Please don't get ahead of yourself; I only suggested that violence wouldn't do much to solve the problem (excluding those engaging in self-defense, i.e. Peshmerga, etc.), and I further objected to the idea that "education" alone can solve the problem.

But violence is going to be a necessary part of solving the problem. Yes, we need a complete reformation in how the doctrine of Islam is interpreted, but we also need to stop these people from massacring innocents.

My whole point tries to emphasize that these men feel as if they have no future where they are from...

Well I'm sure you could say this about virtually every group of people. I have no objections to this though. Sure, plenty of ISIS militants probably felt ISIS was their best bet for a future, no different than how many people will apply to whatever job they think will give them the best future, marry the person who will give them the best future. However, on some level, if you think the best future is being rewarded with paradise for Martyrdom, it can definitely influence you to act differently. Whether or not you think it's bullshit is irrelevant, no different than how the American Dream is more or less a fabrication of American culture yet it still compels many to throw their cards into worthless money sinks.

In truth, the source of the problem is far more systemic than a surface analysis can really indicate. We're talking about how immigrant communities are viewed in their adopted countries; we're talking about the depression of wages; we're talking about the growth of unemployment, even though production is at an all-time high. Ultimately, we're talking about the human fallout of neo-liberal economics.

Okay, I can buy all that. No disagreement here. I think it's fairly obvious that the Middle East is far from being a bastion of Rawlsian philosophy.

Those who are already with ISIS should probably be given amnesty, and face justice in whatever country they happen to be in when amnesty is given. So if they're in Kurdistan, they'll face Kurdish justice. If they're in the UK, they'll face "western" justice. Really cuts a lot of the violence out of the picture.

I don't think that will happen. They have committed crimes against foreign nations and similar to the Nuremburg trials they deserve to be tried on an international level. That's not to say that these people have done anything near as bad as the holocaust, but their acts are completely deprave and are unfortunately function on a greater scale.

I imagine it would be a blow to ISIS rank-and-file morale and boon to "western" agitprop if they could get entire battalions to drop out.

I imagine it would be too, but I think there's about as much chance of that happening as praying the gay away.

So, really, your understanding of what I was suggesting reflects none of the nuance of my belief.

My only goal was to address your point that violence is not going to solve any problems with ISIS. It will solve many problems. It will not end Islamism, but you said this:

But then, if you think "shooting it out" is going to do much good either, you're just as naive as those who believe you can hug it out.

Violence is a short-term solution. There needs to be an intellectual revolution in the Islamic world and letting people like Irshad Manji criticize the barbaric bits of doctrine is the long term solution. Unfortunately, this does nothing for the people suffering under the rule of ISIS right now.