# How would a ground war against ISIS be paid for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 11, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-a-ground-war-against-isis-be-paid-for/740160 "2015-12-11T14:17:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-a-ground-war-against-isis-be-paid-for/740160/61 "2015-12-14T16:57:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Well, if you want to play this silly game, then why don’t you tell us exactly how many foreign fighters have been recruited because the US isn’t nice to American Muslims. If you don’t want to acknowledge my point about the propaganda value of anti-Muslim acts, just say so. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-a-ground-war-against-isis-be-paid-for/740160/62 "2015-12-14T17:00:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If you don’t want to acknowledge my point about the propaganda value of anti-Muslim acts, just say so. Go back and read post #46. But, no, I’m not going to acknowledge that “. Setting fire to mosques here is a media bonanza for their recruiting worldwide, not just in America.” But if you can prove that, knock yourself out. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-a-ground-war-against-isis-be-paid-for/740160/63 "2015-12-14T17:02:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Well, I will promise to treat all the Muslims I know with dignity and respect. That should cut down the recruiting by .000001% +/-. I think it’s a long term thing. If most in America all of a sudden are respectful to Muslims from now on, then there will be fewer stories from individual Muslims to their friends and relatives abroad and in the US of mistreatment, and more stories of kindness and generosity. And over many years and generations, as long as it’s also combined with reasonable foreign policy, this will result in a reputation that the US is friendly to Muslims, which would mean a lesser likelihood of anyone becoming a terrorist due to anti-American grievances, and a lesser likelihood of terrorists choosing America and Americans as targets. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-a-ground-war-against-isis-be-paid-for/740160/64 "2015-12-14T18:31:15Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If you don’t want to acknowledge my point about the propaganda value of anti-Muslim acts, just say so. It’s certainly true that extremist groups use hate crimes in the U.S. for propaganda value. But have you actually looked at any ISIL propaganda? Because from what I’ve seen, there are some references to American hate crimes and such, but the overwhelming amount of content is centered on two themes: 1) battlefield videos of people being killed, and 2) screeds of religious lunacy. I don’t know enough to say whether those two themes account for 85, 90, 95, or 98 percent of their content. But its fair to say that the issue of hate crimes in America is a very small proportion of their propaganda. For you to repeat again and again that ISIL uses hate crimes as propaganda, doesn’t actually address the point we’re making – yes, they do, but that part of their propaganda is probably irrelevant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-a-ground-war-against-isis-be-paid-for/740160.md?page=3)