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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Machaon who wrote (504)	12/12/2002 7:15:41 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15987

How do you change centuries of intolerance? The same way we've always changed intolerance.. By education and "gentle persuasion" via economic and political means. As an example.. one step would be to indicate to Arab countries that their tourists will be accorded the same respect and priviledges that American tourists are accorded when visited their nation. With tolerance for others comes priviledges. Intolerance is reciprocated on a quid pro quo basis... The biggest problem is that these cultures have not been required to face their intolerance and make hard decisions about changing their cultures to adapt to modern times. And not changing is their right.. Just as it is our right not to accord them respect or entre to our economy and our society. Of course, this does not apply to political refugees, and those who wish to immigrate to the US and become American citizens, but only to tourists and students who take advantage of our system. What is it going to take for the Arabs to agree to let Israel live in peace? Worst case scenario would be a direct threat by western nations to seize the oil fields, thus rendering Arab governments unable to raise the money required to fund these terrorist networks. Now that sounds far-fetched, but if one recalls that the oil fields in Saudi Arabi primarily lie in Shiite Arab areas, there could be a veiled threat to create a whole new country out of Shiite Arab Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Some Shiite holy sites are in Iraq, such as Karbala. I hope we don't ever get to that point, but before this is all said and done (within the next 10-15 years) it could come to that. But such an option would heavily rely upon modernizing/moderating Iran.. One more option is to, once again, set the Shiites against the Sunnis and Wahhibis, creating a balance of power similar to what was eventually created between protestants and catholics. Keep them busy worrying about each other, and less inclined to p*ss off the west upon whom they rely for income and technology. Hawk