A Confederacy of Cruel Dunces
Note: This January 8, 2005 BuzzFlash Editorial marks the eighth in 20 consecutive editorials BuzzFlash will be publishing through January 20th.
A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL
We're not naive enough to argue that terrorism is always directly related to poverty. In fact, the origins of terrorism are much too complex for that. The 19 terrorists who pulled off 9/11 (15 Saudis and no Iraqis, for the record) were mostly from relatively middle class backgrounds within Saudi Arabia.
The causes of terrorism are clearly complex. It is a phenomenon that is as old as history and mutates based on the political conflict at hand. The fact that it is a phenomenon that requires a multi-faceted approach that requires a nuanced understanding of complex problems clearly puts it beyond the capabilities of Bush administration. The confederacy of dunces who compose Bush's "War Cabinet" are clearly extremely limited one-dimensional analysts who believe that you can bomb, shoot and torture terrorism into extinction.
And all the Bush incompetents do is put our national security more at risk by ignoring the lessons of history in dealing with terrorism; and by creating several new armed enemies of America for every one that is killed.
In championing an approach to terrorism that sinks to the level of terrorists, the Bush administration has helped breed terrorism. The Bush Cartel efforts in Iraq, for instance, provide the pollen to the bees of armed Anti-American rebellion against an occupying force that kills civilians, tortures at will, and loots with abandon, according to returning soldiers.
But even with all this background and an admittance that middle class -- and even wealthy individuals such as Osama bin Laden -- can become terrorists, there is no question -- that within the varying profiles of who becomes a terrorist -- that poverty plays a role in creating a cesspool of recruits for terrorist causes.
That is why it is nearly criminal negligence and a betrayal of our national security that the Bush administration has reduced its commitment to eradicating poverty in the world. Just four years ago, the United States accepted a commitment of 0.7 percent of our national income to assist in the development of poverty-stricken countries. Under the Bush administration, we provide less than 0.14 percent of our income as a nation. Norway and Sweden provide 0.92 and 0.79 percent, respectively.
A recent New York Times editorial, which provided the above statistics, notes:
We learned Wednesday that in the last two months, the Bush administration has reduced its contributions to global food aid programs aimed at helping hungry nations become self-sufficient, and it has told charities like Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services that it won't honor earlier promises.
(Thursday, December 23)
In return for an ever-increasing tax cut for the wealthy, we are breeding a whole new generation of potential terrorists, instead of working to eliminate their sense that the U.S. only wishes to kill, not aid, them.
It is the confederacy of dunces in our White House who are a daily threat to our national security, because their thinking is as simplistic as Conan the Barbarian.
Remember, each of our lives is at stake as long as these fools are in power.
A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL