Why Terrorism Always Fails

I was originally going to video blog about this, but I can't be bothered seeing as my webcam isn't working properly.

The events of the weekend have been interesting, shocking and somewhat pleasing. Interesting to see that terrorist groups are now resorting to more desparate and amatuerish, Iraqi style car bombings to try to create... something. (Fear? Regime change? Foreign policy change? Have we had any demands?) It was shocking to see these people attempting to use such tactics, which - while far less grand in their scale and execution - are in theory much easier to pull off. It was pleasing to see that the first attempted attack was thwarted by the Metropolitan Police and that they bungled the second attempt with their own inability. And got caught, even while on fire.

To those that wish to seek war with the West and any free thinking nation or free thinking person: Let your mujahideen come and bring all the war mongering Allah you can muster. Because your barbarism, hatred and sense of inate oppression will break against the resolve of the free like water over rock.

Terrorism does not work. It fails in moreorless everything it attempts to do. The only thing it really succeeds in is creating fear, but even that is often washed aside as a more patriotic and steel willed resolve develops throughout the people who are under attack. There is not one instance in the history of human civilisation where terrorist activities alone have bought about a change in government policy (domestic or foreign), a change in the people or a change in the way a nation has been run. In every instance it has failed in its goal of trying to instigate change through the threat of violence. The times when it could be argued that it has succeeded have been times when the people of a nation have been disatisfied with their Government and its policies and have been actively seeking change.

The simple reason is that people do not like being attacked. When they are, especially when it is due to their way of life or their belief system, the only thing the attackers do is strengthen the determination of their targets in their belief that their way of life is just, their beliefs are true and their cause is noble. It does not even lead them to consider that they should change their way of life because of the threat. And thus, terrorism fails in its goal.

Apparently, we are in a war. East versus West. Islam versus Christendom. If these "warriros" want to war, then they should fight soldiers. They kill innocent people in their own land because they are an easier and more high peofile "shock" target than a soldier. Soldiers are paid to fight, civilians are not. Their get out clause to justify their actions is "You supported this war"/"You elected this regime". They conveniently ignore that many people did not support the Iraq war or the invasion of Afghanistan. They use weak rhetoric and logic to justify their cowardly acts.

But it does not matter. The United Kingdom has seen worse than this current threat. In fact, in the past thousand years, the Union has seen an invasion by the French Anglo Saxons, numerous attempted invasions from France, World War I, World War II and the IRA. The people of Great Britain have seen worse than the al-Qaeda and its cronies. They were not brow beaten by the threats of the IRA, and will not be brow beaten by the numerous foiled/bungled terror attacks by the current Middle Eastern problem.

I am no patriot. I am no nationalist. But I believe that people should be free and have the right to live however they choose, provided they harm no one else or impose their lifestyle choices on others. Britian allows this. Britain encourages this. And the people of this nation believe in this. That is why terrorism will fail.