The Roots of Terror

The current upsurge in international terrorism surely has many causes. A number of writers and bloggers have suggested that one of those causes, at least in the case of Islamist terrorism, is frustration and anger with the failure of modern Arab civilization, and the relative backwardness of many non-Arab Muslim countries.

The reality of that failure is not in dispute. In fact, one of the most comprehensive and unrelenting analyses of modern Arab civilizational failure is a product of Arab scholars.

When your own civilization is failing, and another one is obviously succeeding, resentment is one natural human reaction.

So what can we do about it? What can the developed world do to help Arab and Muslim nations succeed? Arguably, a stable, prosperous, democratic Iraq would be a great help. What else? In a recent paper, I argue for a two-pronged approach: expand access to fee-charging schools that provide academic and career training, and get rid of our trade barriers with the developing world.

[note to critics: Before tearing me a new one, read the details of these recommendations and the rationales behind them. Then tear me a new one.]

I'll be delivering that paper at the Cato Institute tomorrow (you can watch a webcast online if you go to their website), so I may not have time to blog. Check back on Wednesday and I'll share some of the comments/flames I get from the audience.