Hi, Jay. I have come around to the camp of people who argue that we don't need SDI, we need to make friends with China and Russia. If that is possible. Because the enemy is a common enemy.
My understanding is that China has considered maintaining the stability of Islamic regimes in the region in its interest because that kept Russia and the USA busy, taking pressure off China. If that's wrong, I know you'll let me know.
At any rate, right now jihad is aimed at us, and about 300 Russian civilians have been the victims of terrorism in the cities of Russia, likely due to Chechenya, and as far as I know, no Islamic terrorists have hit civilian targets in China. Hong Kong isn't an obvious target, IMO. You aren't a symbol of anything hated. But it's probably easier, as you say, to hide something nasty coming into Hong Kong than the mainland. As my husband says, that's thinking like a soldier, not like a terrorist. When they start thinking like soldiers, worry.
People who urge brutality against Muslims should consider how ineffective that's been in Chechenya.
People who urge all out military assaults against Muslims should consider how ineffective that's been in Afghanistan.
At this exact moment, Yasser Arafat isn't happy with the bombing, neither is the government of Pakistan, and Kadhafi and the Taliban say they aren't either. So there's no reason to piss on their shoes.
I think the bright boys and girls need to put on their thinking caps and think of a real solution. It won't be a futile exercise because we can start our own meme.
My mental image is of the Islamic countries with Europe and Israel to the west, Russia to the north, China to the east, India to the south and east, and non-fundamentalist governments in charge of most of the countries. Within the circle are a seemingly undifferentiated mixture of ordinary people and radicals.
What we did in the past is teach the guys we thought were the best of the bunch how to keep their own citizens in line. That hasn't worked, either.
From an email from one of my sisters:
>>I know from personal experience in the '70's that there are
people all over the Middle East, 'good Muslims', who hate the
fanatics who rule their countries more than we do. My friend
Farshad was killed by Iranian zealots when he went home
from college right after the Iran hostage crisis. He was
killed for his anti-fanatic activities while here in the U.S.
He was on someone's 'disappear' list, because they picked him
up at the airport and his family and friends never heard another
word about him. This happened to many anti-Khomeini students.
Yet people here treated him like 'one of them' when they
met him at school or on the street. He was a beautiful, funny,
kind, freedom-loving, brave youth that any American would be
privileged to know. There are men all over Afghanistan
who have died while fighting fanatical tyranny. And now
we want to bomb their parents, widows and orphans?
Please God, no.
Cool heads, stellar statesmanship, implacable will; we need
these more now than at any moment in our history.<<
I remember when she was dating Farshad. Farshad convinced her that Iranian women don't mind wearing Chador. Hey, what do I know? I am not Iranian. But I'd like to talk to Iranian women about that, not Iranian men.
These people need to be able to make their own tradeoffs - we need to not be the vehicle for expression of dissatisfaction.
brown.edu
Someone needs to ask Salman Rushdi about living in peace. |
