Current Affairs How do we tackle terrorism?

[TheAlmightyFloater]

Recently listened to an interesting podcast called Intelligence Squared where they debated the idea that our reaction to terrorism is partly what makes it "successful".

The main theme was that the publicity our news & public reaction give to terrorist acts is exactly what the terrorist groups want.
It gives them power & a larger platform through which they can energise and radicalise followers.

News is cynical - there is a saying in the industry that "if it bleeds it leads" meaning the more tragic and gorier an event is, the more importance the news industry gives it.

But the news obviously needs to be reported. As citizens of the UK we need to know about acts like this occurring in the UK.

So how do tell the news without giving terrorists publicity...?

 

[COYBL25]

You also have to remember the bloke who did this strapped a bomb to himself, walked into a crowd of young girls, looking them in the eye and pressed the detonator.

Any ideas on how to reason with such people?

I remember reading a quote from an American General somewhere that went along the lines of :

" The most dangerous person you can fight against, is a person who isn't afraid to die and actually wants to die "

While there are people who want to die for a cause whatever it may be, you're never going to stop it.

You need to change the mindset of those vulnerable to indoctrination and the only way to do this, is through education.

Which will take along time.

Peace, love and unity people x

 

[GwladysBlue]

You can't stop people who are willing to blow themselves up/die for their cause.

They have nothing to lose, only we do.

 

[Kiwi]

I don't think you can completely stop these things from happening.
Even entering into a complete surveillance state isn't going to stop someone deciding to run a bunch of people over when they hopped into their car.
People are capable of both good and evil things, while what these evil people have done is horrifying and disgusting, there's also been an outpouring of love in the other direction.
Blaming religions doesn't cut it, people will still do evil things regardless.

 

[Khalekan]

If someone is willing to die themselves in carrying out the act, can't stop it.

Yip.

This is the scary thing.

We live in an age where some random fanatic with a death wish can rent a car and wreak havoc and shatter lives in a few seconds in the name of some spurious "cause".

Or a psycho with a cob on can rig up a crude device and detonate it among a crowd of people.

IMO these people are not formally connected to ISIS but that group is more than happy to claim responsibility when some whacko goes on a killing spree as it spreads fear of their name and inspires the next perp as he or she knows the terror group will lend a post mortem "legitimacy" to their actions, thereby "inspiring" the next wannabe Jihadi to go out in what he or she sees as a blaze of glory.

 

[DanEFC92]

Recently listened to an interesting podcast called Intelligence Squared where they debated the idea that our reaction to terrorism is partly what makes it "successful".

The main theme was that the publicity our news & public reaction give to terrorist acts is exactly what the terrorist groups want.
It gives them power & a larger platform through which they can energise and radicalise followers.

News is cynical - there is a saying in the industry that "if it bleeds it leads" meaning the more tragic and gorier an event is, the more importance the news industry gives it.

But the news obviously needs to be reported. As citizens of the UK we need to know about acts like this occurring in the UK.

So how do tell the news without giving terrorists publicity...?

Don't name the attacker, or publicise his/her face. Keep focus on the victims only.

 

[TheAlmightyFloater]

Don't name the attacker, or publicise his/her face. Keep focus on the victims only.

That certainly is a method to stop turning terrorists into "martyrs" and heroes for their cause.

 

[LocalNative]

Boots on the ground in those countries that house and aid terrorism.

Yeah cause that has worked well in the past.

Police in every Mosque in the Uk (or any other religious building). Huge sentences for families who harbour these lunatics and dont report suspected radicalisation of their family members.

What? Why should the very large majority of a religion living in peace be succumbed to such ridicule?

 

[Pour les Bleus]

Yeah cause that has worked well in the past.

When you're going in to get oil, and not defeat terrorism, it's going to work differently, yes.

 

[chicoazul]

I think history shows either marginalisation (ETA, FARC) or appeasement (IRA).

There'll be a lot more clever people working on this than another tit on the internet like me offering thoughts.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Had no idea when the IRA killed two kids who were shopping for Mother's Day when I lived in Warrington, have no idea now either.

But blindly hating a group of people seems to be heading down the same path as the terrorists rather than a road to a solution.

 

[AndyC]

I remember reading a quote from an American General somewhere that went along the lines of :

" The most dangerous person you can fight against, is a person who isn't afraid to die and actually wants to die "

While there are people who want to die for a cause whatever it may be, you're never going to stop it.

You need to change the mindset of those vulnerable to indoctrination and the only way to do this, is through education.

Which will take along time.

Peace, love and unity people x

 

[Tubey]

Wipe out their strongholds, don't give the ideology a physical base to spring from.

The 'guerilla war' will continue but they won't have the same flag to wave.

The Islamic 'State' needs to be obliterated.

 

[Tubey]

You're right of course. But think the reasoning needs to be done before people get to that point of no return.

There was never any reasoning to be done with this ideology. Stewart Lee did a stand-up on it - they want the obliteration of western culture; that isn't a negotiation starting point.

Just wipe them out, honestly. Military intervention, anywhere they have a stronghold, absolutely destroy them, over and over again. Stamp on the cockroaches as soon as you see one.

 

[orly]

Education and transparency for me. More school tours of mosques and spread greater knowledge of how similar religions are.