Root-Causes

One of the hallmarks of the Radical Left is its belief that, if poor people behave badly, the fault is not theirs, but instead it lies with "root causes." The basic idea is that it is not the criminal’s fault; he is simply too disadvantaged to do any better. This belief extends beyond simply the poor, but to all disaffected members of society at large, in fact to people anywhere in the world. Now we have CNN’s Deepak Chopra blaming America for the past weekends attacks in Mumbai.

From his CNN interview: What happened in Mumbai, he told the interviewer, was a product of the U.S. war on terrorism, that "our policies, our foreign policies" had alienated the Muslim population, that we had "gone after the wrong people" and inflamed moderates. And "that inflammation then gets organized and appears as this disaster in Bombay."

Two interviews with Larry King brought more of the same -- suggestions about the role the U.S. had played in fueling assaults by Muslim terrorists, reminders of the numbers of Muslims in the world and their grievances. A faithful adherent of the root-causes theory of crime -- mass murder, in the case at hand -- Dr. Chopra pointed out, quite unnecessarily, that most of the terrorism in the world came from Muslims. It was mandatory, then, to address their grievances -- "humiliation," "poverty," "lack of education." The U.S., he recommended, should undertake a Marshall Plan for Muslims. - Dorothy Rabinowitz Wall Street Journal

It is this kind of blame-the-victim mentality that many on the Right fear that a newly emboldened Left will promulgate. While there is certainly merit in looking at all sides of an issue as complex as Islamic terrorism to simplify it to the extent that some would have us do is folly.

Dr. Chopra wants the U.S. to address Muslim’s poverty and lack of education? How, and more important, why should we do that exactly? Islamic countries are sovereign nations, who unless I am mistaken, do not want anything to do with us. Much as Dr. Chopra would like to solve the world’s problems with international social programs, that will not work. Ask any parent, you do not reward bad behavior. Bad behavior must be punished, and when that behavior is mass murder, there is only one appropriate punishment.

Post sponsored by Quality-Resumes.