Fighting Terrorism with Human Values
A few years ago a man who feared and disliked western science and civilization sent bombs to
kill and maim a number of people. A few years later, a group of 19 men who feared and disliked
western science and civilization turned airplanes into bombs to kill and maim a vast number of
people. The Unabomber was caught, largely with the help of a family member who turned him
in. Many of the instigators of 9/11 remain at large, sheltered by friends and family in an array of
nations.
The Unabomber is no longer a threat because most people in our society think western science
and civilization are advantageous. Most of us appreciate the progress our civilization has
undergone in recent centuries: more freedom and democracy, longer life, clean water, more and
better food, better education, and so forth. The terrorists of Al Qaeda are still at large because
billions of people around the globe are not so sure: they doubt that western science and
civilization will benefit themselves or their children.
At the same time, we live in a world where small groups of terrorists can cause massive harm to
others. What can bring safety in such a world? Safety does not just come from overthrowing
regimes we do not like. The regimes are symptoms, not root causes. In a world of over 6 billion
people, there will always be some who want to harm us. The key to security is that when a house
full of people are making bombs to harm up Westerners or UN aid workers, their neighbors think
such harm is a bad idea. Only when the terrorists’ friends, families, and neighbors oppose their
goals can terrorists be thwarted. Sadly, the overthrow of the evil dictator Saddam and the
ensuing occupation of Iraq is increasing, not decreasing, the number of people who wish
Americans ill.
The United States Congress is about to authorize between $80 and $100 billion dollars to fight a
few month’s battle in Iraq and do a bit of rebuilding. Everyone understands that this payment is
just the beginning of a long engagement, costly in dollars and costly in lives. To fully reap the
return on this enormous investment we need to convince billions of doubting citizens of the
world that they too have a stake in the Western projects of science, democracy, and the global
economy.
Why should all those billions believe in Western notions of progress? Almost a million children
will die this year of measles – preventable with a shot. Twice that many will die of dehydration
and malnutrition from what in our nation is just an upset tummy. Almost another million
children will die of malaria that could usually be prevented with a couple of pills, a few mosquito
nets, and some bug spray.
For a fraction of what we are paying to occupy Iraq, the rich nations of the world could
essentially end these scourges – while making major progress on maternal deaths, the
transmission of HIV/AIDS, and a host of other easily-treated infections and parasites. The result
would be a burst in health and a few years later a burst in productivity as these children grew up
with far fewer disabilities and with far more energy for schooling.
Of course, more energy for schooling does not guarantee more safety for Americans. The
Saudi’s are the educator of last resort in much of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other poor Muslim
nations. Islamic institutions fund schools from Morocco to Indonesia. These schools provide
orthodox Islamic education for young men, often sprinkled with anti-Western messages.
Unfortunately, these religious schools do not prepare their students to be productive citizens of
future democracies. To the contrary, many of these schools prepare students only for religious
extremism.
Six centuries ago the world’s great centers of intellectual effervescence, creativity, and diversity
were Islamic. The goal of all nations must be to support those elements in the Islamic world that
want to build on these Islamic traditions while enhancing health, education, and freedom. While
parents around the globe should always be able to send their children to religious schools, the
rich nations of the world have a strong incentive to make sure that alternatives always exist that
will prepare youngsters from all nations to be productive in the world of the Internet and biotech.
We should be funding education in the poorest nations, especially education for girls and young
women often left behind.
Every child must be born knowing that the western world is willing to invest in his or her quality
of life, and that with adequate health and education he or she can grow to raise a healthy and
prosperous family. While it may sometimes be necessary to fight terrorism with arms, it will
always be necessary to fight the root causes of terrorism with human values.
800 words
The author is Professor at the Haas School of Business, University of California.