This question was raised in an editorial I didn’t have time to finish reading while we were at breakfast. And I think it’s the crux of much of the internal debate here in the US. Is terrorism — the Black Tuesday branch in particular — a problem in and of itself, such that it needs to be attacked and suppressed in some fashion? Or is it a symptom, a sign of more systemic problems that must be be addressed and dealt with if we ever hope to have peace?
In typical black and white fashion, the battle lines of domestic rhetoric are drawn up at either extreme. And, of course, looked at from either extreme, the other side is clearly, funadmentally misunderstanding the situation and pursuing a course that can only lead to further tragedy and bloodshed.
Me? In typical media res (Latin for “wishy-washy”) fashion, I answer the titular question with a resounding … “Yes.”
Terrorism springs from roots. It is, indeed, a symptom. Folks on that side of the fence have already published long laundry-lists of sins of commission and omission by the West in general, and the US in particular, so I don’t have to repeat them. The fact is, though, these systemic problems need to be addressed, or taking out bin Laden will do very little aside from serve as revenge.
On the other hand, Rome wasn’t built (or torn down) in a day. These systemic problems will be years, decades in addressing. To take care of them quickly would require the sort of massive American intervention to establish a just Pax Americana that the “symptom” camp abhors. Reform of Middle Eastern governments, resolution of the Israel/Palestine problem, the warping effect of world oil dependency ont he Middle East — all of these will take time and effort.
In the meantime, though, we can’t sit around and wait for the terrorists to get tired of bombing, shooting, and killing people.
A high fever is a symptom. If you just treat the symptom, you aren’t treating the underlying disease, which may well get worse and kill you with interesting new symptoms.
On the other hand, if you ignore that 105F temperature, focusing instead on a long-term regimen to defeat the disease, you’re likely to die from seizures and other damage from the symptoms before the disease can be cured.
So when you check into the hospital with a 105F temp, the docs will first work to knock that symptom down, because it’s the most clear and present danger. Then they try to figure out what’s causing it, and how to keep it from coming back.
A holistic approach. Treat the symptoms and treat the problems underlying them.
It seems pretty straightforward to me. Unfortunately, there seem to be already too many rhetorical battle lines drawn to hope that such a sensible approach will ever be fully adopted. Pity, that. The patient would certainly appreciate it.