"Climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism."

[kNIOKAS]

[QUOTE=step_back]Here's the video. http://www.motherjones.com/environme...te-change-isis

[I]"Bernie Sanders opened Saturday night's Democratic debate by vowing to rid the world of ISIS, the terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for killing more than 100 people in Paris Friday. In a follow-up question, moderator John Dickerson pointed out that during a debate last month, Sanders had identified "climate change" as the greatest threat to national security. "Do you still believe that?" asked Dickerson.

"Absolutely," replied Sanders. He added that "of course international terrorism is a major issue that we have got to address today," but argued that "climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism." Sanders warned that global warming could cause international conflicts "over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to

[step_back]

Sanders also had humility not to say that US foreign policy tore apart what was there of the insfrastructure in ME, especially Iraq, and that's what exacerbated the climate related issues even more.

I'm not actually all that familiar with Bernie Sanders because I live in England. I'm also not a socialist. I just knew that the colossal idiot that is Patrick Chewing would take it out of context.

[BoutPractice]

After watching bits from last night's debate, I have come to the conclusion that none of the presidential candidates are worth supporting, Democrats included.

I like the Democratic instinct not to overreach on national security and foreign policy. There's no need for a return to the overt imperialism of the Cheney years.

But denying obvious realities the way they did yesterday is not the way to go either. They don't just seem completely unprepared to deal with the jihadi threat... they seem like they don't even care about it that much.

Sanders clearly thinks it's not such a big deal... and O'Malley and Clinton are mainly interested in putting on a stage performance and making the topic about themselves...

The worst moment of the debate obviously being that climate change reference. And I speak as someone who thinks that climate change IS one of the biggest threats we are facing (although nuclear weapons remain the number one overall threat). But to make a bogus connection with the unholy war raging in the world right now is to live in fantasy land. Why do they have to so blatantly make stuff up? Usually you expect that from the climate change deniers...

I mean, you're dealing with people who mostly come from friggin desert countries. Do they look like they give a damn how hospitable the climate is? Same thing with familiar leftist tropes of terrorism being caused by such things as poverty and colonialism. There is rampant poverty in many parts of the world... where are all the international terrorists from Madagascar? Been attacked much by Jamaicans lately?

[kNIOKAS]

The worst moment of the debate obviouslybeing that climate change reference. And I speak as someone who thinks that climate change IS one of the biggest threats we are facing, by far. But to make a bogus connection with the unholy war raging in the world right now is to live in fantasy land. Why do they have to so blatantly make stuff up? Usually you expect that from the climate change deniers...

I mean, you're dealing with people who mostly come from friggin desert countries. Do they look like they give a damn how hospitable the climate is?

Well again, some things can't be addressed in the US, and that's understandable. The link is somewhat poor, but to say that people who don't have the government and infrastructure are overly dependent on, or rather vulnerable to climate instabilities is ok.

[bladefd]

Well there was already an al-qaeda apparently, what's really the difference?

Difference is al-qaeda did what they did behind closed doors while these tools from isis are doing it in the open with bigger numbers of supporters who are armed much more than al-qaeda. Huge difference and scarier, especially since countries can fall if isis keeps growing.

You are right that we should have paid off those in power to express positivity rather than death to everyone not Muslim. The war in Iraq was unnecessary from day one.

[bladefd]

The worst moment of the debate obviously being that climate change reference. And I speak as someone who thinks that climate change IS one of the biggest threats we are facing (although nuclear weapons remain the number one overall threat). But to make a bogus connection with the unholy war raging in the world right now is to live in fantasy land. Why do they have to so blatantly make stuff up? Usually you expect that from the climate change deniers...

I mean, you're dealing with people who mostly come from friggin desert countries. Do they look like they give a damn how hospitable the climate is? Same thing with familiar leftist tropes of terrorism being caused by such things as poverty and colonialism. There is rampant poverty in many parts of the world... where are all the international terrorists from Madagascar? Been attacked much by Jamaicans lately?

Do you agree that desperate people do desperate things? Climate change leads to more desperation as there are more and more scarcity of resources. Extremists blame the west for that too while leading more attacks against the west. It is to be expected from desperate people.

[BoutPractice]

Desperate people do desperate things, yes... but I don't see how such a vague premise leads you to the specific claim you're making.

Just because you desperately want something to be true doesn't make it so. Just because finding a direct link between climate change and terrorism would allow you to make a political point that suits your (well intentioned) agenda doesn't mean you should pretend there is one.

I'm a liberal. Very dovish on foreign policy and very pro measures that would help us transition away from fossil fuels.

But there are some facts I just can't ignore:

- The seat of Sunni extremism is Saudi Arabia, which, as far as I know, has always had desert climate (one of the harshest types of climate there is) and scarce resources.

If anything, it is the unexpected presence of resources that helped cause the kind of terrorism we're dealing with today, as Saudi Arabia's luck with oil is what allowed them to spend billions on spreading a hateful ideology throughout the world.

- At the same time, several of the terrorists in Friday's attacks lived in France or Belgium... not exactly climate wastelands with no water or electricity.

- Your counterargument will probably be that they still suffered from "scarcity of resources" because they were poor... Yet Bin Laden was the son of a billionaire construction magnate... basically Saudi Arabia's Donald Trump!

- By the way, here's a list of countries who face some of the biggest risks from climate change: Bangladesh. Vietnam. Cambodia. The Philippines. Senegal (a predominantly Muslim country known for not being a jihadi stronghold). Remember the last time French or American people were killed by Filipino terrorists?

Jihadists aren't killing people because of climate change, or poverty, or racism or colonialism. They're killing people because they are horrible human beings, and bear the full responsibility for their actions. Yes, we may accidentally help their cause sometimes. But none of it would happen if a bunch of thugs (adults, supposedly endowed with a brain and a moral compass like you and I) didn't decide to cause destruction. I'm tired of people (on both sides of the debate) blaming everyone but the actual enemy which is staring us right in the face.

[NumberSix]

What about tornados? Do tornados cause terrorism? Perhaps deforestation? Maybe snow storms?

[Patrick Chewing]

I'm not actually all that familiar with Bernie Sanders because I live in England. I'm also not a socialist. I just knew that the colossal idiot that is Patrick Chewing would take it out of context.

The idiot is Sanders and the bigger idiots are people like you that buy into the sky's falling argument that is climate change. For Sanders to directly correlate the rise in terrorism with climate change just goes to show what a senile old man he really is. It's on the rise because we have a weak ass bitch in the White House.

And what would you know you crumpet eating mother****er. You're infested with Muslim rats. Good luck with all that.

[Akrazotile]

What about tornados? Do tornados cause terrorism? Perhaps deforestation? Maybe snow storms?

Quick, someone get Deucewallace to the nearest phonebooth!


Captain Plant College gon' save us from the tur'ists!

[NumberSix]

Take a look at Saudi Arabia. What could climate change really do to a pile of sand?

Forget climate change. You know what would cause problems? Population growth.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Terrorism, primarily Islamic terrorism has been going on for a thousand years.:

PAT!!! PATTY!!! Are you being serious here, patard? PATTTTTT!!!

[BigNBAfan]

It's true, they've enslaved Hindus, Buddhists and pretty much everyone not their religion. Barbaric people, especially the black ones which are the worst. Look what' going on in Africa. These are these ISH posters uncles doing this

[fiddy]

Take a look at Saudi Arabia. What could climate change really do to a pile of sand?

Forget climate change. You know what would cause problems? Population growth.

Those "people" have doubled in 30 years, and we should take in more immigrants and let them do the same here

[Patrick Chewing]

PAT!!! PATTY!!! Are you being serious here, patard? PATTTTTT!!!

Please. Don't come on here and think that you know more than the next guy.

Mohammad himself was a terrorist. He led raids and sanctioned beheadings. I've brought up the Jews of Banu Qurayza plenty of times on this board before. So yes, the Muslims have been wreaking havoc on the world for years.