Tuesday, December 29, 2009

How Does One Destroy Hatred?

The latest bomb incident in USA involving Al Qaeda raises fundamental questions, as if necessary, as to whether bombing Afghanistan or even killing Osama bin Laden is sufficient or even necessary to destroy the hatred among fundamentalists to hurt USA.

Let's look at the facts of the case described in this short report here:

Saudi Al Qaeda Wing Claims Responsibility for Thwarted Christmas Attack
12/28/09

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.Photo: U.S. Marshals Service
Even though it appeared at first that aspiring terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab acted alone when he tried to detonate a device on a Northwestern Airlines flight on Christmas Day, a terror group says they supplied him with materials. The Saudi wing of Al Qaeda posted notices on militant Islamist websites today stating that they gave him the explosive technology and boasted of his success. The group has organized attacks on Americans within Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and beheaded American Paul Johnson in 2004. Meanwhile, President Obama just spoke from Hawaii, where he is on vacation, and said that his administration "will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable." He added that "this was a serious reminder of the dangers that we face."
Qaeda-Linked Group Claims It Was Behind Bomb Attempt [NYT]


Read more: Saudi Al Qaeda Wing Claims Responsibility for Thwarted Christmas Attack -- Daily Intel http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/12/saudi_al_qaeda_wing_claims_res.html?mid=daily-intel--20091228#ixzz0b2SrFFGu

The inept suicide bomber is from Nigeria. Materials, know-how, money from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Where is Afghanistan in this equation?

Put differently. Suppose you wanted to destroy Catholicism. Would bombing Vatican city do the "job"? How does one destroy Protestantism? Where does one bomb?

I am not equating Christianity with fundamentalist Islamic terrorism. The point remains that the terrorists are moved by an idea, however flawed, sick, self-destructive it maybe.

In the dark days of Chinese Communism between 1949 to 1979 roughly, the government supplied a daily dose of "hate America" propaganda. Yet, America's Chinese name "Beautiful Country" remained the name the Chinese people used. They knew America was a better and the country a beautiful country.

The only way to fight a bad idea is to make sure the good idea remains shining bright. The only way to ensure that is to make sure "nation building" starts at home.

America is physically badly maintained. Philosophically it is floundering having sacrificed its basic moral principles in the name of "national security", a theme Obama himself put in his inaugural speech, now forgotten in its expansion of a war in Afghanistan. And don't get me started on Wall Street where maximizing profits has taken precedence over all ethical business values for which America was once the standard bearer.

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