Taliano
The shadow of terrorism is almost a universal part of our collective unconsciousness after the 9/11 massacre. It’s there, it won’t go away, and that’s certainly what the terrorists want. But how best do we deal with it?
Terrorists, by definition, want to sow terror. Certainly, jet planes crashing into the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon accomplished that. Better international Intelligence may have prevented it, but that’s hindsight; we’ll never know. So how do we best deal with terror? The answer is simple, but far from easy. The best way to deal with terror, and to have more control over our lives, is to not allow it into our lives.
I’m sure that Gwynne Dyer isn’t the first one to suggest that we shouldn’t give them what they want. Apart from catching the perpetrators then (which hasn’t as yet been completed), we need to not allow ourselves to be terrorized. Nor should we create conditions which foster or empower terrorism.
The notion of “Homeland Security, is a response to terror, but in subtle ways it also brings it into our lives. This issue, which has recently been foisted on the Canadian consciousness because of the security talks between President Obama and Prime Minister Harper, is supposed to make people feel safer, but it may have the opposite effect. Personally, it makes me feel a bit anxious. So if it makes me feel anxious, it must have the same effect on others, and…Presto, it’s a victory for the terrorists. We are unwittingly showing them our fear. We just allowed them to give us a small dose of terror. I’m sure they appreciate it.
What about self-preservation and empowerment? Was Osama Bin Laden happy to have witnessed the invasion of Iraq? Probably. If the U.S hadn’t veered off course and invaded Iraq, it’s likely that they would have captured or killed Osama Bin Laden at Tora Bora. The longer Osama Bin Laden is around, the more dangerous he becomes, and the more we unwittingly empower him.
What else do terrorists appreciate? Not only self-preservation, but also self-growth. They prefer an environment which fosters further terrorism by enabling it to grow. Did the Americans and British unwittingly comply? Unfortunately, yes. Iraq has become a breeding ground for, and mass importer of, terrorists. I might jokingly call it a terrorist factory, but there’s nothing funny about it.
The “War on Terrorism” which former President Bush described as a metaphor, really can’t be “won” in the sense that terrorism can’t be totally obliterated or defeated, but it can be disempowered, deflated, and more-often prevented. Let’s hope that we choose our course of action wisely.
Mark Taliano is a Niagara resident and frequent contributor to Niagara At Large.
(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to resident in our greater Niagara region and beyond.)
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On a personal level we all can and should choose to live life as freely as possible which is very healthy. However they… THE TERRORISTS will still do what they have set out to do…whether we choose to live life to the fullest..(and so we should) or not. THEY will plan and do Terror. It is very deeply entrenched in their (terrorists) belief system. Who they are about is involved in what they believe is there god given right to do as they do. In the end it will make NO difference whether we try to ignore it or feel positive as we go about our lives…it is going to happen…one way or another. In the Middle East, and all things going on in this world of ours keeps the pots boiling to overflowing. Are we going to see LONG lasting peace in Egypt, Middle East and the World..the answer is NO. It will look like it when they sign THE Peace Treaty..but it will be a counterfeit and won’t last.
IT will take God (Jehovah) to intervene with those on this earth..which I do believe is going to happen soon…in our life time.
That is what I set my heart and eyes on. .. keeps me sane.
Hope we know HIM…if not we will not sense HIS peace in all what is coming…before the REAL peace comes. ..with HIS return.
It may all seem like foolishness what I have written and doomsday fear mongering..but in time..our lifetime I do believe we will see it come to pass..if not..then one can count me in the camp of crazy doomsday religious nuts.
Peace and blessings
brenda
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This sounds like my way of living – don’t allow terrorism into my life – yes easily said. Being conscious of our surroundings, and staying out of the
terrorist action just begins with here and now. A constant conscious awareness and keeping my life ‘clear and loving’ is key.
I think about the people who get caught up in very negative surroundings.
we are what we think.
Another thought is, asking my higher power for acceptance of that which is beyond my control. Each of us has our own path in this life. Perhaps death is not only a door closing, but also a door opening. So everything is for a reason. I always ask for highest and best good. I as an individual cannot know what is highest and best for someone else. Only acceptance brings change. All begins within.
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A very wise older woman once relayed to me that as long as ‘ men are in control’ their will be wars and unrest as the male species is always looking for a conquest or something/someone to control…I believe if history is correct ..so might she be…
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Oh the heart of man..who can know it..trust it…mankind in general..without God in the plans usually goes awry sooner or later.
Seems like the wise older lady is indeed correct from what she relayed to you and like I mentioned that is just one aspect…mankind in general has that heart without God..one degree or another.
peace and blessings
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This calls out for a quote from Carl Sagan:
“Look at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you kow, everyone you ever heard of, every human who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, every hopeful child, inventor, explorer, teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar”, every “supreme leader”, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Thinks of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguisable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.”
We humans are ruled by fear, hatred and ridiculous beliefs that, in the end, amount to nothing. Our species never seems to learn how insignificant we really are.
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Awesome passage. I just listened to an internet recording of Carl Sagan reading it. Thanks
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You’re welcome. It’s so very true.
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Any time someone uses the term “terrorism” I wish they would define it. Dear readers, what do you think terrorism means? How do you interpret it when you read it in an article? To be clear, terrorism is defined as violence perpetrated against civilians for political purposes. It can be perpetrated against an individual civilian, or against a group of civilians. It can be perpetrated by an individual, by a small group and also by a nation. For example Mark, the US already wanted to attack Iraq but Americans were not in favour. After 9/11 they were, without stopping to think that not one Iraqi was involved in 9/11. According to the respected magazine, The Lancet at least 1 million civilians were killed by the US attacks on Iraq. This is state terrorism. In Israel’s offensive against Gaza two Christmasses ago 1,400 were killed and about 6,000 seriously wounded, the majority of which were civilians. This is state terrorism. If I recall correctly, two Israeli soldiers were killed and 4 Israeli soldiers were killed by their own “friendly fire”. All a waste of life.
Another aspect of our definition, one soldier or combatant killing another soldier is not terrorism; it’s military combat.
I like what Dolores Dempsey said, “All begins within”. If we want to create peace in the world one way to start is to create peace within ourselves, then within our families, then within our communities and then in the world. Whether through fair trade, just foreign policies, diplomacy, and moving away from greed, ignorance of each other, and a military mindset.
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Well said Susan. Much more emphasis needs to be placed on diplomacy, and currently, Canada is very weak in that department.
The Iraq issue remains a tragic step backwards in so many ways, including international cooperation.
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Terrorism is a word that really says it all. It is actions of one or groups of people to bring fear, torment, anxiety and paralysis of daily living, either in our daily routines or in our heart and mind.
It comes in many forms for many reasons. It is not new as we know. The best known thoughts that come to mind are the Twin Towers that brought USA and the world to a standstill with deep grief and fear because of the horrible brutality of that day.
In that action, on that day, it has forever stained many Muslim people here and abroad by what those few did on that day. I can understand that the West are hated by these extreme groups. Even Europe is even hated as well. Diplomacy can and should be used in all situations for sure.
With these extremists there seems to be no listening. I see that ideal is growing and getting louder world wide. Wisdom is called for in this too. We the world must be on guard for what these extremists are hell bent on doing. They don’t believe in education, woman’s or people’s rights etc. They said they are going to bring their beliefs (sharia law for one) and ways of life to the world and have declared war. They will not stop! We can see unrest unfolding around the world and especially the Middle East. The end result, in my opinion, is going to end up being taken over by extremists groups subtly. In the long run it is very possible they are going to end up worse than before.
The war drums are beating very loud in the Middle East. There is much unrest and has come very quickly growing every day. We can try to remain positive (as we should) and be as diplomatic as we can where we can, but these folks are not playing with us sad to say.
We are going to be hit in Canada and the USA in the days and months to come with our own brand of extreme unrest because of our own problems. It will take lots of prayer and faith to get through what is probably coming here with budget shortfalls, layoffs, protests that will escalate to the likes that we have never imagined. These kinds of problems will probably breed our own kind of extremists and I don’t mean Middle East extremism.
I am not trying to be an alarmist or doomsday person. Not at all. I am positive that I know it won’t last forever and the answer is coming soon as I stated in my previous reply on this story.
Time will tell what I have said will unfold in various places in our country and USA or not. I have nothing to prove. Many are not ready for what is coming, and in particular our personal and spiritual life. We have been so pampered the last couple of generations that this will come as a shock to many. It will be a time of MANY EXTREMES. I pray peace, blessings in the days to come. God (Jehovah) is coming soon as the Christian scripture has revealed. Only HE can fix the world. Know what we believe and why we believe it could never be so important in the days ahead.
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Dear Brenda,
What is happening in the Middle East is unsettling yes. But it is also very exciting and positive. The people, especially the younger generation are calling for an opportunity to build democracies.
Also, the Middle East has very legitimate reasons to be upset with the West. For a hundred years or so now the West has been colonizing the Middle East, not out of altruistic concern but out of wanting to control and exploit those countries’ natural resources and geopolitical locations. The West either puts in place or financially supports brutal dictators only to the benefit on the West’s interests, turning a blind eye to what these dictators do to their own people. So the fact that the young people have risen up and demanded that these dictators and monarchs step down and make way for democracies, free and fair elections and proper sharing of the countries’ natural wealth, is a very positive and mature stage in these countries’ development. Rather then fear these changes, we need to support them.
International media is a big player in this. There presence prevents people like Muammar Ghadaffi from slaughtering his people in the dark. Support from international leaders and the UN calling for a no-fly zone over Libya for example, as requested by the people can prevent Ghadaffi from firing on the Libyan people from planes.
The quicker these Western backed dictators and monarchs step aside the more quickly the pro-democracy leaders can step in and prevent their revolutions from being hijacked by others.
Regarding Islam and Christianity, there is more in common that different. Both believe in the same theistic God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, but it’s still the same God. Muslims believe in Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, all the same prophets of Christianity. Muslims actually refer to Jesus as Messihi, Messiah and believe Jesus will lead the second coming. Mohamed is only mentioned in the Koran, the Muslim holy book, 4 times. Jesus is mentioned 25 times and Moses is mentioned more than 100 times. Muslims and Christians need to get to know each other better, as co-workers, neighbours and friends – and they will find we have more in common than not. And this may sound sentimental, but and then we can work together to build a world that is fair and safe for all.
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Susan, we’re very fortunate to have your opinions on this site. Hopefully, the U.N can effectively support these democratic movements.
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Thank you Mark, that’s very nice of you to say. I have faith in the young people around the globe.
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