I don't see how we fight an ideology.  I hate to be pessimistic, I don't want to think the worst-but that's what I think.  Who do we bomb?  Or boots on the ground?  How does that fight against an ideology of exclusion and fear and despair and hate?  How do you combat people feeling angry or disenfranchised?  Trying to bring them into democracies where they, in theory, have opportunities for freedom, and upward mobility, and the way to worship or live the way they want?  That's been Europe for the last 30 years-all kinds of immigration-and now look.  If we "pulled out of the Middle East" like what they demand-so they can gain more power and funding and land?  Who does that help?  It certainly wouldn't help Israel.  It wouldn't help the women in the region.  They want people to live with antiquated religious beliefs-a life from thousands of years ago.

It's like a Pandora's box:  they're out, they're everywhere, there's no "containing" or trying to reason with them.  And all the refugees that are now all over Europe-of course the majority of those people want to live in peace.  But how are they to be incorporated into the societies that are already frayed?  The majority become Muslim:  it's like a reverse Crusades.  How do you fight this?  How do you de-radicalize people? How do you fight a few people with machine guns or suicide bombers going into crowded areas?  The right says More Guns.  More Secure Borders.  What does that even mean?  Everyone walking around with weapons? More guns ensure less violence? I'm dubious.  And "secure borders"?  You build an actual fence and NO one gets in?  What about people in Europe and here in the US who radicalize? Via the internet and their own insane thoughts?  The Boston bomber-a typical American teen who was a college student: how do you protect from that?

And what about our responsibilities as Jews, as Americans, as humans, to help our fellow man?  What does that look like when we're turning away the Syrian refugees?  The women and small children who arrive in boats with the clothes on their backs-we do what?  Send them back?  Settle them where?  What kind of litmus test do we give people?  What are your beliefs?  Do they align with ours so you're allowed to stay? What kind of democracy is that?  What kind of world is this?

Going forward-NO one know what the answer is-and the people who claim they do know are delusional.  If there was an easy answer (bombing somebody-who, exactly?  Jihadi John was killed yesterday morning by a drone-the evening brought the terror in Paris) wouldn't we do that?  Maybe Obama's policies have made it "worse".  But ideology can't be fought by drones, or "containment" or retaking areas in the Middle East-no matter what the Fox talking heads would have you believe.  So simplistic.  But I disagree with the left like Bill Maher saying that we need to leave the Middle East to basically appease these people.  They're not going away.

I am heartsick over this.  And when I look ahead, and I am not hopeful.  I guess I need to realign my core beliefs over what I can do, what I can see.  Where there is dark, there is light.  Where there is evil (and this IS evil) there are kind and good people (the Parisian taxi drivers giving free rides, people offering shelter in their homes, Sikh temples opening up to anyone who needed a place to stay.)  And I have to believe that most people are good.  Most people want to help others.  Also-you never know how long you have on earth.  It's important to do the most with the time you have-love your people, help others, pray for peace, enjoy your every moment.