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Old 02-04-2006, 08:49 PM   #18
Dutch
"Dutch"
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Tampa, FL
I don't think anybody really has any ideas other than what's happening right now with western (US/UK) intervention. The US effort in Iraq and Afghanistan seem a worthy effort to piggyback on, however. If democracy can hold in those two nations (I looks like they may right now) then the people of those two nations will start to get a lot more information and a lot more exposure to the west than they are used to.

That'll have it's ups and downs, but to me, desegregation should be the key mission of the human race. So bringing the west to Iraq and Afghanistan is something I consider a noble and neccessary effort. The question that makes this endeavour risky is, "Are these people ready for desegregation?"

In 2001, the Middle Eastern segregation had it's own Berlin Wall. It stretched from Pakistan to Algeria. The transport for that message rode on the coat-tails of terror groups. Kings and dictators alike either appeased these mullah's, or faced overthrow by the mullah's large support base.

But this uninterupted chain is no more. Afghanistan and Iraq splits Pakistan off on it's own. Iran off on it's own. And Syria nearly off on it's own.

And as long as Iraq and Afghanistan can succeed to the point where democracy becomes self-regenerating in their own flavor of democracy (and with no US support) their own sphere's of influence will push back against the aniquated systems of hard-liner theocratic rule.

Of course, a democratic middle east would present it's own challenges, but I think economic rivals are better than ideological rivals. At least in today's global world.

It's all a bit risky, but right now, success seems to have huge rewards, while failure seems to return us to where we were in 2001. It's worth the effort in my opinion.
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