As I read this thread I didn't know if I should laugh, cry, or simply pound my head against my desk until the pain went away. I think I'll just go hit the gym and run a few miles.
I can't decide which is greater when it comes to this concept of "Deradicalization": The Ignorance of the program, or the Arrogance.
First, it is founded in the popular, but baseless "Pied Piper Theory of Insurgency" (My name for it, I'm sure it has a more official name elsewhere), that presumes that some dynamic leader comes along with a magical flute of ideology and that he somehow bewitches (radicalizes) young men to follow him to their doom. Now if we simply expose the Pied Piper as a fraud, they will see the light and settle down and become good citizens once again.
First, this totally absolves the government giving rise to these young insurgents of any responsibility for contributing to the causation for the insurgency through their failures of governance. As I have stated several times before, and will continue to state, dynamic leadership and effective ideology are both critical requirements to a successful insurgency; but neither will resonate with a target populace unless conditions of poor governance (defined as dissatisfaction within a significant segment of the populace that is so great it demands action, and no legitimate means to resolve the failures exist for that segment) exist first.
Causation and Motivation are two very different things, and should not be confused. Causation typically lies in poor governance. Motivation is typically some inspiring ideology or big event, or both. Addressing motivation without publicly recognizing and addressing causation is a fraud on the populace.
The duty of government is not to fix the thinking of its populace, the duty of governance is to fix its governance of the populace.
I am picturing King George sending a deradicalization team to the Colonies back in 1775, offering "athletic competitions, to lectures, writing contests, and public information campaigns" to the citizens of Boston. Not bringing any changes to governance to address the grievances of the populace, but instead a program designed to distract them from their shortfalls and convince them why they should be satisfied.
Total BS. I think the North Koreans had a similar program for POWs back in the 50s.
Personal opinion, this is a very, very disturbing trend, and we should have no part of it.
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