Who's who in Hamas
I found this who's who of Hamas via OxBlog. I highly recommend checking it out, especially given that Hamas has undergone a massive change in leadership due to Israel's assassinations of Hamas leadership in 2004 (which gave rise to this awesome Onion point-counter-point).
The most striking thing was to see that nearly every leader is well educated. A couple are teachers. One is even a surgeon! Yet further evidence against the frequently pushed hypothesis that poverty is the root cause of terrorism (which was well discussed here and here)
-Mr. Alec
posted by Alec Brandon @ 7:59 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
So is the message we take from this "Terrorism wins?"
If you're looking for evidence that poverty is not the root cause of terrorism, don't look to the leadership of any one terrorist organization. The way in which poverty relates to terrorism is that when terrorists can ameliorate the problems of poverty-ridden populations,people will tolerate their presence. Afghanis didn't love Osama bin Laden, but they loved the hospitals he built and the money he poured into the Taliban government. He did similar things during his stay in Sudan. And, of course, Hamas has effectively instituted various social programs, which have probably done more to help the ailing economy than Fatah's corrupt governance. If you were an unemployed Palestinian, with a family that needs healthcare, schooling, and food on the table, who would you vote for?
Stecker,
But the Afghani's were not terrorists, nor is the Palestiniant citizen (and also, it is easy to forget that the Taliban was not a terrorist organization). Your argument seems to indicate that terrorists can win over the public by giving them what they need to subsist. I was not disputing that argument.
I was attacking the idea that poverty gives rise to terrorists, which given the leadership of nearly every terrorist organization, that just doesn't seem to be the case. Muhammad Atta was not prevented from gaining any opportunities as he grew up the son of Lawyers, Osama Bin Laden certainly had a good go at it in Saudi Arabia where his familly is basically royalty. On top of that, we can look at the Hamas leaders who don't seem to have lacked opportunities before they turned to extremism.
Now terrorism might become societally accepted when the people it is done for are poor, but I don't think that is what gives rise to the terrorism in the first place (though it might).
--
Deuce,
I think one of the possible messages is that, yes, terrorism does work. I am reminded of the Simpsons episode where Bart starts working for the mafia in Springfield. They are all indicted and they try to play Bart as the chief of the whole setup. In the end of the episode the mobsters end up getting off and the leader of the mob and Bart have a moment where Bart says that he realizes that crime doesn't pay. The mobster agrees as he gets into his limo with a glass of champagne and three beautiful women. (I didn't get that precisely correct, but those who have a better memory for these things know what I am shooting at).
It shouldn't come as a surprise that terrorism works. Why else would it be done so frequently if not for its track record of success.
-Mr. Alec
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