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Pubdate: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 Source: Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (FL) Copyright: 2001 Sun-Sentinel Company Contact: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159 Author: Allan Barsky WAR ON DRUGS A CLOSER FIT Since the tragic events at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, many have suggested that the situation is analogous to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and that American resolve and military force can be used to defeat the enemy. In fact, the war on terrorism may be more analogous to the war on drugs. When Japan attacked, we knew the enemy. The enemy had definable land, government, population and property. When terrorists attack, the enemy is amorphous. Terrorists are not tied to a single country or government, and they are not a homogeneous group. Similar to the war on drugs, the war on terrorism is rooted in good intentions. But the mentality of war to deal with the problem is destined to failure. We can try to eradicate terrorism by trying to secure our borders, increasing security at airports and pouring resources into domestic police enforcement. In the war on drugs, these types of strategies have deterred some drug activity, but the war rages on. We can try to deter terrorists by retaliating against terrorists and those who harbor or support them by imposing the highest forms of punishment and retribution. In the war on drugs, higher penalties and longer prison sentences have not vanquished drug dealers. The lesson from the war on drugs is that terrorism, like drug abuse, is a complex social problem that requires complex solutions. A law and order, war and retribution strategy is not sufficient. We must try to understand the causes of terrorism and gear our strategies to deal with the underlying causes. We should not simply discount suicide attackers as fanatics. In some instances, people contemplating terrorist activities represent a just cause, though their tactics are completely unjust. In those instances, the best prevention is to promote social justice throughout the world. We cannot ignore oppression, hunger and other social ills in other parts of the world, just because it is from outside America. Consider how desperate one must be to be willing to commit suicide for a cause. In other instances, people have been indoctrinated with hate and raised to commit terrorist activities. We -- all nations -- must challenge those who teach hate and ensure that future generations are raised with more positive values. With hate-mongering groups such as Hamas or the Taliban responsible for the schooling of children, it should be no surprise that we are seeing more extremism and violence in certain parts of the world. The problem is not religion, as such, but the misuse of religion to promote hate and violence. All religions must take responsibility for bringing their extremist elements back to the true roots and tenets. This is the information age, and information is certainly another element of the solution. We need to ensure that people throughout the world have access to information -- information about democracy, peace and social justice. This means education, literacy and access to computers and other forms of media. Why do Palestinians and Iraqis cheer when America is attacked? What have they learned and what are they being told about Americans? We need to understand prospective terrorists from their perspectives and develop interventions to deal with their causes. A military response and increased security measures could be part of the solution, but violence could also beget more violence. Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. have taught us the value of nonviolence. We must be ethical in our response. We do not want to drop bombs on some foreign country merely out of anger, to assuage our feelings of vulnerability or to demonstrate our strength. We must have the resolve and compassion to work together with the world community to create peace, security, and social justice for all. Allan Barsky, PhD, is associated with the Florida Atlantic University School of Social Work, Boca Raton. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens