diverged in a yellow wood

When I watched some of the coverage of the latest terror plot, this time in London, I couldn’t help think to myself, “Yeah…okay…and what?”

So far we know that there were two cars found in London that had explosive material in them, but most likely weren’t configured correctly to explode. One person supposedly connected to the incident was a guy connected to a prior plot, but was let go because there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him with a crime.

I’m guessing over the weekend, and in the coming weeks, we’ll hear over and over that “this is what happens when you’re not TOUGH on terrorists”. It’s already started on LFG. Unfortunately for these people, their draconian ideology runs in direct conflict with democracy.

In a Democracy, you are free to do anything. Sing, scream, dance, kill, anything. You can do anything you want. And some of those things you do you will be punished for. But you still have the opportunity to do them. There are social structures in place that keep people from causing harm to others, such as punishments or social pressure. But if one decides to act outside these norms/rules, there is no one to stop them.

In a Democracy, we are allowed free-will. You take that away, there is no Democracy. This is why in every democratic country, terrorism will always exist. You can’t lock terrorism up. You can push back against an ideology, you can try to understand why people are causing harm to you, you can arrest people when they are convicted of a crime by a jury…but we will never be able to stop terrorism…unless you like the way North Korea is run.

The idea that terrorism can be defeated is a frame that further terrorizes the public. It was no accident that George Bush claimed a “War on Terror” after 9/11. By this imaginary line in the sand, he thus created an imaginary war that unnecessarily terrified his fellow citizens. He has used “Terrorism” as a front to terrorize.

Which brings me back to today. Yes, it looks like this was an “act of terrorism”. But what now? Should I be more scared because of how dangerous this plot could have been? Should I be scared that there are possibly hundreds of cells in the United States just waiting for their chance to create a car bomb?

I think if fear becomes the antidote to terrorism, everyone loses. Not only does our democracy suffer, so to do the innocent people on the receiving end of our fear-based over reaction suffer.

Until we come to grips that violence isn’t a sensible reaction to fear, I fear no matter who our next President is, we will continue on this maddening path.