The Easy Way to Stop Troubles: Ignore Them

Facebook is full of people repeating such silliness as this:

“Everyone is worried about stopping terrorism.  Well, there’s a really easy way:  Stop participating in it.”

—Noam Chomsky

How wise and true! Here’s what will surely happen:- 

In a back street of a large, major city a jihadist grabs a passing stranger, Joe, and holds a scimitar to his throat.


Jihadist:  Die, crusading bastard!


Joe:  Hey, stop! I’m not involved.


Jihadist (holding his scimitar away from Joe’s throat but still holding Joe in a strong grip):  What?


Joe:  Your struggle has nought to do with me.  I don’t participate in terrorism.  I believe in live-and-let-live and, to the extent that I have any awareness of the issues, I support your freedom to follow your religion in any way which seems best to you for I am a man of cultured reason and tolerance.  I have “an audacious confidence in the fundamental goodness of others”, including your good self.*


Jihadist:  You’re not a tool of the oppressive, imperialist crusader dogs?


Joe:  No, not I.  I am the very definition of a non-participant.


Jihadist:  Wait, I don’t kill you?


Joe: If it’s no trouble.


Jihadist (releasing Joe):  Oh, well, sorry to have bothered you.  I’ll go grab another victim to behead then.


Joe:  Nice chatting with you.  Good luck with your endeavours. See ya.


Jihadist:  Thanks.  Bye.

*  the words from “I am” to “self”, featuring a quote from the ABC’s jihadist-loving Jonathan Green, were suggested by a poster, Rabz, at Catallaxy Files.

Remember, you too can gain an underserved reputation for wisdom simply by voicing similarly quotable admonitions; for example, try “There’s a really easy way to stop x: stop participating in it”, wherein x = “murder”, “rape”, “burglaries”, “the heat-death of the universe”, “poverty”, “rough, dry elbows” or “superhero sequels”.