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

To: Bilow who wrote (38147)	8/16/2002 2:00:13 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

There are billions of non muslim youth coming to the age of majority over the next few decades. Not in the Western democracies. Population growths have been almost stagnant for decades. And in Japan, they are estimating that 1 in 3 people will be over 60 years of age within 25 years. The excessive growth rate that has occurred in the middle east (3-4%) equates to a population doubling every 30 years or so. But out of such growth lies opportunity (markets) in addition to risk. But unless the US and other nations are prepared to invest the political and economic capital to sway Muslim youth from being recruited by extremists, we're in for some major strife over the coming decades. Political Scientists and Sociologists who have focused on the rise of Islamic extremism over the past 10-20 years (though dating back to the formation of the Muslim Brotherhood in the '20s) have recognized this disturbing trend. You see, I'm not interested in "suppressing" the Middle East. That's like locking a child in a closet until they are 18 and releasing them, and then wondering why they are mal-adjusted, if not almost psycho-pathic. I'm interested in directing and influencing the eventual future that Muslim youth seek to achieve. And that is our great strength as a nation and economic system. But one thing is sure, we have to limit our support for the current regimes, unless they are willing to open up their societies and give their people some hope of a properous future, rather than twisting their minds and emotions to deflect any blame for their disastrous economic plight from the current leaders who are responsible for it. Hawk

To: Bilow who wrote (38147)	8/16/2002 2:10:53 PM
From: Win Smith	Respond to of 281500

Re: "And their hearts and minds are up for grabs, either by the west, or by Islamic extremists." This is true, but your technique of converting them with bullets is hopeless. The proper way to convert them is to do the same thing we did to convert the youth of Iran, who are now giving the government there so much trouble. Well, if bullets fail, there's always the option of extended military occupation. Worked real well in the West Bank over the last 35 years. If irony weren't a verboten pomo thing, officially declared dead after 9/11, I'd think the neocons were using it on the "hearts and minds" thing. I sort of like LindyBill's "get those bastards" formulation better, at least it's honest.