# Terrorism. Ignorance is best. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 25, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742 "2001-09-25T18:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/101 "2001-09-26T20:20:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xenophon41 \* > \*\ ***Waverly** , if you’re in direct communication with al Qaeda, please try and get them to tell you where they are, and contact the State Department immediately. > > Thanks. \*\* There go all **your** Princess Points! ---
**Author:** ![Blacksheepsmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@Blacksheepsmith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blacksheepsmith)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/102 "2001-09-26T20:23:23Z")
I thought Scylla had agreed that that we should know exactly what the terrorists are trying to accomplish politically so we can do exactly the opposite. I don’t see anyone arguing that point, and I think it’s arguable. Heck, I’d argue it, but I happen to agree with it. Find out everything you can about what they want so you can frustrate them and exterminate them quicker. I’d also like to draw a distinction between guerrilla warfare and terrorism that got kind of overlooked earlier. In guerrilla warfare, you play hide ‘n’ seek and target soldiers. In terrorism, you play hide ‘n’ seek and target civilians. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/103 "2001-09-26T20:43:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xenophon41 \* > \*\ ***Waverly** , if you’re in direct communication with al Qaeda, please try and get them to tell you where they are, and contact the State Department immediately. > > Thanks. \*\* Not direct communication, but I keep getting these faxes with supine stick figures scribbled at the bottom. Oh, perhaps you were unaware that a series of statements had been released? Weren’t you copied? I could have sworn I saw you on the CC list. As I said before, lot’s of hate blather, no requests for changes in policy. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/104 "2001-09-26T22:08:25Z")
I wished to post this much earlier in the debate, but I wasn’t cookied and couldn’t remember my password- it took about 5 hours to get it from the SDMB webmaster, but whatever. ANYhow, [here’s](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/09/25/ED145077.DTL) a link to yesterday’s column by Debra Saunders in the SF Comical. While I don’t agree with all of her columns (and I bet most people in the area can’t stand her) this is a good one, and germane to this debate. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/105 "2001-09-26T22:15:55Z")
**BigDaddyD** : Just to give “both sides” 😛 : > **[Our strength is in a united country not an unquestioning following](https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Our-strength-is-in-a-united-country-not-an-2875467.php)** > > PRESIDENT BUSH'S approval rating is 90 percent. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/106 "2001-09-26T23:21:46Z")
BigdaddyD and Tamerlane: Both great links! Thanks! Is it possible that both those stances are not mutually exclusive? I think the first one does an excellent job in giving us a good deal of the insight we need to know who were dealing with, and why our resolve needs to be strong, united, and unswerving. The second reminds us that we must be vigilant, lest our resolve make us blind to the consequences of our actions. I think we need a very firm measured and calculated sustainable response to Bin laden. I also don’t think we can afford to let anger control our actions (although it’s ok if everybody else things we are.) ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/107 "2001-09-26T23:36:39Z")
::_hugs **Scylla** for that last post; d&r_:: ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742/108 "2001-09-26T23:45:16Z")
**Scylla** : I think that’s reasonable 🙂 . - Tamerlane [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorism-ignorance-is-best/83742.md?page=5)