[ExI] [extropy-chat] War and technological progress

[Keith Henson]

At 07:43 AM 5/3/2007 -0700, you wrote:
>Keith writes
>
> > At 11:25 PM 5/1/2007 -0700, Lee wrote:
> >
> >>And if the West were to stop exporting filth around the world, stop
> >>corrupting the Muslim youth with everything from clothing styles to
> >>bad attitudes, tendentious movies, acceptance of homosexuality,
> >>defiance of parents, and so on and on, and also were to
> >>become pure isolationists, stop being on Israel's side, profusely
> >>apologize for placing troops on the Sacred Soil of Saudi Arabia
> >>to repel aggression in Kuwait, etc., yes, Al Qaeda might very well
> >>turn its attention elsewhere.
> >
> > EP theory says no.  There is nothing that the Western countries can do 
> that
> > will keep them from being targets of attacks by Al Qaeda.  The drive comes
> > from the local situation.
>
>What do you mean, "the local situation"?  We need to make sure that
>you would not have said the same thing in WWII along the lines of
>"The Americans will never stop attacking the Japanese, no matter
>how much the Japs surrender. EP says that the drive to wipe 'em
>out comes from the local situation."
>
>Please explain, thanks.

The problem which leads to western countries being targets is one we 
*can't* fix.  Mapped to the EEA we are "neighbors" and rich neighbors at 
that.  As long as a good fraction of the Islamic population sees bleak 
prospects, then circulating xenophobic memes will excite the fringe 
warriors to do and/or die efforts.

Bummer.

Keith