Robin SmithThe Left declares that the growing list of terror attacks is not inspired by religion or commitment to a mindset that's incompatible with freedom but results from joblessness, educational deficiencies and poverty as a whole.
During the Obama administration's Feb. 17-19 Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, ThinkProgress.com reported from the event, "For some time now, the U.S. has deployed a development-driven 'soft power' campaign to undermine the sort of desperation many believe leads to terrorism." The news report continued, "In 2014, Obama announced an expansion of entrepreneurship, education and youth programs, because, he said, 'these investments are the best antidote to violence.'"
This summit, held just days after a gruesome video was released of the beheadings of 21 kidnapped Christians at the hands of Islamic State terrorists on the shores of Libya, held firm to the belief of Obama and the Left.
In the words of then-State Department press secretary Marie Harf, "We cannot win this war by killing them, we cannot kill our way out of this war. We need to go after the root causes that lead people to join these groups ."
Harf only parroted the company line of her boss, Secretary of State John Kerry, who had penned "Our Plan for Countering Violent Extremism" a few days earlier in the Wall Street Journal. He wrote, "The most basic issue is good governance. It may not sound exciting, but it is vital. People who feel that their government will provide for their needs, not just its own, and give them a chance at a better life are far less likely to strap on an AK-47 or a suicide vest, or to aid those who do."
Using leftist thinking, we can suppose that Molenbeek, the municipality of Brussels, Belgium, now identified as Europe's jihadi base, is at fault for its garden of terrorists and sympathizers that have taken root there because of its lack of economic development and educational opportunities. These extremists turn to self-detonation, beheadings, sex-trafficking and kidnapping of young women, among other activities associated with the Islamic State.
You see, Molenbeek has 40 percent youth unemployment, 33 percent female unemployment and 28 percent male unemployment with an almost doubled rate of "subsistence benefit" to those 18 to 64 years of age.
But is terrorism truly caused by those factors?
Yes, it's imperative to have educational opportunities and economic offerings. No question. But it is an individual who must decide that the best pathway to success is a commitment to decent behavior and to healthy relationships while pursuing an education and gainful employment.
Choices to the contrary must be treated as socially and civically
unacceptable.
Does it take a government program for one to choose self-respect? Does it take a government program for a man to decide to be a father and to model appropriate behavior? Does a government program make one get up in the morning, attend school or work, and operate with a commitment to a strong work ethic?
An individual's mindset and belief system determine choices and future. A government can't and doesn't exist to change hearts. Society's ills are caused by wrong thinking and choices. Guess where the solutions will begin?
Robin Smith, a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party, is owner of Rivers Edge Alliance.