isis – Waiting for Winter

thebaconsandwichofregret:

lizzysmart:

sandandglass:

Fox News shocked that Harvard students think the US is a greater threat to world peace than ISIS. Students who don’t agree with Fox are ‘twisted’, elitist and wrong apparently.

Source

Next Gen STAND UP

Did they miss the part where these kids said that ISIS wouldn’t exist without Imperialist intervention in areas like the Middle East? (I’m not singling out America because I’m British and we’ve been fucking up the world since long before America has)

I love how the Harvard students give strong arguments on why the U.S. (and its allies, of course, such as Canada and Western Europe) is one of the biggest threats to world peace and all Fox News can say is “this—this is just a FAD”

johnskylar:

goshawke:

last-snowfall:

thewinstonisin:

stele3:

fuckyeah-nerdery:

huffingtonpost:

Queen Rania: Let’s Drop The First ‘I’ In ISIS. There’s Nothing Islamic About Them

LONDON — Queen Rania of Jordan said Thursday evening that there is nothing Islamic about the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS.

Watch the full interview here.

I think the West is the only place calling them ISIS; the Middle East and elsewhere calls them Daesh. Here’s the thing: Daesh hate being called Daesh. Daesh wants to be called the Islamic State because Daesh thinks it gives them legitimacy and validity. Plus, Daesh is very insulting to them, so I think we should call Daesh Daesh as a fuck you to Daesh.

What does Daesh mean?

Technically, Daesh is an acronym for their full name in Arabic (al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham), but it also sounds very similar to Arabic words meaning “one who crushes things underfoot” and “one who sows discord” (“daes” and “dahes”, respectively) so that’s why Arabs like to call them that.

Daesh it is.

DONE.

Friendly reminder.

fimbulvetr-now:

I get a little bit more exhausted every time I read a criticism of the West’s(and yes, in particular, America’s) handling of Daesh that basically amounts to “what we really need is more troops on the ground and airstrikes so surgical they could give a flea a prostate exam!”

Why in the hell would this suddenly work when it hasn’t been for so long? Just once I’d like to hear someone suggest a more civil approach. What if we took some of that money we’re spending on troops and airstrikes and put that money into these nations’ infrastructure instead?

It seems to me(and I admit I probably don’t know what I’m talking about) that signing up with a group like Daesh is a last resort sort of thing. I think most of these men are probably less concerned with the rhetoric and politics and more concerned with providing for their loved ones. The military is always a good career choice–your job is highly unlikely to be cut, you’ll be well provided for(meals, clothing, lodging, maybe healthcare, depending on who/where you’re serving), your family is usually well provided for, or it’s a way to have a meaningful death in a situation where an early death is more likely. I’d argue it’s not dissimilar to poor males in economically deprived areas of America enlisting with the military cause it’s the only gig in town that isn’t a benefits-free, part-time job at a grocery or convenience store.

If you had access to a job that would provide a secure, happy future for your family, without having to risk your life every day, wouldn’t that be more appealing? If these men had alternatives to joining Daesh, I think most would take those alternatives. Not all, of course, but a fair chunk. And with such a small organistion, that might be enough to stretch them too thin. Not to mention, it would hurt Daesh’s recruitment because instead of contributing to the chaos and destruction, the West would be seen contributing to the job market, and the people’s welfare. It’s harder to sell the elimination of an entity that isn’t bombing your home into an unrecognisable wasteland.

Basically, I don’t think these men want the fall of America as much as they wanted a steady job, and therefore the way to end the threat of Daesh is to provide a better alternative for its recruitment pool. Stop destroying and policing, and start rebuilding and providing. That’s just my relatively uninformed opinion.

Well look at that I’m not as much of an uninformed idealist as I thought.

I get a little bit more exhausted every time I read a criticism of the West’s(and yes, in particular, America’s) handling of Daesh that basically amounts to “what we really need is more troops on the ground and airstrikes so surgical they could give a flea a prostate exam!”

Why in the hell would this suddenly work when it hasn’t been for so long? Just once I’d like to hear someone suggest a more civil approach. What if we took some of that money we’re spending on troops and airstrikes and put that money into these nations’ infrastructure instead?

It seems to me(and I admit I probably don’t know what I’m talking about) that signing up with a group like Daesh is a last resort sort of thing. I think most of these men are probably less concerned with the rhetoric and politics and more concerned with providing for their loved ones. The military is always a good career choice–your job is highly unlikely to be cut, you’ll be well provided for(meals, clothing, lodging, maybe healthcare, depending on who/where you’re serving), your family is usually well provided for, or it’s a way to have a meaningful death in a situation where an early death is more likely. I’d argue it’s not dissimilar to poor males in economically deprived areas of America enlisting with the military cause it’s the only gig in town that isn’t a benefits-free, part-time job at a grocery or convenience store.

If you had access to a job that would provide a secure, happy future for your family, without having to risk your life every day, wouldn’t that be more appealing? If these men had alternatives to joining Daesh, I think most would take those alternatives. Not all, of course, but a fair chunk. And with such a small organistion, that might be enough to stretch them too thin. Not to mention, it would hurt Daesh’s recruitment because instead of contributing to the chaos and destruction, the West would be seen contributing to the job market, and the people’s welfare. It’s harder to sell the elimination of an entity that isn’t bombing your home into an unrecognisable wasteland.

Basically, I don’t think these men want the fall of America as much as they wanted a steady job, and therefore the way to end the threat of Daesh is to provide a better alternative for its recruitment pool. Stop destroying and policing, and start rebuilding and providing. That’s just my relatively uninformed opinion.