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Why do terrorists hate us so much that they are willing, even
eager, to die while inflicting upon us tremendous strife and
devastation? Many are asking this question. Most answers I hear
are related to religion, ethnicity and perceived victimization.
All these, no doubt, play a role. But I believe that the main
cause of terrorism is resentment. Most terrorists come from extremely
poor countries. They see how we in rich countries live, and are
resentful. Resentment turns into frustration and eventually despair.
A despairing person is easy prey to radical fanatics.
If resentment is the cause, reducing resentment should decrease
the number of terrorists and thus help win the fight against
terrorism. How do we do this? We need a multi-prong strategy.
But for people in business, the answer is: By building an anti-terrorism
economy featuring anti-terrorism businesses. What will anti-terrorism
businesses be like? They will enshrine the concept of helpfulness
and apply it in a big way to individuals and companies in the
poor countries of the world. This is not idealism. This is a
practical way for business people to fight terrorism while at
the same time strengthening their own bottom line.
Resentment Breeds Terrorism
In the free world we have the richest countries in the world.
Their peoples have mastered the arts and the sciences. They have
developed sophisticated technologies, products, systems and services
that fuel their vibrant economies. They have produced millionaires
and billionaires. They live in big houses and have a plethora
of gadgets to reduce drudgery, keep them mobile, and supply entertainment.
Life is good!
In contrast, people in poor countries, are not too gainfully
employed, live in thatched or mud huts (if they have a home at
all), don't have enough money to buy food, and are subject to
floods, disease, AIDS, and brutal neighbors. Life is fiendish.
The rich countries have perhaps 15% of the Earth's population.
Yet they produce 88% of the users of the Internet. Many of the
remaining 85% of the people in the world have never used a telephone.
Religion is not the primary cause of terrorism. Poor, frustrated
people turn to religion for solace. However, there is a limit
to the amount of solace they may get if they have nothing to
eat. So they become radicals. They become terrorists. What do
they have to lose? They become martyrs.
How to Reduce Resentment
There will always be some resentment of rich and powerful people
and of rich and powerful nations. But the amount and intensity
of resentment may be reduced greatly if poor people and countries
become more prosperous.
Yes, rich countries have established the IMF and the World Bank
to help the poor countries. But every time these financial institutions
offer a loan it comes with such tough conditions that rarely
can a country abide by them and still grow its economy.
The trouble with these financial institutions is that they are
based on the principle:
> The rich should help the poor
The implication is that the rich know best what to do and how
to do it. They feel superior because they are helping these inferior
people. For poor countries to be made more prosperous we must
use the following principle:
> The rich should enable the poor to help themselves
Instead of making plans, allow them to make their own plans.
Instead of teaching them how to do things, set up an environment
that enables them to learn. Instead of selling them sophisticated
technology, help them develop their own technology.
Anti-Terrorism Economy
Build a world economy that fights terrorism by making the economy
as inclusive as possible, thus enabling poor countries to grow
and prosper. This will produce more optimistic people, people
less eager to become terrorists and martyrs.
Take a look at our recent economies;
1 - INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY - We had an industrial economy only
in rich countries. Poor countries were used primarily to obtain
raw materials for use in industrial products for the rich. Colonialism
subjugated and impoverished poor countries further.
2 - NEW ECONOMY - Some called it the Information Economy. I
called it the Learning Economy. But again, primarily the rich
were part of this economy. Poor countries, who were hungering
for information and learning, did not have the wherewithal to
participate.
The main focus of companies has been on serving the rich market.
The reasoning has been: Rich people have money to spend, so let
us dream up gadgets and services to sell them. They forget, however,
that poor countries represent a vast untapped market.
Globalization has been touted as a boon to all. But in practice,
Globalization has meant the ascendance of multi-national corporations,
not the growth of many small companies in all countries.
So I think we should start building an
3 - ANTI-TERRORISM ECONOMY - The purpose of this economy should
be to replace terrorism candidates with peace candidates, illiterates
with doctorates, and starving nations with booming nations. This
can be done by infusing our efforts toward Globalization with
the spirit of helpfulness:
> Globalization with a Local Face
Anti-Terrorism Business
An anti-terrorism business markets to the world, not merely to
rich countries. It does its marketing by following the 3 principles
of Helpfulness Marketing:
1 - LEARNING - Help poor countries learn. They need to learn
about agriculture, small business, and about AIDS. We talk a
great deal about distance learning. Why not go the distance to
poor countries?
2 - COOPERATION - Help them build their infrastructure, so
they may use the Internet. Leap frog their telephone systems
to wireless technology. The poor need wireless for fundamental
learning tasks, not for talking to their refrigerators, as the
rich are planning to do.
3 - COMMUNITY - Make the poor part of your community. Form
alliances and partnerships. Work together on common projects.
Anti-Terrorism Business Examples
Examples of anti-terrorism businesses do exist. Here are 3:
1 - NOVICA - http://www.novica.com - This company travels all
over the world in search of local crafts: ceramics, jewelry,
paintings, clothing, games, sculptures, music, dolls, basketry,
lacquerware, etc. Beautiful items from developing countries are
offered for sale. Novica makes a fair profit and so do poor artisans.
2 - RAINTREE - http://www.rain-tree.com - Raintree works in
partnership with indigenous Amazon tribes to develop sustainable
resources to advance their income as well as the income of Raintree.
According to Raintree, the following statistics show the gain:
Raising Cattle $ 60/acre
Timber $ 240/acre
Sustainable Resources $2400/acre
The sustainable resources they work on are medicinal plants,
from which Raintree obtains all sorts of pharmacological products.
Raintree is stopping the destruction of rainforests, increasing
the income of indigenous people, and making a good profit!
3 - WORLD E-INCLUSION - http://www.hp.com/e-inclusion - Hewlett-Packard
is investing a billion dollars to search for "local knowledge"
and "creative genius" all over the poor areas of the world. The
company wants to help the developing countries develop. It says
it will choose projects based on the needs of local people, develop
them in partnership with local people, and offer sustainability
and fair value. HP plans to do well by doing good.
It is instructive to quote Carly Fiorina, CEO of HP, with regard
to the World E-Inclusion program:
"HP has always believed that we can do well economically and
do good socially at the same time. In other words, invent for
the common good. We believe World e-Inclusion is a great example.
As part of a long-term HP effort to find new revenues one, three,
five and ten years down the line, World e-Inclusion targets the
4 billion people that are seldom, if ever, served by traditional
information technology companies. By providing people with the
social and economic opportunities of the new information economy,
World e-Inclusion is setting the stage for tremendous growth,
both for HP and for developing countries."
Hooray for HP! It is a model for the rest of us.
Summary
Fight terrorism by reducing the number of poor people that fuel
terrorism. Reduce resentment and despair by building an anti-terrorism
economy consisting of anti-terrorism businesses like HP, that
aim to use the principles of Helpfulness Marketing - LEARNING,
COOPERATION and COMMUNITY - to bring prosperity to the poor as
well as to themselves.
About the Author
Paul -the soarING- Siegel is a provocative Internet speaker and
author of HELPFULNESS MARKETNG, an ebook stressing learning,
cooperation and community. Learn about it at http://www.learningfountain.com/.
Subscribe to newsletter, LearningFOUNT, by sending blank email
to: mailto:LearningFOUNT-subscribe@topica.com.
Written by: Paul Siegel
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