I have no words for the bombing in England last week. My initial reaction was to rant about terrorism and the wacko Islamic terrorists who can kill people on the day before they are rewarded for years of terrorism at the G8. But what I'm seeing is more than just kowtowing to terrorism. I've seen numerous opinion pieces and blog entries blaming England for bringing this on itself; similar to the same arguments that blamed the U.S. for bringing September 11 on itself. It occurred to me that his is more than just fear of terrorism. Western culture has a repulsively strong tendency to blame victims of all crime. A terrorist attack only makes it more apparent.
Here is a small example. I'm contracting for a major telecom corporation right now at a small facility where about 350 of their employees work. The employees are understandably upset with a recent rash of car break-ins in the parking lot. Many cars have had windows completely smashed with car contents stolen. The facility security people met with employees to discuss their concerns. Here is how the company rewards its hard-working people: the employees were told not to have valuables in their cars that would attract thieves. In addition, they didn't want to put up security cameras since employees could then sue the company if the cameras didn't curb the problem. In other words, the employees have to do all of the adjusting and there is no desire to catch the thieves.
I'm not comparing terrorism directly to car break-ins. However, the mentality to blame victims is directly comparable. How long did women have to endure (and still do to some degree) the blame for being raped? Corporations are being punished for computer security breeches with new laws making the corporations endure the cost.
There is no reasonable way to blame victims of crime or terrorism for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But there are those doing it now. This is why terrorism is working. Terrorism comes from the squeakiest wheels in the world. The culture of terrorism takes advantage of blame. When Israel responds to a terror attack, nations supporting terrorism go whine to the UN Security Council for mistreatment. When terrorists mowed down school children in Bezlan, Putin (who I am not a fan of) got the blame for his "policies".
A lot of talk about Africa went on at the G8, too. Africa's woes are presented as the world's woes. The reality is that Africa is full of corrupt governments and severe cultural problems that continue to spread death and disease across the continent. Africa and the Middle East are the world's terrorists hubs. It is in the poorest of places terrorism festers and infects young, uneducated minds. But keep this in mind: U.S. foreign policy is not always right, but the U.S. and England never set out to ensure countries, much less entire continents, were stricken with poverty, corrupt dictators, and a culture of violence. Those are self-inflicted.
I have grown weary of the blaming of others as an excuse to kill, steal, and destroy. The only way to stop the terrorism is to stop buying into blame redirection. Culturally we must stop allowing the terrorists and criminals of the world to blame others for their immoral choices. If we stop blaming the victims of smaller crimes, maybe culturally we can develop the courage to stand up to the terrorists of the world who can't seem to take responsibly for their actions.
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