Radicalisation is not the problem .
The ideas you radicalize are the problem . ( These maybe examples but its the words in their books that you can criticize - not their radicalism )
If you have
- radical peace activists you have nice love ins with no violence expected
- radical secularists you have government keeping us in order - someone has to ?.
- radical materialists you will have constant reminders that only money matters in life
- radical secular materialists think that everyone will be happy if they have enough money and cushions supplied by government .
- radical pragmatists think we should not allow any idealism to enter our heads , we should all do what we like
- radical progressives trust the future to be better whatever the past .
- radical anti Christian says that morality is bunk self justification ; (very closely aligned with reactionary postmodernism which because it reacts to everything that is , doesn't know what is or is not - To be or not to be is not a question - one be's )
Its says that all this stuff around us is just mind games and therefore we shouldn't think at all - just act on our natural feelings. Its a very quiet life because as soon as you say something you could be accused , under your own idealism, of word and value constructing to justify yourself . - radical optimists usually have a good bank balance
- radical christians support much more grace ,love forgiveness and freedom for everyone ,
- radical greens think nature should rule and we should live in caves and eat berries
- radical racists solve all environmental problems by getting rid of the neighbours.
- radical non idealists fit in wherever they like at the time ( read Susan Neiman) They make the false claim that you can still be human even if you do not have ideals. Not sure I have met anyone who really lives that way - simple and appealing idea when you don't want to think ? . .
So where does all that leave most of us?. Its well known that many of us start radical and end up less so - is that a good thing ?
Would the world be a better place if we abandoned idealism - If we saw ourselves as pure pragmatists . Would it say something about intellectual confusion ? If we we were all just nice people , maudlin soft and pliable , forever elastic, if not resilient from home base.
I don't think so .
Let's be really clear about one thing ( the above list is indicative not complete ) . Its not just young people's problem, Older Australians Europeans and Americans have a problem too in particular - they may not be radical enough to resist the ideas they don't like .
Kids just simply do not respect the wishy washy talk that can summarize those who talk radicalization without talking to the substance in each case .
The first question then for the West with radical Islam is why are words about killing not rejected by moderate muslims. Moderates can dismiss radicals as taking the text too far by denying their interpretation of the text just as radical christians will reject the Churches interpretation of the source documents and have done through history ( Jesus , Luther) .
ReplyDeleteThe second and maybe more important question is whether we in the West are confusing oursleves all of a sudden . Somehow instead of recognizing the power of the the words in the manifesto we insert an unidentified manifesto in the the form of a man/men ( brainwashers)when clearly the books are enough to motivate young people by themselves. If we are to win the war and the war of words we must confront the war of words first .
ReplyDeleteRadical christians ( Jesus ,Luther ) reject completely and clearly the political power of religious movements Such movements, with the same name as theirs , tried to kill them . Jesus said " My kingdom is not of the world"; in his actions and counsel - eg Peter he demonstrated that the only power he sought to invoke was on the sidelines - waiting and invisible - very frustrating talk for us when we are desperate but , the sort of power the West once focused on . .
ReplyDeleteThe power of prayer .
ReplyDeleteHassan Aboud ISIS was not primarily religious but became so highlighting that causes for conversion are key issues. The West will not resist conversion of its youth if it fails to listen to them . The same indifference to the economic situation in which they find themselves ( whether sellf induced or sitauational) is one thing . The lack of counsel for wealthy materialist kids who lack any spiritual focus other than $ is another . Realists need to recognise both eco and spirtual needs or they will miss the point (and just offer $) Internal Western cynicism is a danger because a materialist frame is not enough to stave off the desire for big changes.
ReplyDelete