The real cost of terror

I booked a domestic air ticket recently and noticed a US 9/11 security fee of $13.34 on the invoice which was almost 10% of the value of the ticket itself. The US air travel industry in 2020 clocked around $50 Billion which was one of the lowest numbers due to the pandemic. Even at these conservative estimates, that's about $5 Billion per year that the air traveler foots every year for increased security measures that have been introduced after 9/11. The war on terror in Afghanistan has cost the US exchequer an estimated $2.3 Trillion which will have to come out of taxes, direct and indirect.

The bottom line is that even after 20 years after the deadly attack, we are still paying the cost of vigilance and we will continue to do so in the foreseeable future,

The social cost of terror is far higher than the economic costs. After 27/11 in Mumbai, though the city bounced back incredibly fast, there is still a lingering uncertainty with Mumbaikars on the ephemeral nature of our existence and how it can change in a minute if you are unlucky to be caught up in a situation like this

While terrorism feeds on the angst of the common populace and public outrage is normal and expected, there are limits to what any Government can do to curb the menace. Terror is like a cancer and remedies like chemotherapy will cause so much of collateral damage that it weakens the entire body and leaves it defenseless against other diseases and this is exactly the objective of terror.

When a country's resources are diverted at a disproportionate level to countering acts of terror, there is very little left for actual development which feeds poverty and in turn provides a breeding ground for new recruits to terror organizations. More often than not these recruits are incredibly young from impoverished backgrounds and can be easily brainwashed. This as you can see is a vicious cycle, like a snake feeding on its own tail, which will one day result in the demise of the snake itself

What is needed in addition to the tactical measures we have in place are systemic measures, one of which is ensuring that children are taken care properly, especially the ones who are either orphaned or who live in poverty. Nourished well, physically, mentally and spiritually so that we can help break this vicious cycle.

Though this is easier said than done, this is definitely one of the strategic directions we should look at and every citizen should in some way watch out for such kids and try based on individual strength to make their lives better, for the children of today are the creators of tomorrow and in this lies one our avenues for salvation