A recent op-ed article by Nobel Prizewinning economist Paul Krugman pointed out something that few of us have given much thought to: the ultimate goal of the ISIS movement, or for that matter the Al Qaida and other Jihadist groups. Can it be that they plan to rule the globe? Do they want to wipe out religions that do not conform to their beliefs? Do they want to plunder, rape, rob, destroy all that civilization has thus far built? Although the movement (if it can be called that) has certainly made its impact, realistically they have to weigh the impossibility and implausibility of such a task. Go back through history and you will see what I mean. Conquering nations, conquering movements, conquering heroes, invariably collapse for no other reason than because of the people they attempt to subjugate. For them life goes on. Homes are rebuilt, roads repaired, schools open, public transit resumes, shopping, sports and entertainment re-enter the scene as though the bombings, mass killings and destruction never occurred. I witnessed this myself when I returned to a once devastated Japan less than 20 years after the end of World War II. It seemed as if a genie had emerged from its lamp, waved a magic wand and normalcy to all outward appearances never left. What reason can we attribute to this phenomenon? The people simply resumed their routine existence.
Yes the western world is under siege right now, mostly by a young, inexperienced, unseasoned group or religious sect yet to take heed of the lessons of history. They lack respect for centuries of established ways of life, for civil discourse, for advancements in science and achievements in mechanized operations, in institutions of learning. They are the inevitable result of growing up in an uneven world where enormous wealth, power and privilege lives side by side with grinding poverty and deprivation. And they are influenced by false prophets who preach their brand of ideology, encouraged to strike out and destroy all that fails to conform to those idols. Their goal is to instill fear and panic among those who they perceive as their enemy.
As Mr. Krugman pointed out, panic is exactly what the Jihadists want to see. The panic that causes us to go to yet another war, that causes us to refuse sanctuary those unfortunates fleeing their homes in search of a better life for themselves and their families, and to demean an established religion. We should not repeat our actions during World War II when thousands of Japanese-Americans were incarcerated for no reason other than their ethnic background, especially because accusations of treachery were disproved, and the vast majority turned out to be loyal citizens.
Yes we must deal with this dastardly movement, we must punish those who would torture, humiliate, kill. Wherever they attack, they must be caught and punished severely. We must hold them accountable, hold them up as an example of what we can do when sufficiently provoked. But first cool heads need to prevail. Above all we must not panic.
Lucille Apcar
Mariposa, CA.
