Blowback In Brussels?

​By Chris Rossini

Very tragically, it appears that blowback might have occurred once again in Europe. Another suicide terrorist attack, this time in Brussels.

U.S. politicians have been responding all day today, and it's deja vu all over again. The same old script is being read to the American public. 

Hillary Clinton says: "These terrorists seek to undermine the democratic values that are the foundation of our way of life. They will never succeed." Paul Ryan stated that "We must confront this threat together. We must defend democracy, and defeat terror."

These arguments are so unusual. If more of us took a few moments to actually think about what is being said, perhaps politicians would change their tune for once. 

Is it logical to believe Islamic radicals are willing to commit suicide in a foreign country because that country practices democracy? Democracy is just a method of choosing politicians by vote. It's a way to choose between politicians (who ironically end up taking away our freedom).

This is supposed to be the motivation of the terror attacks? The ability to choose a bureaucrat by vote?

Why attack democracies? Why not dictatorships? Why not monarchies? Why not any other form of government? What's so special about democracies that people are willing to end their own lives in an attempt to cause harm to others?

A vast majority of Americans don't even vote! Those who do are so fed up with the whole thing that Donald Trump is now a stone's throw away from the White House. Americans obviously have no love for democracy in practice. So why do American politicians keep recycling the same nonsense whenever a terrorist attack occurs?

Could it be that terrorism is an unintended consequence and blowback against a failed foreign policy?

The recent terror attacks have been occurring in Europe. Why Europe? There are democracies all over the world. Why there?

Could it be Europe's close proximity to the Middle East? Could it be retaliation against European policy in the Middle East. Unfortunately, Europe has walked lockstep with America in destabilizing the Middle East and creating mass migrations that are occurring at the moment.

Here's another key question: Why now? During the 45 years of the Cold War, there were no fears of radical Muslims, or Sharia Law, or the Koran. Instead, Americans were supposed to fear communists. Why are terrorist attacks happening in Europe now?

Could it be that after the Cold War ended, peace was tossed aside by the victors? Rather than capitalizing on the fall of the Soviet Union, military adventures in the Middle East would begin in earnest.

If these attacks in Europe are retaliation, what could be done? Well the usual course that is taken is to ratchet up the violence in the Middle East...to double-down, and triple-down, and quadruple-down. But such a policy only seems to invite more retaliation and blowback.

Perhaps a better idea (instead of arbitrary talk about "defending democracy") would be a shift in policy. Maybe attempting to run the world militarily is not a good idea after all.

​Perhaps a policy of peace and non-intervention would serve everyone better than this never-ending cycle of violence.