07-28-2002, 03:36 AM
Terrorism as a philosophy is growing at an alarming rate. And believe it or not, the future survival of our species may well depend on to what degree nations and/or individuals embrace or reject this philosophy.
Why? Because one thing is certain: as technology moves forward, the power to wield greater and greater destructive powers will increase, both in the hands of governments AND in the hands of individuals. The potential threats from certain governments are real but may ultimately be more manageable than the threats posed by individuals or small groups. How so? Well, if individuals ever come to possess miniaturized weapons of great destructive powers (and we almost surely will, given technology's unyielding forward march), our survival as a species may well HINGE on not having too many loonies running about who embrace the nihilistic, violent, destructive philosophies of terrorism. Imagine a McVeigh or disgruntled postal employee or an irate Muslim cleric, who possesses not a truckload of explosives, but something of greater power which is far more concealable and transportable. The eventual advances of technology cannot be stopped. Guns may be small potatoes compared to the next generations of hand-held, small weapons or briefcase bombs. It's just a matter of time and we don't know how soon.
Therefore it is incumbent on the world's sane population to stem this movement towards terrorism. Already a large and entrenched religious/ideological cult has sprung up around it. We are looking down a tunnel with a distant freight train fast approaching. There is yet time to act but this may well become the greatest threat our human species will ever face.
For these reasons, I believe that the growing acceptance terrorism is gaining in the world today is a trend with hidden dangers far greater than those which may be immediately present or apparent. The embracement of terrorism as acceptable ideology by so many is an extremely dangerous development at this time in history, because in the future, the embracement of terrorism by merely a few will pose enormous dangers. Trends once started have a way of taking hold and flourishing, and this one has already taken strong hold and has been growing rapidly.
Why? Because one thing is certain: as technology moves forward, the power to wield greater and greater destructive powers will increase, both in the hands of governments AND in the hands of individuals. The potential threats from certain governments are real but may ultimately be more manageable than the threats posed by individuals or small groups. How so? Well, if individuals ever come to possess miniaturized weapons of great destructive powers (and we almost surely will, given technology's unyielding forward march), our survival as a species may well HINGE on not having too many loonies running about who embrace the nihilistic, violent, destructive philosophies of terrorism. Imagine a McVeigh or disgruntled postal employee or an irate Muslim cleric, who possesses not a truckload of explosives, but something of greater power which is far more concealable and transportable. The eventual advances of technology cannot be stopped. Guns may be small potatoes compared to the next generations of hand-held, small weapons or briefcase bombs. It's just a matter of time and we don't know how soon.
Therefore it is incumbent on the world's sane population to stem this movement towards terrorism. Already a large and entrenched religious/ideological cult has sprung up around it. We are looking down a tunnel with a distant freight train fast approaching. There is yet time to act but this may well become the greatest threat our human species will ever face.
For these reasons, I believe that the growing acceptance terrorism is gaining in the world today is a trend with hidden dangers far greater than those which may be immediately present or apparent. The embracement of terrorism as acceptable ideology by so many is an extremely dangerous development at this time in history, because in the future, the embracement of terrorism by merely a few will pose enormous dangers. Trends once started have a way of taking hold and flourishing, and this one has already taken strong hold and has been growing rapidly.