I don't know. That's a phrase humans often use, but not nearly enough in my estimation. Many times, even when we think otherwise, we just do not know, as is the case with the attacks in Paris last week. Who, what, where, when and how are fairly easily to determine. Though it's the much more elusive "why" that we don't know.

Why? Why did this happen? What do the terrorists want? Were their actions the result of Western foreign policy? Or was belief in Islam the main culprit? Was this attack even propagated by ISIS? Or was it a false flag operation blamed on Islamic extremists? While we're free to speculate, there are some questions that, at least as of yet, we just don't have the answers to. Maybe never will. But here's what we do know.

Western societies are beginning to feel the backlash of bloodshed and chaos that their governments have inflicted upon humanity the world over. And it's not the imperialist policymakers whose blood is being spilled; presidents and prime ministers remain at large. It's the taxpaying citizenry, those of us who finance imperialism, who get brutally murdered. When the proverbial chickens make it home to roost, they almost always do so at the feet of non-combatants. This, we know.

We also know that to prevent terrorist attacks, mass shootings and other violent crime is all but impossible. And also that, as was well-demonstrated in Paris on Friday, the police are incapable of protecting the populace. In other words, future massacres will take place and We the People are on our own in developing remedies that actually work.

Another thing we know at this point is what will not work. Increased militarism is certainly not the solution, although that's exactly what France has visited upon the people of Syria in the wake of the Paris attacks. More gun control won't help either, given the utter failure of France's strict gun laws to protect its citizens. However, there are, in fact, ways to improve matters.

We begin by having an honest discussion about the link between beliefs and behavior. We can acknowledge the psychological and physical dangers of thinking that certain books have divine origin. And we can proceed to wage the war of ideas necessary in order to maximize the lives, liberty and happiness of all humans.

People who reside in the West can hold these governments accountable for the taxpayer-funded crimes committed across the planet. Who better to bring about an end to imperialism than those of us who finance it? And wherever the State cannot be reformed, then the people are well within our rights to abolish it.

Most immediately, we mitigate future attacks ourselves when they inevitably occur. Whether through individual acts of heroism like that of Adel Termos, or by way of a collective response, there are several ways in which we can limit the body count. What's painfully obvious is that calling the authorities is neither effective, nor is it necessary, as evidenced by the long litany of mass shootings stopped by armed pedestrians. While most civilians in the Western world are legally handicapped in this area, those of us in the United States have ample opportunity to arm and defend ourselves.

The times in which we live are nothing short of historic. The Western world is reaping what it's sown. And even though its citizens claim ignorance so that they may claim innocence, we are indeed powerless to reverse history. Just as Houstonians are unable to undo the crimes of US imperialism, Parisians cannot undo the horrors of French colonialism. What we can do, however, is anticipate, preempt and otherwise neutralize the next chicken that is currently on its way home to roost.