92 / Body scanners against terrorists - that'll teach 'em

I hear terrorism will be a thing of the past soon enough, terrorists will be prevented from plying their evil trade. The Government has found an effective solution to ill-meaning activists making their points of protest by flying planes into buildings or exploding them in mid-air.


All that stands in the way of a safe future for us is the implementation of a $200m dollar package of security measures in the shape of body scanners that show up guns, bombs etc. Would-be-terrorists must pass through them at airports before boarding a plane, and they will then be duly arrested. Either that, or they will be deterred from attempting any wicked terrorist activities from now on. Phew, I'm glad that’s settled.


The body scanners are a great idea; especially if at the same time they scan for cancer, stomach ulcers or brain tumours - how good would that be?! In fact, every household should have one. You could scan yourself as you’re walking through the front door to see if you've got the house keys in your pocket. Teenagers will no longer be able to hide their illegal pack of cigarettes - there are a thousand uses for body scanners. Will they catch terrorists, though? I doubt it, in fact I’ll eat my hat if there ever will be a case of foiled terrorism due to these devices in Australia. (That's a cheap shot, I admit it … the fact is there has never been a case where a terrorist tried to bring a bomb onto a plane in Australia! Body scanners or not; how about that. Makes you think, doesn't it? Well, not if you're a Government official.)


So will they deter would be plane-bombers? I doubt that too, jihadists will find other ways of getting their point across - and this is the thing with terrorists: They have the West on the run. A couple of hundred million dollars spent on plugging yet another security hole and those who want to do damage to the West just shift their emphasis; one could be excused for thinking they simply want to bankrupt the West, as we spend more and more on the delusion of 'security'. But our Government - in their state of panic, paralysis and denial - wants 'to be seen to be doing something.' Anything. Methinks $200m spent on such a feeble attempt to make us secure is tragically ill-advised, futile and delusional. Especially delusional.


Here are some thoughts on how to address the problem of Islamic terrorism: 


First find out why they are terrorists. There are clues. Islamist spokes-people keep referring to the injustice of Palestinians having had their homeland taken away and forced into refugee camps. Two generations of them have grown up disenfranchised, job-less, with no future. It appears terrorist are largely recruited from amongst them, their sympathizers and other impoverished and disadvantaged Muslim minorities. Incidentally, Osama bin Laden makes an interesting, though futile point, "You won't listen to us, so you have to listen to our bombs going off." Hmmm. (Read also: Russell & Palestine) (In fact I have two essays on the subject: TERRORISM and FREE & PROSPEROUS.)


Hundreds, nei thousands of billions of dollars have been spent on attempts to fight terrorism; $200m more will be added to the tally. Yet, it is largely recognised that the underlying problems with Islamic terrorism are poverty, oppression, non-existing opportunities and lacking infrastructures in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine, as well as Islamic indoctrination by radical zealots. The symptoms are Islamic militancy, suicide bombers etc. Addressing only the symptoms rather than the problems will not alleviate terrorism.


What if the war on terror in all its guises inflames Muslims and motivates them to increase their jihad? What if instead all that money was spent on solving these root-problems? On infrastructure, debt relief, equal opportunities and education, education, education. No, we rather get body scanners.