Comments on: Violence Only Works When We Do It http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/ An imperfect and sometimes sarcastic perspective on following Jesus by Ed Cyzewski. Tue, 22 May 2012 18:37:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ed http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/comment-page-1/#comment-2406 ed Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:42:48 +0000 http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/#comment-2406 Thanks for your thoughts Tim and Adam. Tim, I hear ya. However, let me play out a possible scenario that may help explain what I'm getting at. Let's say there are some hardened terrorist leaders. These guys are mad at America policy, so they recruit folks to help them fight America. Now, we have recruits and hardened terrorists. Our policy has been to bomb them. This kills civilians and stirs up hatred against America. What if we worked with the local people and helped them reach their own development goals (education, jobs, infrastructure, etc.) and helped them isolate the extremists, eliminating their pool of recruits by getting them onto our side. Sure there may be some terrorists plotting to bomb us, but we have cut off their network, those people who are sent out to blow themselves up. Because remember, the leaders of these cells never do the bombing themselves... And the encouraging point here is that everything I have described is happening in small pockets with Christians in the lead. Check out this Speaking of Faith show: http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/diplomacyandreligion/ Extremism and terrorism feeds on hatred and interventionism. More intervention only feeds terrorists. The transition to a non-violent approach may be difficult, but it is by no means impossible. As far as the Palestinian problem goes, I think that America could do a lot to pressure Israel into abandoning illegal settlements and taking active steps toward peace, however no sitting politician would ever win reelection by taking such extreme measures with Israel. Thanks for your thoughts Tim and Adam.

Tim, I hear ya. However, let me play out a possible scenario that may help explain what I’m getting at.

Let’s say there are some hardened terrorist leaders. These guys are mad at America policy, so they recruit folks to help them fight America. Now, we have recruits and hardened terrorists.

Our policy has been to bomb them. This kills civilians and stirs up hatred against America.

What if we worked with the local people and helped them reach their own development goals (education, jobs, infrastructure, etc.) and helped them isolate the extremists, eliminating their pool of recruits by getting them onto our side. Sure there may be some terrorists plotting to bomb us, but we have cut off their network, those people who are sent out to blow themselves up. Because remember, the leaders of these cells never do the bombing themselves…

And the encouraging point here is that everything I have described is happening in small pockets with Christians in the lead. Check out this Speaking of Faith show:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/diplomacyandreligion/

Extremism and terrorism feeds on hatred and interventionism. More intervention only feeds terrorists. The transition to a non-violent approach may be difficult, but it is by no means impossible.

As far as the Palestinian problem goes, I think that America could do a lot to pressure Israel into abandoning illegal settlements and taking active steps toward peace, however no sitting politician would ever win reelection by taking such extreme measures with Israel.

]]> By: Adam Malliet http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/comment-page-1/#comment-2405 Adam Malliet Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:11:17 +0000 http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/#comment-2405 If anyone ever had the "right" to use violence against their oppressor, its the Palestinians. If Obama wanted a non-violent response to the war, he could stand up to Israel and stop funding their war effort. Still confused by conservatives have a problem with Obama, business as usual as far as I can tell. If anyone ever had the “right” to use violence against their oppressor, its the Palestinians. If Obama wanted a non-violent response to the war, he could stand up to Israel and stop funding their war effort.

Still confused by conservatives have a problem with Obama, business as usual as far as I can tell.

]]> By: Tim http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/comment-page-1/#comment-2401 Tim Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:38:33 +0000 http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/06/04/violence-only-works-when-we-do-it/#comment-2401 I do not spend enough time on this blog but I had to comment here. I appreciate your thoughts and the posture you took. Agreed it's a stretch to compare the South African to the Palestinian but both know pain. But while Afghanistan and Palestine-Israel are not the same thing, it seems worth speculating whether or not the solutions should be the same or similar. I submit they do not have to be and not convinced that he used a double standard. The duration of these respective feuds are significantly different, motivations are different, the history, etc. I don't see this as quite the inconsistency. Among other things, these extremist groups in Afgahnistan do not have diplomats that we can attempt to structure peace treaties with. I was quite the fan of the speech and thought that he addressed the US in Afghanistan part well. He even said we don't want to be there and will only stay until it's safe for Americans. I know that is a loose statement, "Well it depends how you define safe ... etc. Sorry to sound simplistic, for I respect your intelligence very much but at times fighting the terrorist with violence is the solution and sometimes not counter-striking with missiles from your national military for a bus bomb is also the solution. Further the agenda of Afghan extremists in do not represent of their (former) leaders and population while those that represent the Israelis and Palestinians do. Indeed, these are extremely tough issues but to a certain extent I'm glad our minds are filled with these thoughts at certain parts of the day as opposed to which movie we plan on seeing this weekend. I hope all goes well in Pittsburgh for you. Catch you soon. I do not spend enough time on this blog but I had to comment here.
I appreciate your thoughts and the posture you took. Agreed it’s a stretch to compare the South African to the Palestinian but both know pain. But while Afghanistan and Palestine-Israel are not the same thing, it seems worth speculating whether or not the solutions should be the same or similar. I submit they do not have to be and not convinced that he used a double standard. The duration of these respective feuds are significantly different, motivations are different, the history, etc.

I don’t see this as quite the inconsistency. Among other things, these extremist groups in Afgahnistan do not have diplomats that we can attempt to structure peace treaties with. I was quite the fan of the speech and thought that he addressed the US in Afghanistan part well. He even said we don’t want to be there and will only stay until it’s safe for Americans. I know that is a loose statement, “Well it depends how you define safe … etc.

Sorry to sound simplistic, for I respect your intelligence very much but at times fighting the terrorist with violence is the solution and sometimes not counter-striking with missiles from your national military for a bus bomb is also the solution. Further the agenda of Afghan extremists in do not represent of their (former) leaders and population while those that represent the Israelis and Palestinians do.

Indeed, these are extremely tough issues but to a certain extent I’m glad our minds are filled with these thoughts at certain parts of the day as opposed to which movie we plan on seeing this weekend.

I hope all goes well in Pittsburgh for you. Catch you soon.

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