>>>Force is the only, the only thing radical Islam understands. It's not a coincident Gaddafi is rolling over.<<<
No, that's not true at all. If there's any people who are used to force it is the Arab world. When has that region of the world ever known a peaceful time? Israel used great force, but look where things are at there today.
We can use all the force we've got, but we'll never accomplishing anything when it comes to influencing how people think, what they believe and what they think is most important. This is something that can only come from a combination of self-criticism and the education which stems forth from it. Once this becomes understood then a message of meaning can be spread.
As it was long ago so well stated: A handful of might is not a handful of right; and the pen is mightier than the sword. I've always thought that the best way to destroy an army was not to pit weapons against weapons, rather it would be to get at its paperwork. These days, with computers, this task is made even easier.
So no, goldworldnet, I don't think force will bring us the resolve we need. The world has changed and we've got to realize that we've got to find ways to become more similar than different when it comes to fulfillment of needs. Individual freedom can only exist in the comforts of a free society that shares similar ideals.
If this free society becomes so uncomfortable with itself, then this means a loss of that freedom. Perhaps to get it back we have to realize maybe we're not so free when so many others aren't at all what with economic repression and our historical reliance on dictators to assure a wealth-building path for the few over the many.
Third worlds, including those in the Middle East, have always been impoverished even while rich in resources. Why is this? How can this possibly be? Unfortunately, unless in a direct military response (such as the world wars) our military and the threat of our military has been used more for purposes of get and keep, and has had little to nothing to do with freedom. And so Iraq!
Bottom line is education is the more powerful tool in today's world--but this requires patience and does not make for good war and terror politics.
I should note that when I use the term "war and terror politics" I'm not talking about this over all of us. No, these kinds of politics are reserved, saved and aimed for only a certain portion of independent voters who are necessary to tip the scales in a national election, this with half of the people not voting and the vast majority of the other half divided into two political parties. Yes, "war and terror" politics work very well at the attempt to influence that tiny sliver of the fence sitters who'll make the difference in national elections.
Oh, regarding Libya? Gaddafi had reformed and renounced terrorism a long time ago. Even though he did this, don't you remember the howl he got from the GOPwingers when Libya assumed that rotating leadership role in the UN? Well, today, since his current position now dovetails a bit of what Bush is doing, all of a sudden he's really reformed instead of having already reformed and Bush has become a hero. On the face of it, Libya got pretty mellow during the Clinton Administration and the recent actions of today have little to nothing to do with Bush. |
