If the Islamic State is looking for a new national poem, they should look no further than Still I Rise by the late poet Maya Angelou. It is not in the original meaning of the work, but some of the words ring true for the terror group: “You may shoot me with your words,/ You may cut me with your eyes,/ You may kill me with your hatefulness,/ But still, like air, I’ll rise.” At least, this must be how the United States feels after repeated attempts to destroy the group have only resulted in its growth. Looking at the past and looking towards the future, American intervention in the Middle East is similar. Presidential candidates are spewing out their tactics, including a plan to “just bomb the suckers” and the popular idea of “carpet bombing into oblivion”. Should the world be surprised, after this rhetoric, that Muslims are increasingly identifying with ISIS? To achieve real progress and stability in the Middle East, outside countries need to incorporate peaceful counterinsurgency and necessary rebranding in the region. Using militaries for causes outside of war will allow decades old issues to finally be resolved that will eliminate the appeal and strength of extremist terror groups. The main idea that many fail to realize about ISIS and …show more content…
In a region consistently at war, ISIS supplies the essentials to those who subscribe. Conflict has seen the loss of stable jobs, education, and housing. However, stability comes from well paying jobs within ISIS as a media personnel, which guarantees housing and education for children. If the United States were able to provide these services to the Middle East, instead of taking them away, they could dispel the label of ‘enemy’. By showing individuals that terror is not the only way to secure a good life, as it is now, the situation in Iraq and Syria could be