Christopher et al,
Late picking up email today so I've read the other
mailings and may refer to some here but wanted
to reply to some of Christopher's points of disagreement.
><snip>
>terrorists are almost without exception young males with no foreseeable
>goals [Geraldine M]
><snip>
C. wrote:
>I don't think either characterisation is correct.
>
>Fusako Shigenobu (arrested November 2000), who led the Japanese Red Army
>(aircraft hijackings, Lod airport massacre et al)? Ulrike Meinhof? The
women
>suicide bombers in the (Tamil) Black Tigers? Bluntly, the testosterone
>explanation may be no more sophisticated than Mr Berlusconi's and for very
>similar reasons.
I must say I find this a trifle ingenious. Your list proves that they
are the exception to the rule, its like rhyming off female prime
ministers or state leaders- there have been some but hell if you
drew up a list of each it would be a little lop-sided to say the
least - and yes I know I know female leaders don't equal
sweetness and light - but that's often why they are allowed to
rule! Shit this is basic stuff ain't it?
But the statement about young males
forming the bulk of violent acts or 'terrorism' isn't something
I've just made up out of some gender agenda its an
overwhelmingly truth staring us in face and backed up by
studies and statistical evidence (As if we really needed
to be told). So don't take issue with me take issue with Mr War
Studies who said exactly that on Channel 4 news the other night.
But how can any problem be tackled if people like yourself refuse
to even acknowledge basic facts. I'd throw in the towel in despair
right now but as war is no longer fought on the battle field but in the
indiscriminate market place women & children are often more prone
to be victims than men (note the woman/child ratio of deaths in
the Omagh bombing). And please note I say 'often' not 'always'.
I could well be statistically wrong on this one. I don't care.
I know innocent men die too - I care about that.
Like it or not we are all enlisted in wars now and some of us want
to know why and with whom and if identifying an age group and sex
is a start then for god's sake let's start. This whole matter is
too serious to score gender points which I certainly wasn't doing
but to have to qualify such a simple statement of truth as this
with the equally true statement that the overwhelming majority of
men aren't terrorists and the world has had some spectacularly
violent women.. well it's is depressing that your needs should
hanker after such salve. To have my comments aligned with
the fatuous comments of Berlussconi's is a downright insult.
>As to 'no foreseeable goals', isn't that just the 'mindless violence' topos
>employed by successive British Home Secretaries and other minor
>functionaries?
Of course it isn't - and once again thanks for the slight - with such a
mind like mine it's a wonder I became a poet at all when such
a career in politics no doubt awaited me. It is possible I didn't quite
explain myself in my original letter. I didn't say the 'terrorists' had
no foreseeable goal - their goals are so foreseeable they keep us
all awake at night wondering how and where they are going
to try and achieve them next.
My question was what do we do about disaffected young men
who have NO goals in life? It has always struck me as a total
farce that the summer 'race riots' in our northern cities were
so-called. These are riots by disaffected young white and
Asian males who have no prospects of good, or at least,
satisfying jobs etc. They are not riots by white and Asian
shop-keepers, landlords, doctors of the male sex and they
are not, dare I say it, by women (oh god I'm sure one
bloody women got in there just so you can happily throw
this whole argument out). But these lads aren't fighting
about Gods (what a funny thought!) or even wealth (otherwise
they'd be bricking the posh end of town not their own damned
streets and shops) they're fighting for the frisson for the hell of
it. It's tribal. It's yer Mods and Rockers. Of course there is
racial tension on the sink estates because when you're
miserable its good to be able to blame somebody. But a
feel-good grumble is not a tribal fight on a Friday night
and a tribal fight is not a race riot and a race riot is not
a jihad - but people start to believe what the read and
for all us who live in northern cities - well - plant the jihad
idea in their young minds and we're all up
shit creek...the war comes home about 10 yards down
my street.
So, the violence
emanates almost predominately from young males so
my question was 'What do young men want?'
When all these Rebels without a Cause or a Clue
finally get one l'd like to know it didn't include blowing
me to kingdom come but of course it might.
I'm well aware of the political cess pool which led up to
the bombing of New York but we really do need to
understand the kind of psyche that can do that and
that and that ...list of world atrocities...and... too many
ands for a mailbase letter...but my almost final and is
I'm seriously worried about Tony Blair who seems
to think he is the Second Coming of Christ at the
moment.
(in Britain, at any
>rate) still struggles with the idea that Afghanistan isn't really a nation
>state and that one of the initial effects of the Taleban was to reduce the
>incidence of urban rape.
Reducing rape by imprisoning women! And all the Afghan women
cried 'Gee, thanks boys'. It's like having yer fucking head cut off to
get rid of a toothache. Sorry but this really really narked me.
Check out some of the excellent websites by and for Afghan
women: their fight and their plight. It makes for sobering and
at times inspiring reading.
>
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