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Politics : Moderate Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: zonder who wrote (5693)	1/14/2004 11:59:46 AM
From: i-node	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 20773

I would be interested to hear how exactly Saddam's removal has decreased the threat of terrorism to US and its citizens, wherever they live. The administration could see that you can't fight the threat of terrorism by conventional means. In particular, the cellular structure of Al Qaeda makes such a fight untenable. At the same time, you can't give in to terrorists as some want to do. The only solution is to eliminate the problem at its core. What IS its core? It's core is about a lack of dignity within the Mideast. These people just want to be treated with dignity and respect, yet, these dictatorships prevent it. Particularly, the revenues from the oil wealth is used to keep the victims of these dictatorships in check (as Friedman has pointed out, when Iran's oil revenue became insufficient to contain its larger population, the population began clammoring for freedom). These people are denied dignity by their dictators. They want what we have (ask the youth of Iran). They dare not take it out on their own leaders. So, who do they take it out on? The United States. We have what they can't. We're the enemy. Over time, this anti-American sentiment has grown. Now, you have entire generations raised to hate Americans. You can't just change it overnight. You have to eliminate the core problem. So, you put a democracy in the center of the Mideast. The Iraqi people clearly want it. The Iranians clearly want it, and the US-installed democracy next door will bring it to them. Over a period of years, this will bring about changes in the fundamental attitudes that resulted in 9/11. It is a brilliant game plan that required a level of courage we haven't seen in a president since Reagan. Arguably, since well before Reagan. The side benefit: The Libyas of the world get the idea. As do the NKs. And the Syrias. So we get temporary relief, as well.