Love.

Editor,

Here is a chemical formula for you:

The USA destroys Iraq on false pretenses, killing 100's of thousands of mostly Muslim people (so Halliburton, weapons manufacturers, and other government contractors can wallow in ill-gotten profits).

Political corruption within the USA, steered by unbelievably ruthless corporations and greedy billionaires, beggars all but the unimaginably rich, the lower down the economic feeding chain the larger the effect.

Young Muslim men, profiled, spied on and generally perceived to be medieval, barbaric mental time bombs who hate America for no reason, feel, with not a little justification, alienated, suspect, despised, and disadvantaged.

The U.S. policy of looking to increased religiosity as a marker for "radicalization" is, as usual, flawed: the problem is sociological, and the societal problems young Muslim men face are real.

Think about young black men, also feared and despised while no one notices that in its unrelenting greed the ruling class increasingly kicks every social support out from under them while simultaneously castigating them for not singing while they save (a Bob Dylan line, from "Maggie's Farm").

Actions speak louder than words. You can't trample on people's culture, identity, or ability to prosper in this world and expect them to love you.

Re: "U.S. Is Trying to Counter ISIS’ Efforts to Lure Alienated Young Muslims" (10/5/2014)