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What is your general view on Islamic terrorism?

What is your general view on Islamic terrorism?

  • It is a big problem and should be unconditionally condemne.

    Votes: 35 42.7%

  • It should be condemned, but the problem has been blown out of proportion.

    Votes: 23 28.0%

  • I don't condone it, but we share some of the blame for perpetuating it.

    Votes: 10 12.2%

  • I don't condone it, but it is important to try to understand it.

    Votes: 2 2.4%

  • Sometimes it's justified.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • It's nearly always justified.

    Votes: 2 2.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 10 12.2%
  • Total voters
    82
OrphanSlug said:
The poll options are misleading at best, no real reason to answer within those confines.

You can have the opinion that any form of terrorism is a "big problem and should be unconditionally condemned" while at the same time realizing that historically the foreign policy of several nations have "perpetuated" its continuation. You can even add in the realization that we are better off "understanding" behavior from various religions, customs, and social climates as a means to evolve away from those motivations.

This poll is damn near something Trump would come up with in thinking.
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How are my poll options misleading if you say that they all could reasonably be applied? I did consider making it multiple choice, especially since the middle two are pretty similar but it's like any question, of course there are exceptions but generally, which single option most closely describes your view on Islamic terrorism.
 
Fearandloathing said:
Why "Islamic Terrorism", why not ask this question about terrorism in general.


Of, it's bad
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It's a fair question question and one I fully expected. In my experience, Islamic terrorism is regarded and treated differently than other types. I rarely see arguments about how we need to understand dudes who bomb abortion clinics, for example.
 
Sweden said:
No, they did not call it terrorism but they knew full well that it was terrorism. I do not believe in this core of goodness. When the Nazis called their attempt to exterminate the Jews "the final solution" they did show that they were good at heart.
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But they rationalized it. It's specifically for that reason that evil is so difficult to deal with: a truly evil person won't acknowledge their evil. That's why nobody of any demographic acknowledges that what they do is terrorism, or even that their demographic even harbors evil people. I see that same behavior demonstrated absolutely everywhere. Fundamentalist Jewish terrorists kills a palestinian family in their home at night because God gave them that land, Islamic terrorists kill people because Westerners because they are in Mecca, and Christians kill Planned Parenthood employees because they perform abortions. And if you have any last doubt about their terrorist sympathies, those killed in the crossfire are "collateral damage." And of course Jews needed to be gotten rid of because they cost Germany World War I and held the economy hostage.

Everyone's got a story.
 
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X Factor said:
How are my poll options misleading if you say that they all could reasonably be applied? I did consider making it multiple choice, especially since the middle two are pretty similar but it's like any question, of course there are exceptions but generally, which single option most closely describes your view on Islamic terrorism.
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Multiple choice would have handled the issue, trying to limit to one choice suggests other factors are not important. I disagree with that thinking.
 
X Factor said:
It's a fair question question and one I fully expected. In my experience, Islamic terrorism is regarded and treated differently than other types. I rarely see arguments about how we need to understand dudes who bomb abortion clinics, for example.
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I simply ask because the focus is always on Islamic terror, when much, a large percentage in fact of terrorist incidents in the United States are carried out by Americans, or people who have been legally allowed into the country. And then if you add mass killings to the mix things get pretty interesting.


Did you know that the 911 terrorists succeeded because you failed to follow your own laws.
 
The latest iteration of Islamic terror is killing more Muslims than anyone else. They do have a far better grasp of using publicity and fear to fight their battles.
 
X Factor said:
As nearly as I've described it (once I get the poll up), what is your general view of Islamic terrorism? I'm actually wondering if we're as far apart as it seems sometimes. Sorry, I know the question is somewhat vague. Hopefully the proposed answers will explain it.

Edit: ok, the last word in my first option is obviously supposed to be "condemned". The window to add the poll shuts pretty quickly so I didn't proofread it.
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Islamic Terrorism seems to be the result of misguided militancy by USA sponsored, funded, armed and trained militants beginning with OBL and al Qeda. Subsequently we caused al Qeda in Iraq by a flawed policy and a war initiated upon fraudulent reasoning. Terrorism is often described as the "only alternative of the dis-enfranchised." ISIS sucks, but it's our baby, don't ya' know? Recent support for ISIS by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the USA, via the CIA, has been a monstrous boondoggle and the blowback is being felt at this time. I don't think these Islamic Terrorists are even remotely religious, but that their whole organization is a criminal financial powerstructure, like the Mafia. On the other hand, the financial structure puts them on a level with Organized religion, Fraternal organizations, Unions, etc. Syria alone, has created a few million refugees, all seeking refuge, but, alas, not finding refuge, terrorism may follow. How many refugees did Iraq create? Afghanistan? Libya? It's a cause and efffect relationship and we should be fully aware of that. In this morass of hopelessness occupied by refugees, a smooth talking snake oil salesman can get them instant paydays with the headchoppers and to the dim-witted a promise of eternal bliss with 72 virgins if anything goes wrong. There is a point here. If we created these refugees, then we are RESPONSIBLE to help them.
 
Fearandloathing said:
I simply ask because the focus is always on Islamic terror, when much, a large percentage in fact of terrorist incidents in the United States are carried out by Americans, or people who have been legally allowed into the country. And then if you add mass killings to the mix things get pretty interesting.


Did you know that the 911 terrorists succeeded because you failed to follow your own laws.
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Yes, there are other types of violence and terrorism, but Islamic terrorism is pretty unique in how it's viewed IMO.
 
X Factor said:
Yes, there are other types of violence and terrorism, but Islamic terrorism is pretty unique in how it's viewed IMO.
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I suppose, yeah, hearing attacks on the entire faith of Islam for ten years, a presidential candidate who wants to ban them, yeah, I can understand how Americans can become afraid of a religion. I mean they were once convinced that if communism wasn't stopped in Vietnam all the world would be communist in a matter of months. Convincing Americans there is a national threat ready to destroy them is actually really ****ing easy.

You remove one incident that could have and should have been prevented by your intelligence agencies, more Americans die at the hands of Americans that international terrorists. In fact more people die of drunk driving.....but you don't have an enemy to blame in that case, it's all on you
 
Fearandloathing said:
I suppose, yeah, hearing attacks on the entire faith of Islam for ten years, a presidential candidate who wants to ban them, yeah, I can understand how Americans can become afraid of a religion. I mean they were once convinced that if communism wasn't stopped in Vietnam all the world would be communist in a matter of months. Convincing Americans there is a national threat ready to destroy them is actually really ****ing easy.

You remove one incident that could have and should have been prevented by your intelligence agencies, more Americans die at the hands of Americans that international terrorists. In fact more people die of drunk driving.....but you don't have an enemy to blame in that case, it's all on you
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Well, and I don't see too many people lining up to say that it's actually our DWI laws that are at fault or that DWI is justifiable because....
 
IMO it's a big problem in the world, less so here in the US, but it should be universally condemned.
 
Fearandloathing said:
OK, we're done


No one went anywhere NEAR justifying terrorism.

Were done here
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Sorry, it really wasn't my intent to cause offense. I'm just trying to explain why I asked this specific question.
 
Cardinal said:
I love Islamic terrorism. I can't get enough of it.

Seriously though, who do you expect to approve of any form of terrorism?
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Seems like the poll measures condoning and blame as they relate to Islamic terrorism.
 
Cardinal said:
But they rationalized it. It's specifically for that reason that evil is so difficult to deal with: a truly evil person won't acknowledge their evil. That's why nobody of any demographic acknowledges that what they do is terrorism, or even that their demographic even harbors evil people. I see that same behavior demonstrated absolutely everywhere. Fundamentalist Jewish terrorists kills a palestinian family in their home at night because God gave them that land, Islamic terrorists kill people because Westerners because they are in Mecca, and Christians kill Planned Parenthood employees because they perform abortions. And if you have any last doubt about their terrorist sympathies, those killed in the crossfire are "collateral damage." And of course Jews needed to be gotten rid of because they cost Germany World War I and held the economy hostage.

Everyone's got a story.
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But Your Eminence (you really are a Cardinal, right?) the security at airports, the armed police patrolling London, the security services in dozens of countries working round the clock, the hospitals with emergency plans for treating hundreds of casualties are not the result of threats to people who perform abortions. There is one and only one serious threat and that is from Islamic terrorists, people who are murdering for Allah. I simply do not believe you "see that same behaviour demonstrated absolutely everywhere"; please reconsider those words - you may conclude that they do not accord with reality.
 
I think the correct answer is #1, but there are some other answers that fit in some way.

It may be blown out of proportion when it comes to a threat to the USA.
I think we have some responsibility for its spread.
I think we need to have a better understanding of it. You can't correct something without knowing the root cause problem.

I never think it's justified because it inevitably results in the deaths of innocents.

That said, I'll choose "Other" and answer that it's as bad as Tony Romo's passing arm.
 
Islamic terrorism can be attributed to many things, but I feel like the lack of economic opportunity in the middle east due to a lack of resources and diversified economies helps promote it because poor people have nothing left to turn to. In the same fashion that economically disadvantaged areas of the US see higher rates of organized crime and gang activity.

Not sure how to solve this issue. I do believe that we are better off with hard line dictators such as Saddam Hussein in power to keep their people in check. When you have a decentralized government (or governments as is the case of tribal Afghanistan) you allow terrorism to fester, which isn't the case in more hard line countries such as Saudi Arabia. In the UAE, Lebanon, etc you have diversified economies with plenty of opportunity which decreases the level of terrorist activity and its ability to grow.
 
Blame for any act can be prescribed to multiple things.

If a youth joins a gang and robs a store, of course the final blame is on him and he is the one that should pay for the crime, but we can't ignore the causes that led him to that path. The gang, his upbringing etc. Suggesting that there are other actors at work than the youth does not suggest that you condone his actions in any way.

Likewise with terrorism. Ultimately the blame lies at the feet of the terrorists. They are the ones perpetrating the horrific actions. Also at fault is the Qu'ran, religion, media, arms dealers, but also foreign involvement in countries where terrorism thrives. To admit that doesn't mean that I'm condoning terrorism, it just means that I believe there are multiple root causes for it.

What I certainly do not condone is the broad-brushing of other people who believe similar things (i.e. Allah is god) but did not perpetrate such acts.
 
Nilly said:
Blame for any act can be prescribed to multiple things.

If a youth joins a gang and robs a store, of course the final blame is on him and he is the one that should pay for the crime, but we can't ignore the causes that led him to that path. The gang, his upbringing etc. Suggesting that there are other actors at work than the youth does not suggest that you condone his actions in any way.

Likewise with terrorism. Ultimately the blame lies at the feet of the terrorists. They are the ones perpetrating the horrific actions. Also at fault is the Qu'ran, religion, media, arms dealers, but also foreign involvement in countries where terrorism thrives. To admit that doesn't mean that I'm condoning terrorism, it just means that I believe there are multiple root causes for it.

What I certainly do not condone is the broad-brushing of other people who believe similar things (i.e. Allah is god) but did not perpetrate such acts.
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Agreed. I still believe that Islamic terrorism ultimately boils down to lack of economic opportunity in the countries where the number of terrorists and networks are highest, combined with a lack of centralized government with the power to stamp it out. We see our own form of terrorism in the United States in the inner cities with gangs, where economic opportunity is severely lacking. Throw religion into the mix and you now have a bunch of ignorant, uneducated people running around with Holy Books they've probably never even read justifying their actions.
 
I dont condone it, I think its a problem (though I may differ with people on how we should "combat it"), and the United States government has supported it, and we also share some responsibility for its rise, because we (the USA) have directly supported and are indirectly responsible for a major part of its rise because of our foreign policy and the "blowback" from our foreign policy.
 
You missed a poll question. "It's never justified". Targeting civilians/non combatants is never justified.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
I dont condone it, I think its a problem (though I may differ with people on how we should "combat it"), and the United States government has supported it, and we also share some responsibility for its rise, because we (the USA) have directly supported and are indirectly responsible for a major part of its rise because of our foreign policy and the "blowback" from our foreign policy.
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Agreed. I think Iraq was the biggest foreign policy blunder in our nations history to be honest. We were much better off with Saddam in power. I actually supported the Iraq war at the time. Hindsight is 20/20 unfortunately, but there are many lessons to be learned and I think the biggest one is that boots on the ground and going in alone will cause more damage than the issues we seek to solve.
 
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