SouthsideHarp_Bhoy
29-05-2017, 03:05 PM
The rising trend is concerning, although I'd put it down to various factors -
The fact that we went in and knocked out baddies like Saddam Hussein and Col Gaddafi and created power vacuums. Ruthless, barbaric, autocratic dictators they may have been, they also managed to just about keep the fanatics in check. We either had no plan or were ridiculously naive about what might happen in their countries once they were gone. The influence of the radicals has grown since then.
Modern 24 hour news coverage. These groups have always existed, we've not always given them as much oxygen of publicity within our media.
I agree about the susceptibility of young men, but I think this needs tackled on several fronts. Poverty and inequality don't help (take your pick of the Tories, SNP or Labour threads for your solution to the poverty problem we have in this country). Young men feeling a bit disillusioned with the world are vulnerable people - the isolation that affects young, poor, Muslim men is a big problem as they are ripe for radicalisation.
The friends I have who are Muslim aren't going to give up on their big cars, their businesses, their education, their jobs, their positions in the community, their friends or their families to blow themselves up any time soon, in spite of what Katie Hopkins might think.
Agree with you, we would have been better leaving the strong men in place (like the Russians are trying to do with Assad). But then we get pilloried for 'propping up' evil regimes or selling them arms. Like you said earlier, damned if you do, damned if you dont.
And yeah, thats the story that is not told often enough, but yo are absolutely right. I suppose nice mr muslim who lives in fancy suburbia and is a doctor, will never grab headlines like disaffected mr muslim who blows himself and others up.
The fact that we went in and knocked out baddies like Saddam Hussein and Col Gaddafi and created power vacuums. Ruthless, barbaric, autocratic dictators they may have been, they also managed to just about keep the fanatics in check. We either had no plan or were ridiculously naive about what might happen in their countries once they were gone. The influence of the radicals has grown since then.
Modern 24 hour news coverage. These groups have always existed, we've not always given them as much oxygen of publicity within our media.
I agree about the susceptibility of young men, but I think this needs tackled on several fronts. Poverty and inequality don't help (take your pick of the Tories, SNP or Labour threads for your solution to the poverty problem we have in this country). Young men feeling a bit disillusioned with the world are vulnerable people - the isolation that affects young, poor, Muslim men is a big problem as they are ripe for radicalisation.
The friends I have who are Muslim aren't going to give up on their big cars, their businesses, their education, their jobs, their positions in the community, their friends or their families to blow themselves up any time soon, in spite of what Katie Hopkins might think.
Agree with you, we would have been better leaving the strong men in place (like the Russians are trying to do with Assad). But then we get pilloried for 'propping up' evil regimes or selling them arms. Like you said earlier, damned if you do, damned if you dont.
And yeah, thats the story that is not told often enough, but yo are absolutely right. I suppose nice mr muslim who lives in fancy suburbia and is a doctor, will never grab headlines like disaffected mr muslim who blows himself and others up.