seeahill wrote:Maybe not the new normal, at least over time. Here's pollyanna's view.
ISIS loses all its territory. Begins to look like losers to the middle eastern guy on the street.
Their social media presence loses its potency and ability to recruit (who wants to join a bunch of losers).
Meanwhile, an increased anti-ISIS social media presence gains traction.
And what happens to all the crazies when they're little "state" is occupied by someone else? They don't stop believing. And they still have social media and the internet to broadcast their little screeds and random attacks. Do you think the San Bernardino shooters would be dissuaded by the lack of a caliphate?
I don't see the random attacks across the globe ending anytime soon.
Then again, maybe you're right because until they established a caliphate, we didn't have this garbage.
I read in a great article in the Atlantic a year back or so, that they believe there will be a final battle at one particular place. We should invite them to join us in a glorious battle, the end of times battle. Then nuke them. Losing the battle of the apocalypse would probably put a pretty big nail in their caliphate's coffin.