The intractable, insidious conflict between Islamism and the West

There are no easy solutions here — because, in no small part, the West inadvertently co-authors Islamist terrorism

French NATO soldiers patrol the streets of Kabul in 2008.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)

When al Qaeda struck at the United States in 2001, its targets were hard symbols of American power and decision-making: the Pentagon, the Capitol, and the financial capital. When ISIS struck Paris on Friday, its targets were soft symbols of Western lifestyle: sport, restaurants, a secular concert. People eating, drinking, and laughing at night for their own pleasure.

ISIS knows our thinking. It knows how to make us afraid.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.