Bali Bombings
I've decided to avoid talking about Bali. The whole terrorism thing is a tough nut - and its in poor taste to drag politics into it. Having said that, I'd just like to make the point that in any effective relationship (be it between nations, cultures, relgions or people) - if the current approach doesn't yield the desired results, its often wise to try something else. I'm getting the feeling that our current approach to terrorism isn't working.
The whole terrorism thing is non-sense. A total waste of resources. Its time the government got its act together and realised that Australia was never important in the “fight against terror” and we never will be. And that is something to be happy about. Johnny’s obsession with drumming up our importance provides nothing more than amusement for countries around the world. No country really values our desperate grab for recognition and we don’t need recognition for an unjust cause. We have enough to deal with at home without going overseas and wasting resources on what seems to be a lost cause. After all, the hidden agenda of oil is fairly obvious to everyone. I guess its pointless to wish that politicians would use their brains for a moment and talk reality instead of bs. Their stupidity is making Australia a target it never used to be.
Totally agree with that. We've got enough issues to fix up here first. Its the "America complex" where we make ourselves feel better about ourselfs, by preaching at others.
There is a fine line between "drumming on about terrorism" and making a stand. I know that your "sit back and hope no-one notices us" approach is attractive, but do you think these terrorists are going to go away? Maybe they will bomb someone else yes, but they will also gain more wide-spread support for their newly tolerated cause.
Yes, I see your point, but I think that terrorism doesn't spread through acceptance, it spreads through other factors. Unlike say, racism, which may grow if tolerated, terrorism seems to grow from perceptions. The harder you push against it - the easier it is for terrorists to recruit. People are sucked into doing such terrible acts because, possibly, of a lack of personal morality, but it is compounded by an irrational hate of others. You have to be careful not to feed this hate. I doubt any serious observer or analyst of terrorism would dispute that the Iraq war was Al-Qaeda's best recruitment driver ever.