Cause and Effect of War and Terrorism

Dealing with the Cause or the Effects of War and Terrorism.
 
The most recent act of terrorism in France received world attention.  Finding those responsible continues.  Trying to find people who are not afraid to die and actually seek death is no easy task.  We know that many war heroes were those who didn’t fear death and performed acts considered brave only to learn that they had a death wish.  France fears new attacks using chemical weapons.  In my book, “They Plotted Revenge Against America” I used a virus as a weapon.  Identifying people carrying weapons or wearing explosive vests is easier than defending against invisible weapons.
 
We tend to deal with the effects and not the cause.  One could make an analogy with medicine.  Dealing with the effects of a disease instead of the cause is common.  Blasting cancer with radiation is usual.  Killing off good cells in the process is much like the term “collateral damage”.  With terrorism many want to bomb the hell out of the perpetrators and killing innocents is considered collateral damage and acceptable to many.  When it happens to oneself or relatives, attitudes change.
The cause of modern-day terrorism has its roots in religion and political issues.  Terrorism dates back to antiquity.  Modern-day examples easily recognized include the IRA, the PLO and the IDL.  In these three examples, politics and religion played a major role.  Although we have historical examples to examine, we ignore the cause and repeat the mistakes.
 
“Nip it in the Bud” was a cliché used by Don Knotts with his role as Barney Fife in Mayberry RFD.  It may be an old cliché, but there is much validity in it.  Fire prevention is good.  Preventive Medicine is also good, however that doesn’t seem to apply to world events.  Putting out fires is costly both financially and with human life.
 
The situation in Syria is the most recent dilemma that has world leaders scratching their heads for a solution.  Bombing the hell out of cities hoping to hit the right target is causing much damage, loss of life and little to stop the menace.  If the problem is Assad, why not deal with that?  We know the cause of the Israeli-Palestinian problem.  It is a problem existing since the establishment of Israel in 1948 and then exacerbated by the Israelis taking more land.  There are a few world leaders that point to Israel as the cause for today’s terrorism and they have valid reasons for those claims.  Instead of dealing with the root of the problem, we are dealing with the effects.  Unless/until the root cause is resolved, terrorism will continue.  There is much more I could add to this issue, but most already know the problem and choose to ignore it.  There is a solution, but no one has had the courage to take the necessary action. Cause and effect, Action and reaction continue.  The invasion of Iraq, IMV, will prove to be the worst action ever taken by the US.  One can follow the chain of events subsequent to the invasion.  Supporting terrorist regimes is nothing new.  Repeating mistakes hoping that one will get lucky is rather stupid.