Terrorism is a weapon of the weak. It aims to maim and to kill, but above all it seeks to provoke a more powerful opponent. A madman with a gun on Parliament Hill, conspirators dreaming of blowing up a bridge, a lunatic turning a car into a weapon – these can take life, but they are not an existential threat to Canada. They cannot destroy democracy, the rule of law or our rights and freedoms. They cannot overthrow the Canadian government. By themselves, they cannot accomplish much beyond murder. To gain recruits, to advance their cause and to leave behind anything other than death, they need our help.
Terrorism is a tactic. It is a judo move, in which the weaker party’s only hope is to use his opponent’s strength against him. And compared with a lone-wolf terrorist, or even organized groups, Canadian society is infinitely stronger. Of course we have to guard against the possibility of terrorism. Of course we have to act against it. But in acting, we should not fight as our opponent would wish us to fight. We should instead play to our strengths and advantages.
What do terrorists want? Millenarian death cults and the small numbers of disaffected and confused young men who have grabbed onto them imagine a global war between West and East, Islam and Christendom, believers and infidels. It is the world as they see it, but also the world they hope to bring about.
No comments:
Post a Comment