Finding  God by Faith and by Reason  --  ReligionAndReality.com  is where religion meets reality --   Where reality 
meets religion  --  Where mind, heart, the evidence, common sense, and God are equal partners  --    
ELCO Elimination Commission  ..

The Anti-terrorist Perspective:

The Rules:   In sports, gambling, politics and all  the other activities of life that have rules, those who violate the rules face the consequences.   At minimum, they are kicked out of the system and not allowed further participation.

The Geneva Convention, the laws of the United states, and the laws of other western democracies have rules  that protect individuals from government harassment.   Some people believe that it is absolutely essential to follow these rules, without any exceptions whatsoever.    

The Rule Breakers:   That's all fine until a group of terrorists come along who completely ignore and refuse to follow the rules.   How does one deal with these people?   Presently, terrorists who violate the rules are neither disciplined nor expelled from the system.   As a result of this carved is stone approach, anti-terrorist responses are severely hampered and terrorists within our grasp are often allowed to simply walk away to kill again another day.   

Why Follow the Rules:   The argument for this behavior is:  "If we don't follow the rules, we'll be just like them."  -- we'll be as vile as the enemy we oppose.   In the eyes of people who hold this belief, any deviation from the status quo would be an appalling jump into the pit of self-destruction.    There appears to be three possible beliefs underlying public proclamations  of this adamant, carved in stone behavior.   

   They believe so strongly in this principle that they are willing to sacrifice their live, the lives of their families, and the lives of millions, perhaps billions of others rather than compromise on this issue.    

   They are unaware of the  urgency with which the terrorism  problem must be addressed and resolved.   They don't understand the terrorist mentality of the opposition.    They don't see the incredible devastation that will surely unfold if the defense-only strategy continues unchanged. 
or   

   They are believers in "the rapture" and have disguised their true feelings while they secretly await for the world to end.   If these people are "rapture" believers and supporters, the rest of us need to know it.   (On page one of the section relating to ending terrorism, see paragraphs (8-1,   8-2,    8-3)  relating to:   The Rapture.   

Some Ignored Information:   

Now let's add the information that promoters of this highly restrictive behavior choose to ignore:   

   Thousands of committed, dedicated, terrorists are allowed to roam freely among us.    

   Terrorist leaders and promoters are allowed to preach, teach, and publicly promote violence and mass murder.

   We cannot eliminate known terrorists and suicide bombers until after the fact and in order to do so, we must have court-admissible evidence.   Does anybody believe that this policy is  a deterrent which stops suicide bombers?

   This horse-blinder behavior completely ignores the global context and all the other factors in which elimination-potential-terrorists is just one piece of a a much bigger picture.   

   Global Climate Change is the most pressing example of an ignored problem.  Because we are so preoccupied with terrorism, we are ignoring a problem that could kill millions of us.  (See the page titled:  Climate Change  and Human Survival

Looking for a Resolution:   

WE MUST STOP indiscriminate global-level, mass murder by men intent on completely destroying western society -  by men who will stop at absolutely nothing in pursuit of their murderous intentions.  There are some people who see strict adherence to the status quo ( to the present, Western justice system of justice)   as an appalling jump into the pit of self-destruction.  The evidence supports both sides is this argument, BUT we still must find a solution.

Those who support, endorse, promote and/or participate in mass-murder in the name of God have no behavioral restrictions.   Many of them walk about freely among us, laughing at the absurdity of the restrictions their enemy places upon itself.   Of course, none of us wants to actually be like them, but,  some form of active response is desperately needed.    

Finding a Resolution:    

How do we find a compromise that solves this problem?    How do we eliminate known murders and known would-be-assassins and still not destroy our democratic principles?   The sections below titled: How do we find a compromise that solves this problem?    How do we eliminate known murders and known would-be-assassins and still not destroy our democratic principles?   The sections below titled:  Getting Beyond the Impasse offers answers to that question.   Prior to reading about the solution, we suggest you read the next section titled:  Setting the Stage.   

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Before we get into the actual process, (Getting Beyond the Impasse)  some additional  facts involving Islam and terrorism need to be made clear.  

Becoming Offended           ...

    Becoming Offended:    Saying or doing something that others find offensive and even intentionally  doing something that offends someone's personal beliefs, religious or otherwise, is a fundamental human right called freedom of speech.   Any where that such rights are denied, tyranny rules.    

Every culture, every race, every religion, every ethnic group has been and often still is the subject of statements that can be construed by some people as offensive.   No culture, race, or religion, including Islam can justifiably demand the suppression to this right.   If everything on the planet was destroyed because it offended someone, there would be very little left.   

Graphic depictions of violence and open public acts of violence offend millions of us and yet Islamic jihadists take pride in creating and even broadcasting such displays on international television.   

    Allah Is Simply the Generic, Arabic Word for God.   It does not refer to a special God or any God different from the God worshipped by way of Christianity, or Judaism, or any other religion.   

    The word "Islam" is Arabic for "submission.""   When the Islamic religion controls a government, repression is the only possible result.   "According to the Qur'an, a good Muslim is someone who obeys Allah's orders and follows Muhammad's example." ***1   Afghanistan, prior to the American invasion, is a visible example of how a few religious zealots dominated and controlled everything and everyone.   Democracy is a matter of choice.   There is no choice under Islamic domination.  

***1  http://www.prophetofdoom.net/Islamic_Terrorism_Timeline.Islam 

    The Source of Terrorism:    "A comprehensive review of all terrorist acts committed from 1960 to the present (2005) confirms that 95% of terrorist missions are associated with Islam."***2   The vast majority of terrorists are believers in fundamental Islam.   Since Bush and company invaded Iraq, acts of terrorism increased over one million percent - from one every several months to hundreds per day.

***2  http://www.prophetofdoom.net/Islamic_Terrorism_Timeline.Islam 

    Accountability / Responsibility:    Under the present system, nobody is held accountable for acts of terrorism except those who directly engage in the acts of violence.   Under the present system, dead terrorists and dead suicide bomber cannot be held accountable for their actions?   Nobody else is held accountable for their actions, either.   Some of the terrorists promoters even financially reward the families of suicide bombers.   Under the present system, afterlife rewards or punishments are not even being considered as a way to combat terrorism.      

Under the present system, nobody is held accountable for acts of terrorism except those who directly engage in the acts of violence.   Under the present system, dead terrorists and dead suicide bomber cannot be held accountable for their actions?   Nobody else is held accountable for their actions, either.   Some of the terrorists promoters even financially reward the families of suicide bombers.   Under the present system, afterlife rewards or punishments are not even being considered as a way to combat terrorism.   Under the present system, nobody is held accountable for acts of terrorism except those who directly engage in the acts of violence.   Under the present system, dead terrorists and dead suicide bomber cannot be held accountable for their actions?   Nobody else is held accountable for their actions, either.   Some of the terrorists promoters even financially reward the families of suicide bombers.   Under the present system, afterlife rewards or punishments are not even being considered as a way to combat terrorism.   

Fingers are pointed at radical Islam, but the rest of the people practicing Islam are not held accountable in any way for the actions of the extremists.   With zero accountability, the vast majority of those practicing Islam have no incentives to stop the violence against people of other religious faiths.   

Until accountability and responsibility comes into the picture, the violence is guaranteed to continue.     

Building walls, posting armed guards and ALL the activities of "Home land Security' do not change a would-be terrorist's intention to commit violence.   Such activities may change where and when the violence occurs, but they do absolutely nothing to end terrorism.   Changes in behavior must come from the inside the person, himself, not from external, reactionary violence.

There are eight proven successful ways to change human behavior:   

    Raise the physical price of the unacceptable behavior until the person decides that the price is higher than he is willing to pay.

    Raise the afterlife price of the unacceptable behavior until the person decides that the price is higher than he is willing to pay.

    Remove the physical rewards from the unacceptable behavior,  

    Remove the afterlife rewards from the unacceptable behavior,  

    Offer physical rewards for acceptable behavior.

    Offer afterlife rewards for acceptable behavior.

    Threaten to damage or destroy something to which the person has a strong attachment.

    Threaten to kill, injure, or in some way punish a person's family members or someone else to which the person has a strong attachment.   

The lack of accountability goes way beyond single individuals.  Political organizations are allowed to exist that openly promote, endorse, and engage in terrorism.   Schools are allowed to exist that mentally program  pre-age-of-reason children to grow up to be terrorists and suicide bombers.   Radio and television stations are allowed to praise, promote, and openly show the most despicable acts of religiously inspired violence.  

Our so-called civilized nations are afraid to discipline such behavior because that would open the door to they, themselves, being held accountable for their own despicable behavior.   

All this is a product of our social, financial, and political systems that are outdated, obsolete, dysfunctional, and incredible destructive.  Top that off with dozens of fairytale-level, unprovable, and even violence-inspiring, religious beliefs and we have a world facing several existence-threatening crises.    Reference 1:   The Grandfather Generation       Reference 2:   The Rapture   

Getting Down and Dirty      ...

    Getting Down and Dirty:   The only way to deal with people who refuse to be peaceful under any circumstances   and   who would commit mass murder at the first opportunity   is to function with them, and only with them, on their own level.   Here's why.

standards      ...

Ethical Standardss:   In any conflict, the person or group with the lowest ethical standards, sets the level at which the conflict is played out.   An ethical person is NOT required to tell the truth to the lie.   When dealing with honest, loving, fair-minded people, always maintain high ethical standards.   When dealing with those who have low standards or no standards at all (such as the religion-driven terrorists),  offer your ethics to  them.    If and when they refuse, you have two choices: die at their hands or respond to them on their level.   

If you choose not to die, then your only choice  is, play their game better than they do.    Play by their rules.   Do onto them as they would do onto you.   Be better at there game than they are, and be more clever at it than they are.  

There are those who claim that this is a double standard.   They believe that responding at the opponent's  level would be to get down in the sewer with them.   To those critics we say, "Yup, you're right.  Thanks for noticing."   

Here's an example that may add some clarity as to why one must play at the opponent's level.    Suppose a serial rapist and murderer breaks into your home looking for your ten-year-old daughter.    He holds you at gun point and says, "Where's your daughter hiding?"   Remember now, according to your Christian rules, you are not supposed to lie.   How are you going to respond to the rapist/murderer?   

Although you've hidden her in the closet, you, say, "She's gone to her grandmother's house."   Now your five-year-old son sitting beside you, and not really knowing what's going on says, "Daddy, you're not suppose do tell a lie."   The rapist sensing that you are lying, smacks you on the head with his gun and leaves you bleeding and unconscious on the floor.  

He begins ransacking and searching the house.   A few moments later you regain consciousness and while the rapist is in another room, you manage to sneak out  into the garage and get the loaded gun from your secret, locked hiding place and return to the house.   In the meantime the rapist has found your daughter and you can hear her screaming.   What do you do?   Are you going to go to him and say, "Excuse me,  Mr. Rapist, Sir, you're not supposed to do that. "  Are you going to attempt to arrest him and hope that a court somewhere will convict him and send him to jail. . .    or are you going to stoop to his level and put six bullets into him?   

Now expand this metaphor into real life on a global level and the single rapist/murderer becomes a very real   group of fifty thousand, ruthless,  international terrorists, rapists, assassins, mass-murders, hijackers,  kidnappers, suicide bombers with absolutely no mental capacity to do anything but peddle murder, death and mass-destruction.   At any moment you could be murdered by a nuclear bomb, or die from a biological weapon, or hear news that you family has been killed in an airplane hijacking.   What are you going to do about that?   

To those of you who choose to sit by while your family is raped and murdered, we say  "If you don't like our approach,  then you surely must have a better plan - a plan that actually works.   Good, then  lets hear it.  Contact Us° 

    Altering Behavior:   It's simply not reasonable or feasible to put an armed guard everywhere that a violent act of terrorism might be committed.   The motivation to be non-violent must be shifted to inside the minds of those people who would commit terrorist attacks.   A shift must be made so that they, within their own selves, choose to behave peacefully.     

One cannot change the inner programming (the beliefs) of a terrorist, but one can use their beliefs as a strategy for altering their behavior.   The intention is to attach consequences to a potential terrorist's  behavior so that they (the terrorists)  say to themselves,  "The price of engaging in a terrorist attack is so high that I choose to be non-violent."   (See the sections titled:  Self-Interest and  Battle of Beliefs.)

The two  big questions then become, how do we  use beliefs to alter the terrorist behavior and what potential consequences would cause a religion-driven terrorist to self-alter his behavior?

An Historical Example  of how the power of belief controls behavior comes to us from the Korean war.   The American military supplies were regularly stolen in spite of being fenced off and watched over by armed guards.   The South Korean supplies were rarely ever stolen  even though they had only a strand of rope suspended on sticks around them and no guards.   A single human ear hung on the rope.  

The people were kept away by their own belief system.   They believed that if their body became deformed, they could not get into heaven, and the punishment for getting caught stealing supplies was to lose an ear and; therefore, be excluded from heaven.

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Obviously what is needed is a compromise to get beyond this impasse.     As an alternative to the present, defense-only position -- as a alternative to expecting and waiting for the next disaster to happen, suppose that:

Any person who  openly vows to support, promote, or participate in the random killing of people who do not believe in his religion  simply forfeits his rights under Western law and is, instead, treated by his own laws.    

Here's a workable, functional  solution:  

   The Goal is to raise the price of terrorism to a level where the terrorists, themselves decide to stop the killing.    They will stop killing when and only when the price has become so high that they become unwilling to pay the price.   (See the page titled:  Self Interest.)   

     Suppose a separate organization was formed composed of members from at least three nations.   For the purpose of this discussion, we'll call this group the "ELCO Elimination Commission."  (ELCO = The first two letters of ELimination and COmmission)     Forming this outside group would allow the adamant no-deviation believers to say,  OK, we are not breaking the rules.  It also follows an historical precedence set by Winston Churchill.`

   Suppose ELCO were given a ten-year contract.  

   Suppose ELCO's  job was to eliminate people who openly proposed violence in the name of God.   Suppose everyone on the ELCO elimination list were offered an opportunity to privately renounce violence, to stop publicly proposing violence, and to stop supporting or associating with those who proposed or conducted violent activities and thus be off the list and safe from elimination.   Suppose those who violated their renouncement or were found to be still supporting or associating with those who proposed or conducted violent activities were not given a  second chance.  

   Suppose the activities of ELCO  were conducted with complete autonomy and were outside the jurisdiction of any existing government agencies or structures.   Suppose ELCO set up several several teams each with decentralized authority and each freedom of movement enabling it's officers with  flexibility and with the authority to initiate actions as in-the-moment situations and circumstances warranted.   Suppose the activities of ELCO teams were conducted under the rules set up and used by the terrorists, themselves -- no trials, no hearing, no mercy, take no prisoners.   

   Suppose the activities of ELCO  were focused on eliminating males who have exhibited one or more of the following characteristics:   1) Men known to be or strongly suspected to be participants in or supporters of terrorist plots,    2)  Men who have publicly proposed violence in the name of God,  2)  Men who have been known to be participants in and/or supporters of religious violence,  3)  Men who have been seen marching in the streets shouting support for religious violence.  4)  Men who  associate with or who follow the directions of men who fit any of the above categories.   

       One has to understand that males committed to Islamic jihad are committed to murdering non-Muslims at every opportunity and they will respond to absolutely nothing except violence.   One cannot reason with them.   They make no compromises.   They are completely driven by their beliefs about God -- beliefs which have been repeatedly and steadily  programmed into their minds since birth -- beliefs that are, daily, being reinforced by outspoken Islamic jihad leaders.   

   Suppose men who fit into the above categories simply started disappearing.  Suppose every time there was a terrorist attack, fifty times as many militant, violence-supporting,  jihad-supporting males disappear as the number of people killed or injured in the attack.   Suppose the bodies were quietly disposed of.   Suppose that the mass-murder promoters were quietly informed that violence against non-Muslims would simple no longer be tolerated and the price of violence would be measured in terms of militant, violence-supporting males disappearing in  ever-increasing numbers.   

   Suppose the word went out that all the terrorism supporters who disappeared were killed and buried wrapped in pigskin.  (See the section on Pig Soup.)

   Suppose that the mass-murder promoters were also informed that they, too, would would get the pig soup treatment and disappear at the first opportunity.   Airplanes might disappeared over open ocean.   Diplomatic immunity would cease to be a fool-proof, protective shield.  Outspoken people might have unfortunate accidents or simply disappear never to be heard from again.   Et cetera.    Et cetera.    It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to create enough fatalities and disappearances to get the attention of those promoting murder in the name of God.   Suppose these leaders were told quietly and in no uncertain terms that the price of another mass murder or other destructive or disruptive  activity would stager their imagination.  Suppose the media outlets that promote violence were told to stop promoting violence or face the pig soup consequence.   

   Regarding suicide bombers who actually blew themselves up, suppose the bomber's seven closest male relatives between the ages of sixteen and sixty were added to the elimination list and eliminated at the earliest opportunity.   These men would NOT be given an option to get off the list.   Their suicide bomber relative sentenced them to death.  Period!    

   Suppose all members of ELCO were immune from prosecution for any and all activities carried out as part of the ELCO group.   Suppose members of ELCO could be removed from ELCO by those running ELCO if their activities were found to be too excessive.  For those so-removed, their immunity from prosecution would remained in tact.  They would simple be  removed. 

   Suppose ELCO had access to all the presently-available information-gathering  sources of the nations participating in the formation of this commission.   

   Suppose that when ELCO called for military back up,  such as in the example A lesson in Absurdity,  
1)    Authority and responsibility was completely and totally shifted
         to ELCO,    
2)    The action was immediately implemented without the need for further
        authority or approval, and 
3)   All participants in the action were under ELCO immunity for the action.  

   Suppose when ELCO functioned in nations that would allow ELCO activity within their boarders, that the officials of those governments  either offered vital information or simply stepped out of the way.   Suppose a special ID were used by ELCO and the police were instructed not to interfere with their activities.

   Suppose  all those who publicly opposed the implementation of  ELCO were asked if they believed in "the rapture."   Why?  Because if they are expecting the world to end any day now, they are not going to care about what the terrorist do.   They may even be secret supporters of death and destruction because they believe that's how God is going to end the world and bring them safely to heaven.   (On page one of the section relating to ending terrorism, see paragraphs (8-1,   8-2,    8-3)  relating to:   The Rapture.   

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When the above ELCO process is applied to Iraq and Afghanistan,  violence will subside rather quickly.  Why?   Because under the present system there are no consequences for terrorist's mass-murder behavior.   For example, recently in Iraq, (September 2006)   a hundreds of  bodies of dead Iraqi males showed up having been tortured and then murdered by the terrorists  and the Bush team did absolutely nothing in response.    The terrorist are presently paying zero costs for their behavior.   The American military runs around in heavily armored convoys supposedly to curb violence; but in reality, they are simply targets for terrorist attacks. 

Suppose the next time an allied soldier was killed or injured, ten Al Queda supporters simply disappeared.  Suppose the next time after that when an allied soldier was killed or injured ten Al Queda supporters simply disappeared.   Suppose the price kept rising until it was so high that the terrorists decided they were no longer willing to pay the price.   (See the page titled:  Self Interest.)   How long would it take for the message to hit home?   How long would it take for the violence to stop?  

Like it or not, here's the reality about the terrorists  --  they understand and will respond to only one language, and that language is violence.   Only when they and their supporters start dying in large numbers, will they get the message.   There simply is no viable alternative.   

Remember, ELCO will not be engaging in random killing, rather it will be carefully selecting and eliminating  self-proclaimed participants in global program of mass murder -- participants who will have been given one (and only one) opportunity to renounce violence and thus save their own lives.

We must end terrorism NOW because if we don't,  the lack of focus on Global Climate Change will very likely, within a relatively short time, cause irreversible destruction that will result in the deaths of millions, perhaps even billions of humans.   

The solution:  Please note that nothing radical is being proposed here.   No open confrontations are proposed.    Women and children are excluded from the target list.   No religious sites are being threatened.  No bridges, factories, power stations and the like are about to be bombed.      Nothing is proposed that would further inflame moderate believers in Islam.   Making public threats are way out of line, and would be exceedingly counterproductive.   Quiet notification backed up by the steady elimination of militants is all that is needed.   The only question is how many militants need to disappear or have fatal accidents before the message is actually heard.   Obviously, the details of how ELCO would function would have to be worked out.

Innocent Lives:  And of course and unfortunately, some innocent people will die or be injured in the process.  The goal is to maximize the elimination of mass-murders at the lowest cost in terms of the loss of innocent lives.   Compare the price that would be paid (the number of innocent live lost) as part of this proposal with the price that will be paid from another terrorist attack such as that which occurred on 9-11-2001.   

       Then also ask yourself, "Who will do the dying?   Do you choose  it be innocent women and children (perhaps your own family) who just happen to be at the target site when a bomb goes off or shall it be an occasional someone who happens to be physically close to the terrorists at the moment when the terrorist is eliminated.  

Historical Precedence:   

Readers are invited to examine how Winston Churchill dealt with some of the Nazi war criminals.   At the end of WWII, there were numerous Nazi officials who could never be successfully convicted using the lengthy, cumbersome, legal processes of the Nuremberg trials.   Their crimes were known, but technically unprovable.   Winston Churchill set up a team whose job was to kill the men who fit the above category.   In spite of the fact that these men no longer posed a threat, they were systematically eliminated with no trials and no public proclamations.   Given the urgency and severity of today's circumstances, does it seem reasonable to follow the historically-documented precedence of Winston Churchill?

Also ask, "Who will pay the price?   Will it be you or you family if ELCO does its job?  Definitely not!  Will it be you of your family if ELCO doesn't do its job?  It very well could be.    

If you oppose the activation of this proposal,  we have two suggestions:  1)  give us a more functional, more workable, alternative  solution NOW,  or  2)    tell us whether or not you believe in "the rapture."