One cannot conquer hate with more hate and violence. The Greeks knew it, Marvin Gaye knew it, and so did lot's of people in between.

I've had this discussion with so many people lately. "We can't talk to Iran...." "They don't understand anything but killing...." "They'll always hate us, no matter what...." "Islam is a medieval religion without reason...."

If all of that is true, then our efforts are a waste of our soldiers' lives and our fortune. We should either surrender or nuke every one of our adversaries into oblivion. Because if they'll always hate us and want us dead we'll always be at war with them until one side kills every last one of the other.

I do not believe this is what anyone truly wants.

I believe that radicalism and violent hatred for the US comes from misery. I am NOT saying that we are the principle cause of people's misery, but we are a highly visible focal point. When people are in misery it is easy for the radicals to find recruits. I believe that most people want adequate food and shelter and an opportunity to see their children have a better life in each succeeding generation. I believe that most people want to achieve this through honest and honorable work. I believe this to be true universally, regardless of religion or political outlook. I also believe there will always be a small percentage of every population that finds radicalism, hatred, violence, dishonesty, and the thirst for power to be more attractive. When a society is functional and the population is in general not miserable, the radicals remain a fringe element and no more than a nuisance. When misery takes hold, the radicals seem to offer an attractive alternative. The radicals need an enemy, a scapegoat. For radical Islam, the enemy is the US for a whole host of reasons, not least of which is the *impression* (founded or not) that the US has grown wealthy because of middle eastern oil, while the middle eastern populations have not shared in the prosperity. Add into the mix our becoming an aggressor and occupying force in Iraq. Add into the mix the generally negative attitude towards Islam from the West (or at the very least, a willful lack of understanding of the religion). This is why our actions in Iraq have not made us safer.

The world will become safer when there is a greater balance between military action (still necessary, of course) and political and social progress to lift people from oppression and misery.

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1987 W201 190D