Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Swartz
I sympathize with part of this point of view. It's sure a heck of a lot easier to think we should just try to get along with other nations, but the fact of the matter is that public opinion worldwide is basically pacifistic on the subject of terrorism. I'm all for trying to have more effective diplomatic measures, but the fact of the matter is that due to economic self-interest and the misguided views of their own constitutents those nations which are sometimes comically referred to as our 'allies' are not interested in meaningful action against terrorism in the long-term. It's the world we live in, and in that world we can either act or we can surrender to a future where people like OBL can blackmail us with nuclear threats.
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This is an overly simplistic view.
Public opinion is not "basically pacificistic" on the subject of terrorism worldwide, it is very conflicted.
We do not have only the choices of "acting" or "surrendering".
This is
exactly the problem we have in this country.
The War on Terror is a propaganda war. The Islamic Terrorists (and let's not kid ourselves, that's the only kind of terrorist we're talking about here) rely upon their constituents, from financiers to suicide bombers, to believe that they are fighting the good fight against evil and corrupt regimes. If we act in a manner that can be construed to be evil or corrupt (and sadly the history of the invasion of Iraq is now full of examples), we're just doing their job for them.
Ever since the U.S. stopped overtly messing with Middle East politics in 1979 with the fall of the Shah, anyone who has studied the region (and been there) will tell you that slowly but surely moderate elements have sprung up, and interest in, and adoption of, Western and free market ideas and ideals gradually increased. Until 2002.
Since 2002 all of these moderate elements have suffered setbacks. Regimes in the Middle East that were formerly good allies of the U.S. have had to get more radical to appease their radicalized populaces. This is the result of an overt, unilateral and aggressive foreign policy.
We need to get back to what won us the propaganda war against Communism. Let backwards regimes flounder. Give back-channel help to moderate and modernizing regimes. Give behind-the-scenes help to moderate elements in opposing client states. Work diplomatically to open up cracks in opposition states through which our free market tendrils can work.
This was working. The bin laden family used to help the U.S. Government keep tabs on their estranged family member. Now he's probably in Pakistan where no one's inclined to turn him in. Moderate elements used to be gaining some representation in various ME countries (notably Iran). Now they're mostly on the run.
This is what we need to be doing and this is what our foreign policy needs to be able. Always-changing, always-adapting. Not a 21st century crusade, because we'll just lose that battle, like every empire before us has.