SteeleRedux, I would presume that Japan has no problems with terrorism because they don't allow asylum seekers or refugees.
On the other hand, countries who do have refugees but are not involved with bombing anyone, like Denmark, Sweden etc. do have problems with terrorism.
And the current civil war happening in the Phillipines has no connection to any involvement in the Middleeast.
From that we can presume that all you need to attract terrorist attacks is a population of Muslims large enough to shelter radicals

Not often do Leoj and I agree on things, but in fairness Leo's observation about homeless people in his area is so true, I actually do some part time work on housing issues with homeless and what I would term semi-homeless people. It applies in my location as well. The biggest issues with the homeless is not alcohol, is not drugs, its mental illness. The other two play their part, as does family issues, but they are not the primary cause.

I think its fair to say people who commit terrorists acts are not normal, far from it. Does anyone think for example that Man Monis was in someway normal.

AJ, this might be a silly idea, but would it help if we possibly tried a different approach in the Middle East. If we tried to bring peace for example. that might require a lot of negotiations between all parties, and a lot of concessions being made by them and us, and everyone else. That is not to say we should not continue what we are doing at home on the terrorists front, vigilance at home is certainly necessary, given the state things are in at the moment.
I am not overly optimistic that peace is not achievable in the long term, nothing will change in the short term, that is for sure, and I can't say how long that is, but I am not totally pessimistic either.

On the score of what Christianity and Islam, and all the other major religions teach, or don't teach, Theologians have been arguing that for centuries. I recall one Pope justified enslaving Black Africans on the grounds that although they were human beings, because that was obvious, enslavement was justified because the black devils didn't have a soul, like good white folk, and you can't enslave a soul, everything else is fair game.

@SteeleRedex..."There are some people in Syria and Northen Iraq right now who are getting bombs dropped on their heads by Australian planes, sniped at by Australian troops, and straffed by Australian helicopters. They would be saying exactly the same bloody thing."

There are some people in Iraq and Syria who are having their heads chopped off, burnt to death, their women raped and tortured because their own people calling themselves ISIS are murdering them by the thousands. What do you suggest we do?

Ignore them? Personally, ignoring them is probably the best solution as far as I can see, let them work it out for themselves...they're not particularly grateful for our help are they. They never are and they never change.

Their religion is backward and they stay backward because of it. Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan have to be two of the saddest countries on the planet, Iran not much better...and why? because of their religion. And that says it all really.

That is not what I want for anyone in my country, but unfortunately a lot of their revolting practices are already ingrained. I'll never forget my shock on first hearing about female genital mutilation..I honestly thought the media was making it up.

Steele Said;
Dear Bazz,

You bent over backward to defend the rights of Monis to send those
terrible letters to the families of soldiers serving and dying
overseas. You wanted hate speech laws diluted while I wanted them
maintained or even strengthened so that we were able to sanction those
who spread hatred from the mosques and the Churches.
=-=-=-=

I DID NOT ! Please apologise !

It is simply not the case that terrorists are suffering from mental conditions.

The consistent link is Islam.

The evidence is that jihardist organisations employ a range of tactics, there is a core and a diverse, decentralised (intentionally so) number of cells. However through fundamentalism and the outreach of fundamentalist Islam (which can be international or domestic) casts a broad net.

Where it is claimed that there are 'lone wolves' and 'home grown' terrorism, such assertions by 'authorities' are probably aimed at denying the international terrorist handlers/propaganda credit. The push against anti-terrorism has propaganda too. But trace back such 'home grown' terrorists and find they were commonly the recipients of asylum and citizenship.

As too for example are so many of the (middle eastern ethnic) criminal gangs who deal in drugs and commit so much violence in Australia and may be apprehended overseas. Through citizenship they are called 'Australian'. But of course such criminals are in fact anything but Australian, or for that matter British or American or Swedes, because they lied and have rejected the very ethos of the kind country that took them in.

So a terrorist can be anyone and for usefulness and possible deeper integration, professionals who are fundamentalist but not inhibited by any stupidity or 'derangement] that impairs their function, organising skills and mission.

We might only think that all are mad, stupid and easily influenced because it is scary to be confronted by the truth, which is that we and our secular democratic institutions and especially the law inherited from the UK are inconvenient to and are therefore despised by Islamists.

The problem as I see it is that we are not doing enough to encourage and support the small number of Muslims who are focussed on changing Islam. That and our federal government still puts 'diversity' ahead of the goals of immigration and above our quality of life and safety.

Lots of comment about slavery. I recently had need to read up on early
Roman history and I have learnt something.

No society can advance unless it has a surplus of energy after it has
performed all the work necessary for its maintenance.
It can then devote that excess energy to new projects or expansion.
Slaves are a source of energy that can be directed to those new
projects or expansion.
The ERoEI of slaves may be poor but it can improve the overall system.

I believe that this was a path to development of our societies.
With the early development of technologies eg, water wheels, water
races, by work of slaves, a more efficient excess energy became
available which made slaves redundant.

Note that in Rome slaves started to be educated and employed in
clerical work and were being granted citizenship. Then some hundreds
of years later slavery ended in the west as coal was put to work.
The moslems never learnt those lessons and still engage in the slave trade.