Blair: Poverty, Extremism Cause Terrorism

[DoYouEverWonder]

July 9, 2005

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday it is crucial to address terrorism's underlying causes, which he identified as deprivation, lack of democracy and ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Thursday's bomb attacks on London demonstrate the pressing need for world leaders to tackle problems like poverty, he told British Broadcasting Corp. radio. He said leaders had taken on some of those issues at the G-8 summit of the world's wealthy nations in Scotland this week.

<snip>

"Ultimately what we now know, if we didn't before, is that where there is extremism, fanaticism or acute and appalling forms of poverty in one continent, the conseqences no longer stay fixed in that continent," Blair said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-bombings-blair,0,6948490.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

Gee Tony, George keeps telling us its because they hate us for our freedoms? Oh well, at least Tony is starting to get it.

[Melsky]

1. That's a good start Tony

What I think they really want is for us to stop bombing their countries and taking their oil.

[lvx35]

2. Well said Tony!

Now there is a tune I can sing along with. I hope he keeps it up!

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Here's a clip from an interview in this weeks Time Magazine

that was done before the attacks. It reminded me of the old Tony Blair who had a brain at one time and knew how to use it.

10 Questions for Tony Blair

Jul. 03, 2005

N CREATING THE G-8 AGENDA, WERE YOU FOCUSING ON AREAS IN WHICH YOU DISAGREE WITH PRESIDENT BUSH TO OFFSET THE POLITICAL TROUBLES YOU'VE FACED FOR BEING HIS ALLY IN IRAQ?

No, it's not that. We have rightly taken tough action on terrorism, in favor of our own security. But it's also important that we act on the long-term problems that can give rise to the issues of terrorism and security.

DOES THE PRESIDENT OWE YOU ANYTHING FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN IRAQ THAT HE MIGHT REPAY WITH ASSISTANCE TO AFRICA?

That isn't the right way to look at it. What the President should do is what's right for America and the world. Africa is the only continent in the world that's gone backwards in the last 30 years. I find it morally disgusting that thousands of people die every year from killer diseases we can do something about. But this is a continent where if we don't take action, we're going to store up a lot of problems for ourselves in the future.

more...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1079478,00.html

[Wetzelbill]

3. I've been waiting for him to come around

Blair could've been great, what a waste of talent he turned out to be. He can still capture some of that promise though.

[ElectroPrincess]

4. I guess the kibble and biskets Bush-Co has been feeding

the poodle lately have grown stale. Hum, Tony you could have stopped this invasion?!?

But thank Heavens for small favors. Let's hope that our Brit. cousins decide to diverge from Bush-Co, PNAC and Carlyle's Foreign Policy to spread Democracy (Empire!).

I hope this is a trend with Blair, i.e., common sense.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I can't argue with that

What a pleasant surprise. :)

[CJCRANE]

7. It's not caused by poverty it's caused by violence.

The terrorist attacks are a form of retaliation.

It just amazes me that time after time that left-wingers look at the evidence, make a prediction and are proved right, yet the RW apologists keep coming out with circular logic.

Liberals said - no WMD in Iraq - they were correct.
Liberals said - Iraq will not be a cakewalk - they were correct.
Liberals said - Saddam's capture won't make the world safer. Correct.
Liberals said - invading Iraq will cause blowback and increase possibility of terrorism in coalition countries - and we were correct.

How many times does the RW have to lie and the left-wing get it right before people listen to us?

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. So what makes otherwise sane people

resort to violence and do things like become suicide bombers?

[CJCRANE]

11. Poverty plays a part

in the Israeli/Palestine struggle but I think that retaliation is the primary motivator (don't forget that the 9/11 hijackers were middle-class students). Violence begets violence. It's a vicious circle which leads to things like Bush's circular logic in saying that the troops have to stay in Iraq because of all the terrorism (which was ironically caused by the invasion and occupation).

on edit: altho I don't think 9/11 is a typical example of this kind of terrorism, I think there were a lot of other factors behind the scenes.

[bklyncowgirl]

9. Anyone who opposed them were vilified for their views

The weapons inspectors and other experts who questioned the existence of WMDs were called naive interlopers and dragged through the right wing attack machine in the worst possible way.

Generals and intelligence officials who urged caution and the need to go in with overwhelming force if an invasion were to take place were reassigned or ushered into early retirement.

The sanity of anyone who failed to join in the euphoria at the capture of Saddam Hussein was immediately questioned--this may have cost Dean the nomination.

All of these people were right. The administration and their supporters were wrong.

[sweetheart]

10. It is caused by armed occupation and the drugs war

Studies have shown that armed occupation is the principal cause
of terrorism and suicide bombings. Figures tony blair would
leave out that one in his moralising.

There is also a gross failure on their part to recognize the millions
who are terrorized by their drugs laws.

[Disturbed]

12. Hmm... could the West's Empirialism and

support of brutal regimes factor in?

[TahitiNut]

13. "Terrorism" is a reactive strategy adopted in asymmetrical conflict.

Terrorism is a political strategy, not a military strategy. (Dresden was political, as was the fire-bombing of Tokyo.)

If (economically and politically) oppressed people had armies, air forces, and fleets of naval forces they'd probably not use "terrorism". (They probably wouldn't be oppressed, either.)

As a political strategy, terrorism is aimed at democratic nations under whose umbrellas of force oppression and exploitation is waged. Also as a political strategy, it is aimed at military support personnel, civilian political leadership, and civilians generally engaged in economic support activities related to the perceived oppression and exploitation.

Also as a political strategy, terrorism is employed against a selected spectrum of target classes - ranging from the "soft underbelly" of actual force projection (military barracks, etc.) to children (the Russian school hostage/slaughter) depending on the political ideology of the reactive group.

Al Qaeda has not yet demonstrated a willingness to attack families and children engaged in purely recreational or charitable activities. The attacks in London targeted the white collar working commuter class and were somewhat focused in corporate/governmental venues. (The WTC, of course, was the white collar "ownership class" support structure.) It should be noticed (not as exoneration) that the London bombings didn't target Live-8!


Here's the most important point: Terrorism is NOT, by itself, an offensive strategy. No sponsor of terrorism can reasonably have a goal of conquest or usurpation unless coupled with other strategies (e.g. Viet Nam). It is solely effective in causing a far larger and more powerful nation to back off or retreat. Its impact is on the willingness of a nation to assist or pursue goals of exploitation of weaker nations.

[bemildred]

14. Yeah, more horseshit from Tony.

"Cover your ass boy, cover your ass."

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. He just trying to save what's left

of his retched soul.

[Barkley]

15. Poverty causes terrorism!?!? OBL ain't poor! Occupation causes terrorism

Africa has the acutest form of poverty in the world but its not the source of terrorism.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere but Haitians aren't terrorists.

We've had poverty long before 9-11, Madrid or London.

Similary, fundamentalists of all stripes have been around for generations. Our occupation has given them a cause.

[0007]

17. Occupation does cause terrorism, why can't the world see

the problem as it is, instead of drinking blair & junior's cool aid?

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. Same thing with the concept of sending massive amounts of aid

to Africa. If we would just stop stealing all of Africa's resources and supporting brutal dictators who let us do what we want, Africa wouldn't need foreign aid.