jayeff

Study history: unfortunately it does. The world (or whichever part is relevant in a given context) doesn't wake up one day and say, "Hey, this is a bad situation. Let's put it right." If people who feel they are being wronged do not create circumstances which makes it easier to deal with them than ignore them, nothing will change.

Since terrorism is the current administration's favorite buzz word, it makes for a particularly good example. For years, Israel, the US and others said they would never talk to the PLO, but they ended up recognizing them as the legitimate authority in the West Bank and Gaza. Now many of the same people are showing their electorates how tough they are and claiming they will not talk to Hammas. But if Hammas don't back down, eventually that will change.

There are many other examples, such as the Basque separatists, who didn't get their concessions by being nice people and having a legitimate cause, but with bullets and bombs.