Cobb

Why does the idea of "cause and effect" come to mind? Maybe it's because historical evidence very often points in that direction.

Recent history perhaps, but what about ancient history? How did barbarians live when they didn't even know about great kingdoms in faraway lands?

People have to be able to create their own order, stability and growth, otherwise everything they do is theft. What I think we are witnessing is the manifest inability for people grouped together to assume the responsibilities of leadership. If you cannot manage to keep your armed forces from committing atrocities - when it becomes your primary military strength, you have only demonstrated and proven your inability to be a nation. You are a tribe, a gang.

How do we keep tribes at arms distance in a world of nations? We either isolate, colonize or integrate. Either way tribal leaders don't get a chance.

North Korea understands this, that's why they keep the walls up. They know that they are irresponsible to their people in the modern world. They cannot sustain their command over them without force. That's why the country will leak and/or collapse.

If cause and effect is global, then the greatest responsibility falls to the greatest powers. This is why I'm a neocon, an imperialist. The big nations with the big armies are not going to put up with the stabs of terrorism forever. Mark my words. These tinpot dictators are going to go one of two ways. Kaddaffi's way, or Saddam's way.

The only middle ground is South American narco-economies. But that's really integration.

I agree that these groups have to create their own order, stability and growth while resolving whatever grievance they may have, otherwise, the dance of death and destruction will continue.

I was mainly addressing why I think the new barbaria has emerged. History (both ancient and modern) is replete with patterns of violence, tyranny, bloody coups and man's inhumanity and extreme harshness to his fellow man. Consider if you will, that such occurrences may in the long term, give rise to groups with bitter hostility and long lasting grudges. Do we dismiss the idea that the problem may be rooted to past events? I think not. The concept of cause and effect presupposes that even if we succeed in getting rid of these offending groups and/or their leaders the root of the problem remains and may one day rise again.

As a realist, I share some of your neo-con views. But I also believe that history teaches us many great lessons. When the best minds decide on how to repel the onslaught of this new barbarism (as you suggest), surely, cause and effect will have to be a part of the discussion. As G. W. F. Hegel once said, "What experience and history teach is this - that people and governments never have learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.