The Problem With Scapegoats

Curt Day

Our world is at war. There are conflicts all over. Much of the fighting involves at least 1 of the following 3 groups: Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The question becomes who is at fault?

An op-ed in my local newspaper blames Muslim fanatics. The writer basically said it is in their culture from long ago when their predecessors loved death as much as their opponents loved life. According to this writer, nothing is new. Thus we have a clash between one culture that sends its children off to die and our culture that celebrates and preserves life. So are Muslims to blame?

Before we answer this question, we must ask what about the Jews? In America, both liberal and conservative Jews are united in one purpose--to support Israel. While liberal Jews are content to help provide financial support, Jews who form the backbone of Neoconservatism want more. Neoconservatives want the US to use their military to interject democracy into the Middle East in order to prevent the spread of Islamic States. This is to protect Israel. In addition, Israel continues to occupy or take land from the Palestinians. Since most Middle East problems come from the Israeli-Arab conflict, are Jews to blame?

Jews are not the only ones who unconditionally support Israel. Many Christian Fundamentalists believe it is their sacred duty to do the same.

These Christian Fundamentalists want more than just a certain foreign policy however. They want America to change from being a democratic republic to a Biblical Republic. The most extreme of these Fundamentalists are called Reconstructionists. They want the whole Law of Moses to become the next Constitution of the US--this includes stoning people who commit certain sins. Non-Christian proselytizing would become illegal. Their hope is that by replacing governmental institutions, such as education, with Christian equivalents, they can take over with the people's blessing.

These same Fundamentalists see the world as being in a battle between good and evil where they are good and their opponents are evil. Since there is no reasoning with evil, they have been supporting our government's militaristic approach to foreign policy. In short, fundamentalists are a key driving force pushing our country into one conflict after another. Are Christians to blame?

It is often said that those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it, but what about those who study history? Perhaps they see the future. So what could historians say about our future if we were looking to blame someone for our problems? What would happen if we picked a scapegoat?

First, the group that selects the scapegoat would be using selective focus and overgeneralization. Regardless of whom we choose, all of the above groups have made important contributions to the civilized world. And there are many exceptions to the negative stereotypes used.

In addition, the group that selects the scapegoat will interpret the sins of the scapegoat out of context. As a result, they will disregard the issues and the suffering experienced by the designated scapegoat. For example, Hamas has said that the Holocaust suffered by the Jews is not their problem. So they look at the expansionism from Political Zionists as a work of the devil. And Jews who suffer terrorist attacks overlook both the brutal occupation the Palestinians experience as well as how Arabs have suffered from Western colonialism.

Third, the group that selects will hide a desire to dominate behind the scapegoat. Again, Political Zionists want to dominate Palestine. As a response, Islamists want to dominate the Middle East. And because America wants to be free from the newest ism, she wants to dominate strategic parts of the world. What makes the domination of others morally plausible is the promise that control will prevent future suffering. Unfortunately, some kind of population purification will be part of the deal.

Once in a while we see an exception. Sometimes we see an oppressed group refusing to use scapegoats. The Civil Rights Movement, under Martin Luther King, is such an example. Afraid that the oppressed could become the oppressor, King neither used Whites as scapegoats nor planned to dominate to thwart future oppression. Such a feat is miraculous considering the context of King's struggle.

We have a choice between world peace or world suicide. Those who feel most threatened have the biggest opportunity contribute. Either we can follow King's example or we can fulfill the prophecies foretold by History. Either we can understand our enemies situation in order to win over as many as we can. Or we can dominate and thus ensure that someday, our world will destroy itself.

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Curt Day is a religious flaming fundamentalists and a political extreme moderate. He can be reached at cday@prodigy.net

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