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[chadskin]

The Islamic State uses terror to force obedience and frighten enemies. It has seized territory, destroyed antiquities, slaughtered minorities, forced women into sexual slavery and turned children into killers.

But its officials are apparently resistant to bribes, and in that way, at least, it has outdone the corrupt Syrian and Iraqi governments it routed, residents and experts say.

“You can travel from Raqqa to Mosul and no one will dare to stop you even if you carry $1 million,” said Bilal, who lives in Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital in Syria, and insisted out of fear on being identified only by his first name. “No one would dare to take even one dollar.”

Ahmed, who gave only his first name for fear of reprisals, has also lived under rule by the Free Syrian Army, or F.S.A., the rebel group that rose up in 2011 to fight the Syrian government. The F.S.A., he said, is “like the regime. They are thieves.”

Under the Islamic State, he said, life can be brutal, but at least it seems more stable for those who can avoid crossing the group’s leaders. “Here they are implementing God’s regulations,” he said. “The killer is killed. The adulterer is stoned. The thief’s hands are cut.”

A recent study in Foreign Affairs focused on the group’s evolving legal system, based on an austere interpretation of Islamic law and modeled on a system set down by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century. Andrew F. March, a professor of political science at Yale, wrote in the study that over time the Islamic State “could become an increasingly ‘normal’ state, in which the simplicity of rules and institutions plucked out of early Islamic history gives way to bureaucratic administration and positive law.”

Hassan Abu Hanieh, a Jordanian authority on jihadist groups, said, “The judiciary system is swift and effective. That is why locals find stability in ISIS, and wrongdoings such as bribes and corruption are barely heard of.”

Lots, lots more at the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/w...nctioning-state-that-uses-terror-as-tool.html

See guys, ISIS isn't all bad.

Spoiler

/s

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Title also applies to Texas.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Sounds like a mixture of fear, Stockholm syndrome and religious fervour.

 

[Chariot]

My corrupt politicians aren't that bad when I think about it.

 

[Cagey]

A market state terrorist organization attempting to transition into a functioning market state of the type it was created specifically to fight against is not surprising, but it's certainly an incredible feat to pull off.

 

[Van]

Title also applies to Texas.

ummm, im texan and im confused by this, explain???

 

[daniels]

i cant imagine how victims of isis feel reading this garbage from these cowards.

 

[andycapps]

Title also applies to Texas.

There may be hope for Florida.

 

[Amory]

this says more about the governments they overthrew than it does about ISIS.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

ummm, im texan and im confused by this, explain???

Relax, was a joke. I have friends from Texas (I just wouldn't let one marry my daughter.) (That's a joke, too.) (I have no daughter.)



Though you folks down there do seem to love to execute people.

There may be hope for Florida.

See, andy gets it. And he's wrong.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

Title also applies to Texas.

How so?

 

[Fenderputty]

ummm, im texan and im confused by this, explain???

Your politicians use political fear tactics to control their base

 

[Antiwhippy]

This is the new "But mussolini made trains run on time!"

 

[Chariot]

This is the new "But mussolini made trains run on time!"

I mean, the Autobahn is very nice.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

I guess the severed heads they mounted on fence spikes in Raqqa discourage crime. Thats how I'd expect violent and primitive scum to run a society though.

 

[Ahasverus]

Fear works, see Saudi Arabia. Doesn"t mean it's right.

 

[rpmurphy]

A functioning state from which century? Doesn't sound appealing.

 

[water_wendi]

Caesars Legion irl.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Textbook example of "the trains run on time" trope.

 

[Kathian]

I always love the old 'dictatorship means less corruption'; no its literally the legalisation of corruption!

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

"Sure, minorities are murdered by the thousands and sex slaves are openly sold, but crime stats are way down!"

 

[Deified Data]

Caesars Legion irl.

My first thought.

 

[hesido]

Disgrace to humanity.

 

[Enduin]

My first thought.

Same. I don't think that's healthy.

 

[Condom]

i cant imagine how victims of isis feel reading this garbage from these cowards.

Cowards...yeah ok buddy.

 

[F0rneus]

I think my biggest fear for the modern world we live in, is that the shitstain called The Islamic State, could exist for a long time.

 

[Valhelm]

Cowards...yeah ok buddy.

A lot of what ISIS does is pretty cowardly. It doesn't take much bravery to gang-rape a teenage girl or throw a gay man off a tower.

 

[Amalthea]

Isn't that the endgame of most terrorist groups? To creat a violent terror-regime.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Cowards...yeah ok buddy.

Resorting to terrorism and violence to perpetuate your personal ideologies is extremely cowardly, yes.

 

[daniels]

Cowards...yeah ok buddy.

Well ok disgusting wast of air that with this article spit in faces of every single victim of the yazidis genocide.. better now?

 

[Kabouter]

Isn't that the endgame of most terrorist groups? To creat a violent terror-regime.

Not necessarily, certainly not in concrete terms. Al Qaeda's central leadership has never really had any intention to create a state for instance, even if they do dream of some far distant future where a caliphate might arise again. At least within radical Muslim circles, the Islamic State is certainly unusual in its nature.

 

[Stereogatari]

Their destruction will be soon. The sons of Ghengis and Atilla are preparing. We're going to slaughter those demons.

 

[Forkball]

“Here they are implementing God’s regulations,” he said. “The killer is killed. The adulterer is stoned. The thief’s hands are cut.”

Quite the god you've got there.

 

[diffusionx]

The Iraqi government we implemented never had any legitimacy. Same with Afghanistan. People were complaining about Hamid Karzai's corruption government immediately after it took power but we kept propping him up. It's why they are so useless against their opposition.

ISIS is a brutal organization but the longer they stick around the deeper their claws will sink and they will gain that legitimacy.

 

[wildfire]

If ISIS completes their plans of coalescing into a state (don't give a shit if various powers don't acknowledge it) the entire world fucked up.

 

[G.ZZZ]

If you ignore the mass murdering by the state, crime stats aren't that bad!

No shit bro. This is literally the "nazi made things work" time 1000.

 

[davepoobond]

If ISIS completes their plans of coalescing into a state (don't give a shit if various powers don't acknowledge it) the entire world fucked up.

ISIS focusing on building a governmental structure will just increase their need for funds they wont be able to easily get.

 

[Cagey]

If ISIS completes their plans of coalescing into a state (don't give a shit if various powers don't acknowledge it) the entire world fucked up.

IS transforming into something vaguely resembling a sovereign market state makes them a much easier target than the amorphous market-state terrorist outfit they are now. Just for one example, governance requires a location and a persistent presence. A terrorist outfit with a known home address is easier to confront than one that lurks in the shadows.

 

[Chairman Yang]

They're literally Ceasar's Legion from Fallout: New Vegas. Bunch of murderous enslaving LARPers who have the side effect of forcing peace if you tow the line. Incredible.

Definitely. Although there are many historical analogues as well: the Bolsheviks and Maoists (initially), various fascist governments, and many powerful movements that sweep into power with the promise of "getting things done". These movements tend to be so driven by ideology that, in some aspects, they're less prone to the corruption so common with normal governments.

 

[Cagey]

Definitely. Although there are many historical analogues as well: the Bolsheviks (initially), various fascist governments, and many powerful movements that sweep into power with the promise of "getting things done".

One key difference here is that IS is attempting to cobble together its own pseudo-state from territory belonging to other sovereign states without having overthrown the regimes in said states. They haven't even formally annexed the territory; they have gone the "possession is 9/10ths the law" route to staking their claim to the land they occupy because, hell, they are the ones occupying the land they claim.