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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: HG who wrote (5815)	10/17/2001 3:58:46 PM
From: k.ramesh	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

How to coopt 25-50% of a given population into the world order. Democracy as the west knows it is a distant dream in many parts of the world. A lesser goal is to somehow ensure that 25-50% of any population has a stake in a stable world. The US should be open to the idea that in the interim this could possibly be attained by seemingly benevolent dictatorships like Pakistan, wink-and-a nod socialism like China, semi protectorates like the stans. The US obviously cannot and should not do it all. If some other established powers wish to enlarge their sphere of influence, the US should not object, It would be somewhat akin to a good bank taking over a bad bank - eg. Japan could enlarge its protective umbrella over Indonesia, Phillipines . The hardest nut to crack, the Middle east will fall upon the US - a variety of ways,short of direct intervention might help. Shock may not be a bad thing - a 20% drop oil consumption might engender a 50% drop in the price of oil, this and a hostile west might wake up the Saudis/Iran etc to get their economy together - even if it has to take the next 20-25 years. That region needs to face up to the reality of earning a living like countries in Asia,Africa and S America. The US, Europe China and Russia will have to stop arms sales to these countries, so that Pakistan to Morocco becomes a big buffer zone. Who is going to attack them anyway. With a peace guarantee of sorts, and no oil bonanza they will have little choice other than becoming contributing members of the world community.