Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: LindyBill who wrote (40737)	8/29/2002 11:32:54 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Based on that, what would you say that the Author, or you, think we should do? If I can step in here, I opine we require a multi-pronged and long-term approach, much of what we seem to be starting to implement. 1.) Military.. The US can NOT be seen as weak in the face of militant Islam. We have to be seen as willing to hunt them down where ever they are, and to exert whatever pressure required upon the governments sheltering them. 2.) Economic... Economic realities drive political beliefs, which is why this is the second most important aspect that US strategy must consist of. Combined with the military approach, it must be made plainly obvious that there is much more to be gained by being our friends, than by being our enemies. Thus, the US must step up economic foreign assistance to those regimes which express friendly relations with us, while denying it to regimes which harbor terrorists (that doesn't mean we cannot financially support opposition groups which provide humanitarian assistance to people). Feed and provide opportunity to people who receive nothing from their corrupt regimes and you'll show the true meaning of what the American system represents. Increase the presence of NGO and Peace Corps volunteers in the Muslim world, in particular Africa. 3.) Political/Educational.. The US must make its case. And it must exert extensive effort at winning over the hearts and mind of Muslim youth, who represent the future of the region. If that requires subverting current regimes through economic and political aid to opposition groups, then so be it. We must assert that stagnant stability is not sufficient... Stability can only come from enfranchising people with political and economic rights so that THEY make the decisions (which generally will not include naked aggression against one's neighbors out of fear of losing what they have already gained). And this means matching extremist propaganda efforts to evangelize the muslim world to their reactionary ideology with equal attempts to expose people to the opportunities that lie in front of them should they choose moderation and economic competition over militancy. The one thing the militants cannot provide their people is an economic future. All they offer is "blame" for why the people are currently enduring poverty and repression. All they can do is try and pin the Arab world's problems upon the Jews and Zionist conspiracy (alledgedly supported by the US). Their's is the politics of desperation, aimed at converting desperate people to their cause. Where the US can win is by using the carrot or stick approach (interchangably, if necessary) until we obtain the form of stability that includes economic progress on a broad basis, and not just for a few select rulers. The one over-riding theme throughout humanity is that people "vote" their pocketbooks, which represent their own interests. Make moderation and tolerance politically and economically attractive and extremist regimes will eventually be forced to moderate their own policies or be left in the economic and political dust. Hawk