<nettime> What Causes Terrorism?

[Randall Packer <rpacker@zakros.com>]

In the Washington Post, today, Dick Cheney made 
the following comment: "Terrorist attacks are not 
caused by the use of strength; they are invited 
by the perception of weakness." It is precisely 
this reasoning that has led to the rise in 
terrorism in the first place. Dick Cheney is dead 
wrong.

Cheney, in responding to John Kerry's plea for a 
more "sensitive" war on terrorism, has frankly 
admitted the government doesn't have the 
slightest clue when it comes to the impact of 
American ideologies on other cultures. He doesn't 
realize, or frankly won't admit to the fact
that the presence of American military in the 
Middle East, our position in the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, etc., is what has 
led to the breeding of anti-American sentiment in 
the Arab world – and the rise in terrorism.

The Cheney-Bush doctrine of preemptive war only 
flames the fire on this sentiment, which is 
growing at an alarming rate.

Cultural divisiveness is the real issue at stake, 
the perception the world has of American wealth 
and how we exploit other people and other nations 
to further that wealth.

But how could the Bush Administration possibly 
know this when they have shown absolutely no 
interesting in understanding other cultures of 
the world. Bush never even traveled as an adult 
outside of the US until he became President.

They need to understand that REAL strength, is 
the strength of knowing about people, 
understanding their lives and their culture, an 
appreciation of their history, their struggles, 
their aspirations. This is the strength of 
understanding the human condition.

Cheney is only bent on destroying it.

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