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It's Personal

Reader comment on item: Terrorism Defies Definition
in response to reader comment: Terrorism

Submitted by Michael S. (United States), Nov 25, 2014 at 11:23

Hi, Donevan

I don't think these wars are about religion. My Bible says,

Jas. 4:
[1] From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
[2] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
[3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

This world is full of people who continually are looking to take more to themselves from others, and are willing to fight and kill for it. Sometimes, this amounts to dometsic altercations, or bar room brawls. When more powerful individuals are concerned, the result is war.

Even on the world political scene, it's not too hard to see this selfish, personal motive. In South Sudan, for instance, there is a civil war that has quickly led to a humanitarian disaster, and which already involves Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries; yet it is obvious to just about everyone that the root of the problem is a personal struggle for power between President Ki'ir and former Vice President Machar: The country is awash with oil reserves, and both men want to get a major share of the profit. Ki'ir is a Dinka, a predominantly Christian tribe; and Machar is a Nuer, a mixed Christian-Pagan tribe.

The Ugandans are predominantly Christian as well, and they coincidentally back Ki'ir. I say "coincidentally", because Uganda's main interest is also to get a share of the oil proceeds, in the form of trade. Ki'ir has accused the Sunni Islamist Sudanese of supporting Machar, though he has denied this; and Machar's people, with considerable justification, accuse the atheist Chinese of supporting Ki'ir. Another country accused of supporting Machar is Orthodox Christian Eritrea, which has had a border conflict for years with Orthodox Christian Ethiopia -- and the latter has also been accused of being impartial, supporting Machar.

Now, isn't THAT a tangled web of countries and religions! I didn't even mention that the Indian and Nepali peacekeepers are Hindus, and the Bangladeshis are Muslims. But the heart of the matter is that Riek Machar wants a piece of Salva Ki'ir's pie; and Salva is reluctant to give it to him, possibly with good reason.

We're not at war with Islam OR with terror. We're fighting with other actors, for a piece of the action: sometimes directly, as with Abu Du'a aka ‎Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi aka Caliph Ibrahim, the leader of the "Islamic State"; but also indirectly, against the Iranian, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, etc. interests working offstage. Everyone involved, essentially, wants a piece of the American "pie", and is trying the best he can to cut out that piece.

Sometimes terrorism is used, sometimes diplomacy, sometimes another means. We might accomplish much more, in fact, if we declared a "War on Bullsh_t" against all the lies coming out of Pallywood and their European useful idiots, than we have in fighting the etherial "Terror".

Religion is also used as a lever, where this is convenient. The US would do well, though, to take its eyes off these things and focus on guarding the pie.

Shalom shalom :-)

Submitting....

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Reader comments (53) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
An Agreed Definition [72 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Freddy TerraneanApr 4, 2016 17:27228712
2Definitions of Terrorism in the U.S. Code [413 words]LudvikusJan 17, 2015 00:51220437
Define [19 words]AlbertEDec 15, 2014 19:35219789
the abstract or the actual islamist terrorist [16 words]mythNov 17, 2014 05:39219336
The name of the "game" is Zionism [823 words]Richard MartensNov 14, 2014 14:37219307
The wellfare state result: mass terrorism [60 words]PermReaderNov 12, 2014 10:54219285
3Terrorism is not an ideology [176 words]saraNov 3, 2014 21:09219150
You are correct: Terrorism is not an ideology; and we're not convincingly at war with it. [373 words]Michael S.Nov 9, 2014 09:22219150
1Terrorism is in the eye of the beholder [158 words]saraNov 16, 2014 18:39219150
War on Flying [408 words]Michael S.Nov 17, 2014 15:07219150
Muslim Brotherhood threat [153 words]saraNov 20, 2014 21:29219150
1It takes all kinds [295 words]Michael S.Nov 21, 2014 15:18219150
Muslim divisions [571 words]Michael S.Nov 26, 2014 05:09219150
Terrorism [133 words]donevanNov 2, 2014 14:42219127
1It's Personal [546 words]Michael S.Nov 25, 2014 11:23219127
1I agree...it's not a religion [181 words]donevanNov 27, 2014 14:40219127
It's all "religious", by someone's definition [573 words]Michael S.Nov 29, 2014 18:51219127
Not a 'Religion" [184 words]donevanDec 1, 2014 22:10219127
Defining "Religion" [209 words]Michael SDec 4, 2014 12:28219127
Terror May Have Religious Connection; But Never a Righteous One [388 words]M. ToveyDec 4, 2014 17:20219127
I Agree......I think I do [119 words]DONEVANDec 8, 2014 10:02219127
Religion and Terrorism...... [117 words]donevanDec 8, 2014 10:21219127
How to become a heretic [1033 words]Michael S.Dec 9, 2014 12:21219127
Hereticism Can Be Avoided By Holdng to the Spirit of Scripture [538 words]M. ToveyDec 11, 2014 14:10219127
Murder From Supremacist Motives [65 words]DaveOct 31, 2014 19:14219088
1Still puzzled after 13 years. [120 words]JD WillOct 31, 2014 09:58219068
An endless war.... [151 words]donevanNov 3, 2014 22:17219068
Why did the lame duck cross the road? [919 words]Michael S.Oct 29, 2014 14:43219039
Someone Tell the Duck to Duck - It's Dark Out On That Roadmap to Peace. [324 words]M. ToveyOct 31, 2014 18:22219039
Be afraid! Be very afraid! [875 words]Michael S.Nov 3, 2014 10:01219039
Terrorism is in the Eye of the Beholder [26 words]Barry BlackOct 28, 2014 09:36219010
Koran sponsored crimes [64 words]PermReaderOct 27, 2014 12:19218990
what about "a state actor attacking civilian targets to spread fear for some putative political goal" ? [25 words]servet cevikOct 27, 2014 08:04218987
4What can we learn from the terrorist attack in Ottawa [219 words]dhimmi no moreOct 27, 2014 07:18218985
terrorism is a Monster with many face [26 words]myselfOct 27, 2014 06:47218984
1"TERRORISM" IS THE CRIME OF "EXTORTION" [41 words]Uncle VladdiOct 26, 2014 20:55218980
Let's Define Terrorism Better [379 words]Richard H. ShulmanOct 26, 2014 20:31218979
Définitions Of TERROR, TERRORISM and TERRORIST [161 words]JACQUES HADIDAOct 26, 2014 18:02218977
Its the purpose...not the degree of violence [167 words]gerNov 3, 2014 11:12218977
Don't Forget the Media's Role [156 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AlexOct 26, 2014 16:50218973
1common sense [49 words]Charles MartelOct 26, 2014 16:02218972
Freud summed it up. [80 words]Andrew HOct 26, 2014 13:32218967
That Explains It [50 words]Barry BlackOct 26, 2014 10:19218964
2The Winslow Plan [367 words]TL WinslowOct 26, 2014 10:13218963
1terrorism [25 words]Jan LapterOct 26, 2014 09:37218960
Yes, "Terrorism" is already known as the crime of "Extortion." [13 words]Uncle VladdiOct 27, 2014 21:36218960
terrorism [11 words]Jan LapterOct 28, 2014 04:37218960
"Terrorist inmates" are subject to many extra restrictions - I would add: many extra benefits if members of ROP [16 words]MarkOct 26, 2014 09:28218958
Terrorism is a tactic in the War [90 words]Ralph C Whaley MDOct 26, 2014 09:27218957
Maybe there is a reason terrorism defies definition [179 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
S. KleinOct 26, 2014 09:01218956
What's wrong with the definition provided? [36 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Eric GoodmanOct 26, 2014 06:59218950
Pst! "Terrorism" isn't limited to "non-state actors." [27 words]Uncle VladdiOct 27, 2014 21:33218950
What's wrong with the definition provided? (Defining vs. criteria of application) [133 words]Daniel D. NovotnyOct 29, 2014 09:26218950

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