Well, Steve, I must point out that international socialism failed to stop World War I. The social democrats and others attempted to call for strikes, rather than to have workers killing workers for the profits of capitalist arms manufacturers. But they failed. On the other hand, Mussolini, other national socialists and other right wing syndicalists urged their publics to support nationalism and patriotism for the Great War. For the true socialist, the only war that matters is the class war. I agree with you 100% that Bernie Sanders advocates for domestic policies that engage that class war against the true producers of wealth. But that was not the topic. Unlike 400 Republicans and Democrats, and like a few of them such as Ron Paul, he refused to vote for war (overseas). Criminology wrings its hands and furrows its brow over the causes of crime. Jihadis are just another kind of criminal. There is a theory called "Techniques of Neutralization" that was worked out for explaining juvenile delinquents. You probably know it from your studies for counseling. I found that the excuses offered by youngsters are actually found, also, in social resistance movements, such as the Civil Rights struggles. Whether those who break the law by civil disobedience in the name of a higher good are in the same league as neighborhood toughs and Islamist militants is a salient question. Denial of Responsibility - Delinquent: It was an accident; We didn't mean for it to go that far; Some other dude did it - Jihadi: We are forced to react to the Crusaders and Zionists. We would not do this if you were not evil.
Denial of Injury - Delinquent: We only broke a window; I only stole a bag of potato chips - Jihadi: It is nothing compared to what Israel has done; It is nothing compared to the sins of the Great Satan.
Denial of the Victim - Delinquent: The old man had it coming; The other gang was in our turf - Jihadi: the apostates deserve this.
Condemnation of the Condemners - Delinquent: Everyone knows the cops are crooked. Jihadi: Israel stole Palestine. Americans are decadent.
Appeal to Higher Loyalties - Delinquent: I won't rat out the gang. Jihadi: Allah commands this. While the social context of crime cannot be ignored, crime is the choice of an individual who has chosen not to think. I agree with my comrades on the left that the fact that 20% of Black youth have primary contact with the criminal justice system is a consequence of racism. I also point out with less success that 80% of Black youth do not have primary contact with the criminal justice system. Racism, while real, is too easy an excuse for the refusal to think. Guns are loaded with blank-outs. It is why I volunteered at my age to serve in the Texas State Guard. (I can serve until I am 70. In Vermont, they serve until 80. We all live better longer now. And the US Army took my brother-in-law at 50 when his National Guard unit was activated to Iraq. He was not the only grandfather there.) We are not issued weapons and we cannot be sent overseas. We are Texans serving Texans. Like the roadway engineers in a Heinlein story we are organized along military lines for very clear and compelling reasons. Moreover, we are not the only unarmed military. (See "Armies without Weapons" on my blog.) That said, my volunteering to wear a uniform places me in two special contexts. A while back, Steve, I cited a criminology professor who was also a veteran, who wrote an essay on the morality of uniforms. Special garb sends a special message. We put ourselves at risk to bring others to safety. Truly, the risks are asymmetrical. You would be hardpressed to jump out of an airplane, even with a parachute. Paratroopers learn to do it routinely. My unit - though not me personally - practices swift water rescue. Would you dive into a raging stream to save an infant? For you, that would be highly risky. For a SWR team, it is less dangerous. For myself, like all TXSG members, I am prepared to arrive onsite in 6 hours and take care of myself for 72 hours until other help (such as the National Guard) arrives. I am trained to operate a Red Cross Shelter, to manage spontaneous volunteers, and to render adult first aid. Mostly, I operate a computer tracking other people and supplies. The TXSG is a volunteer force with roots in the Texas War for Independence. We pay for our own standardized gear, and we are all paid the same rate, privates to generals, when called to state active duty. Also in the frontier tradition, it would be typical for a lowly enlisted like me to run a computer or a clipboard while four people with officer ranks unload a truck. Every army in the world believes that it can defeat the enemy. In our battle books the "hostile force" is listed as a hurricane. You cannot win; you can only minimize your losses. In the social sphere, I look for non-violent solutions to conflict because peace is more powerful. The TXSG carries out humanitarian missions into the Rio Grande Valley in concert with other state agencies such as Health Services. It allows us to serve under-served communities, to deliver medical care to Texans who otherwise might not get it. In so doing, we practice mass care exercises that are required for other responses such as wildfires, tornados and floods. We also help to keep violent elements from finding fertile ground in the sociological context of the Rio Grande Valley. Another aspect of that is Operation Strong Safety (variously rebranded) which patrols the border region seeking lost asylum seekers, human traffickers, and drug runners. We place and maintain thousands of cameras. Although we are not (necessarily) armed, our Texas Ranger partners always are. So, I will leave you to defend RoR against any anarchists with the temerity to come here. I defend Texas. (Edited by Michael E. Marotta on 6/04, 12:43pm)
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