Osama lives in a f#cking cave in Northern Pakistan. His followers are dudes who live on a dollar a day, whose 14 year old kids are burning American flags and making Molotov cocktails.
Turn, I am not talking about Osama. Osama is a true believer in his version of reality. I am talking about about a-holes like Bashar, Nassralla, and Amanieajahad(sp?), I am talking about the heads of state and religious leaders who foment the hatred of the West and Israel. Osama is right of the "Arab Street", he drinks the same Kool-Aide, believes the same things, but he has the means and the education to do something about it, a la Al Qaeda. He doesn't have a political power base to maintain.
Why do they do it? Because it is what the people want to hear it? Because if they don't preach the hatred, someone will step in and replace them? Is it because it is common thread that can unify the "Street" and make them forget how ****ty their country and lives, are like you said? I think it really a combination of all the above.
For example, the events leading up to the Six Day War of 1967. What you had was a three race by the Ba'athists in Syria, Nasser in Egypt, and Hussien in Jordan to see who would gain politcal dominance in the region after the Suez War of 1956. Each spewing more vitriolic proganda in to the street about the West, Israel, and each other, than the rest. It became a game of one upmanship, that eventually goaded Nassar into tossing out the UNEF in the Sinai, occupying it, and closing the Straits of Tiran. Which then snowballed into war with Israel. The point here is that Nasser was not in a position to go to war, nor was Hussien or the Syrians, but they were dragged into it by their own machinations against one another.
Domestically, in Nasser's case, he had to use hatred against Israel to unite the country. His economy was in ruins and his power was slipping, the war against Israel was a common cause that made people look past their own hardships and suffering. It allowed Nasser to lengthen his reign, by a few more years. Or in Hussien's case, he had to go to war because he was facing an overthrow by his people if he did not. So again, it back to what I said. The hatred and the religious supremacy is used as mask, for some to gain and sustain political power.
It sort of creates a self filling profecey. The average guy on the street has been bombarded with anti-West and anti-Israeli propoganda his whole life, from his "preacher", probably his family, his government, from basically anyone of consequence in his life. So yeah, they are indoctrinated in it. Like the Commies, the state is right, the state will take care of you...yatta, yatta. So then he expects the people in power to do something about, i.e. launch terrorist attacks, go to war with Israel, etc.
I conceed to you that there is a "have and have not" mentallity. I have no doubt of that.
