As you suggest, governments are as capable of engaging in terror, as individuals. Terror is terror. And in each case, tiring as it may be, we have to look at the facts, and evaluate them in terms of universal principles of common sense. If we go through this process, the hope is that we will reach common ground, instead of letting the answers come crashing out of the barrel of a gun.

Ultimately, everything in this world can be sorted out using the God-given common sense that we were blessed with since the beginning of time. We either make sense of our lives, or we’re going down, as have 99% of all the species which have inhabited this good earth. That’s the deal, simple as that. We have to choose which way we want to go, and everything we know and love hangs in the balance.

What do you think of preventive measures…are they morally valid?

Hi Elinor.

I don’t think you will ever totally eliminate terrorism. Somebody will always have a gripe, and will lash out in response. But by being smart, you can contain terrorism. And the steps you have to take can be moral, if you rely on more than just brute force.

There is a saying in warfare, “Know your enemy.” You have to understand the terrorist, and beat him at his own game by co-opting his strategy, by doing what he does, only better, and by marginalizing him in the eyes of his own people.

If the terrorist is ideological about hate, you be ideological about common sense, the collective wisdom born of shared experience. If the terrorist invests peanuts in charitable handouts, you invest some serious dollars in jobs, jobs which protect our environment. If the terrorist sells a vision of martyrdom, or paradise, or virgins, or what have you, you sell a vision of hope, a vision of peace prosperity and freedom. If the terrorist uses hate-filled propoganda to tear people apart, you use public diplomacy to bring people together, including the empowerment of women. And if the terrorist fights you with terror, you fight him militarily, but you position the fight within a vision of hope. You raise the fight on the ground to a highter moral plain by giving the fight a moral clarity of purpose. People will fight harder once they know what they’re fighting for. We’re not fighting a “War against terror.” We are fighting a war to realize a vision of hope. There’s a big difference. We’re not fighting to “protect the environment.” We are fighting, quite literally, for our lives.

To me truth is something I can approach logically with evidence.

Jina, the existence of the universe is good evidence that someone or something brought it into existence. I choose to call that someone or something God. I could have chosen another name, but like Shakespeare said, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would have smelled as sweet.” We often let words get in the way of the meanings behind the words.

…but how committed do you think they are?

The Iranian regime is very committed, Jina, not only out of religious conviction, but by the sheer need to hold on to power, as you suggest. Under the right circumstances, they could feel compelled to take extreme measures, including pushing the button, especially if they sense that the tide of support is turning away from them. The problem with nuclear weapons is that the threat of mass destruction is so great, that it becomes difficult to allow for any possibility which would render the impossible possible. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it will be very difficult to contain her, and her foreign and domestic agendas will hold full sway.

…extremists tend to have more power than the moderates…

That seems true for a while. But really, the extremists are just more intimidating. Ultimately, the real power resides in the people. In the final analysis, the will of the people will not be deterred. We in the West have to find a way to unleash that ultimate force. We cannot afford to let the extremists win the battle for hearts and minds. We have to become at least as smart and committed as they are in order to win. In the final analysis, the extremists will not be able to capture the public’s imagination, once people begin to imagine a better life for themselves.

…I…had a dream how wonderful this world can be and then…saw the world for what it is…what you say can be done only if those in power DON’T have any ulterior motives…

I know what you mean. It’s hard to hold on to the idealism of our youth. I’m becoming an old fart, but somehow, I still believe in the vision that you once held onto. Can we really make something wonderful happen? I think there’s at least a decent chance, certainly enough of chance to make us try.

Yes, Jina, leaders always have an ulterior motive for the things they do. But it is just possible, that in today’s crazy world, there may be a confluence of events, such that, the pragmatic solutions to our problems will coincide with the emergence of a better version of ourselves. In other words, in order to solves the problems related to: the Environment, the Economy, and the Extremism, we will have no choice, no matter how cynical and claculating our leaders may be, to sell one another on a Vision of Hope, and to create facts on the ground which testify to our resolve in this regard.

What is defence? They are just fighting each other. Terror is real politik. Al-Qaeda…don’t want to destroy western civilization, but to create an Islamic sharia state in the Muslim lands and take over power there.

I don’t know about that, Wladimir. I agree that the justification of self-defense can be used by both parties to a conflict. And it is “real politik,” as you say. But there will be winners and losers, and who wins will make a hell of a big difference to the civilized world.

Al Qaeda will have a hard time accomplishing the goals you mention, without destroying Western civilization. By comparison, a lot of what they’re advocating sucks, and will not hold sway among the vast majority of people. But if they can somehow disrupt the West, and wreak havoc in the civilized world, then their philosophy may begin to gain momenum. So it becomes in their interest to do what they can to make a mess of things, if for no other reason, than to better market their wares.

OK. You win. Pizza is better, and a lot kinder to animals. I was only kidding about burgers. Just wanted to get under your skin.

If you ever come to Toronto, I’ll introduce you to the best pizza in the world. It’s not from some fancy restaurant or any fast food place. It’s from a small independent place owned by a really old Italian dude, he’s cool and his pizza is amazing. Grew up eating his pizza and now no other pizza tastes anything remotely close to his…

How can you be so sure, Jina?

To me truth is something that I can approach logically with evidence. If a topic can’t be supported via facts and logic then it’s bla la bla to me.

God is the sum total of all the creative energy in the universe. That is a version of Him that may even appeal to you, Jina.

You have been reading more of those Hindu philosophical mumbo jumba are you?

And if you believe in something strongly enough, it will override your common sense, and you will act in a way that defies logic and rationality.

You have a point here, but how committed do you think they are? They remind me of the hawks in Washington talking about patriotism and all that bs, but when it comes to proving it they wouldn’t even let their sons or daughters go anywhere near these wars they started. I don’t wona go into more detailed argument but that the basic idea and from that what I gather is that these religious leaders do or say what they say only to stay in power and the gain the support of the extremists in their society. They say anything to appeal to extremists because extremists tend to have more power than the moderates and the general population.

Very true, Jina. Don’t tell me you’re starting to get wise in your old age.

Reality and dream, and this is a dream. See I like to dream sometimes also. I used to do it a lot when I was younger, had a dream how wonderful this world can be and then I became an adult and saw the world for what it is and…

So why not pick up the slack, and make something happen along these lines?

I tried and I already gave up. People telling me, hey Paki go back home to every protest I organize and/or attend really gets on my nerve. This urge to get a baseball bat and repeatedly hit them on their face kinda make it impossible for me to continue because I fear that I might just do that one day and jail doesn’t seem like a fun place. So I isolate myself from politics in my life. This website is the only place I talk politics and everywhere else I just ignore or run away when anything political is brought up in a conversation. The thing about ignorance being a bliss is a pretty awesome concept.

The only justification I would offer is that upon close and fair scrutiny, it becomes apparent that they are confronting terrorist organizations which are hell bent on destroying Western civilization, and that such organizations may well succeed if we don’t confront them.

I supported the invasion of Afghanistan because of this, but in reality the invasion was the stepping stone for further invasions in the region. US used it to get what they wanted and that was Iraq, well planned and coordinated without the knowledge of the people.

Basically, what you say can be done only if those in power DON’T have any ulterior motives and come on, we are humans and we will always have some hidden agenda for anything we do. Not very practical but we can pretend tough and create these so called “independent” organization and committee to oversee things. UN works out… you know… if something that you do succeed take credit but when it fails, blame the UN.

If somethign like this was to happen then everyone has to be ont he same page but that ain’t gona happen, so we are fucked. Or maybe one day we will turn into volcans and and and… ok nm more dreams.

Therefore, since labels don’t always coinicide with the truth, and since everyone, even modern nations, often resort to terror tactics, it becomes even more important to consider the moral aspects of each situation, and to make our judgments on the facts of the matter, and not on preconceived notions or labels.

Ultimately, when you want to judge whether or not to fight, you have to consider, among other things, two important factors: What are the ultimate aims of your enemy, and, How likely are they to achieve them. If, for example, their aim is to destroy you and your way of life, and if they are likely to succeed if left to their own devices, then you have no choice but to confront them, even if it requires using terror. That’s where the self-defense argument comes into play. You confron them because you want to save yourself and your way of life, just as they want to do.

So I don’t disagree that otherwise “civilized” nations do use terror. The only justification I would offer is that upon close and fair scrutiny, it becomes apparent that they are confronting terrorist organizations which are hell bent on destroying Western civilization, and that such organizations may well succeed if we don’t confront them.

Only means that you haven’t had real pizza before.

OK. You win. Pizza is better, and a lot kinder to animals. I was only kidding about burgers. Just wanted to get under your skin.

I am an atheist…

How can you be so sure, Jina? If you’re an atheist, you don’t believe in God. But don’t you first have to know what God is, in order to say you don’t believe in Him, or for that matter, to say that you do believe in Him? But no one really knows who or what God is. We make things up about Him, and then conclude whether or not we believe in that version of Him, the version we just made up. So, for example, we can say that God is “all knowing,” and then say we don’t believe in that.

In short, since the nature of God is an unknown, then when we say we believe or don’t believe in Him, we’re really saying we do or don’t believe in the commonly made up version of Him that we’ve grown accustomed to. But since God is an unknown commodity, we can certainly come up with a version of Him which is hard to refute, even by an atheist.

For example, if we say that God is The Big Bang, for example, we could believe in that version of God, even if we don’t believe in the more conventional versions of Him. And if you ask me, The Big Bang probably comes closer to what God is all about than some of the other notions we have of Him.

Imagine, some 13.7 billion years ago there was nothing, not even time or space. And then, in an instant, there was a huge explosion, and all of a sudden, there was everything, the entire universe in all its glory. The creative energy that made that happen is certainly worthy of the name God. His energy flows through me, and mine through Him. God is the sum total of all the creative energy in the universe. That is a version of Him that may even appeal to you, Jina.

Iranian government can act like hawks but they are not stupid.

Stupidity has nothing to do with it, Jina. They are believers. And if you believe in something strongly enough, it will override your common sense, and you will act in a way that defies logic and rationality. An Iranian leader once quipped that losing half the population would be worth it, if Israel could be destroyed in the process. I don’t think he was kidding. Or more accurately, I think that under the right circumstances, a man like him could be pushed to make the fateful decision to push the button. What doesn’t make sense now, could begin to make “sense” in the heat of the moment, especially when you believe that God is on your side.

Learn from the mistakes of our forefathers, violence is a bandaid solution. Negotiation and understanding will be the permanent solution.

Very true, Jina. Don’t tell me you’re starting to get wise in your old age.

The question though is how do we move away from an inclination toward violence. My solution, as you know, is to sell one another on a Vision of Hope. I don’t really see an alternative. And if we don’t get cracking soon, then you’re right to think that

…it will be my generation and the generations to come that will pay for the ignorance of the current ruling generation.

So why not pick up the slack, and make something happen along these lines?