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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (23642)	7/28/2003 12:02:32 AM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 89467

Actually, I'm concerned that the neo-cons may thwart change in Iran. Please excuse my poor choice of words. Instead of Middle East, a more precise phrase would have been Arabic Heartland - to mean that area between the Turkish-Iranian border and the Libyan-Sudanese border. To preclude you having to repeat yourself, I'm going to assume that the statements you made regarding the Middle East apply to the Arabic Heartland as well. If that is not the case, you can clarify your views. What I think should be done in the region varies enormously country to country, and has nothing to do with stimulating change. It is not a monolithic area, and I would not treat it as such, and I don't think it is any of our business stimulating the area. The countries there have the right to change, if the populations want to change. I'm sure you are aware that there is change in the Arabic Heartland now. Much of it toward increased militant fundamentalism. While, as you correctly to point out, some of this particular change is a result of the incredibly misguided efforts of our neo-con policy, this "back to the Qur'an" movement began long before 9-11. As you probably know, Bin Luddite's teacher was an expelled Egyptian fundamentalist. Do you believe this simmering pot of anti-US bile needs to be addressed? Not by some ignorant simplistic MIC (Military Industrial Complex) plan, but by a carefully designed approach grounded in the culture of that region? Now I see no harm in furthering certain of our interests, peacefully, through trade and aid. Do you believe that will slow (much less stem) the rising militant fundamentalist tide? Nobody is talking about some well advertised campaign to change the Muslims. To raise such an idea is to create a straw man. Any plan I would consider would, ab initio, try to minimize a backlash. (Minimize, but not preclude - since change always results in some "backlash".) Rather, I'm thinking more about utilizing the seductiveness of modernity, but in a carefully calculated (and difficult to discern) way. Use of the military should be both rare and ephemeral. This is a cultural war, so use culture. Might even try crafting some especially designed “rock ‘n’ roll”. <g> JMO lurqer