More than Criticism

I was recently told (on a message board, not on real life) that when it comes to the Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism, liberals don't ever offer real solutions - we just bash the current Administration. In the words of my detractor, "I guess its easier for some to point fingers and criticize then to actually suggest a possible alternative."

Actually, most folks on the left favor trying to solve the root causes of international terrorism...things like capturing Osama bin Laden. You know, little things.

</easy dig>

Here are some alternatives to stopping terrorism (or violent extremism, or whatever) before it strikes:

1)Stop supporting totalitarian regimes.
Did you know that the US Government has openly supported the regime of president Bashir Assad in Syria since he took power 16 years ago, until the assassination of Rafik Hariri in Lebanon? People in Syria connect Assad's brutal dictatorship with the US, and so that feeds into the hatred of the US that already simmers because of our support of Israel. We were also a huge fan of Saddam Hussein until he invaded Kuwait. Sad, really, how the Reagan administration just loved the guy, but as soon as he invades another country, he very quickly becomes a thug. Pervez Musharraf may be our friend, and the same goes for Hosni Mubarak, but neither one is going to live forever. If we're really so keen on encouraging democracy in the middle east, we need to start leaning on our allies a little more to start having elections, at least at the municipal level. Otherwise, we just come across as hypocrites who look for excuses after we've already knocked down someone's house.

2)Openly support (more) democratic, open, majority-muslim countries.
We may not like it, but Iran DOES have a democratically-elected government. The hardline Supreme Council has the real power, that's true...but what should we do? Install another Shah? That worked out really well, didn't it? We should find ways to interact positively with Iran. Why not offer to foot the bill on a nuclear power plant, to be constructed by us and training done by us? If you think it costs too much, read point three.

3) Fund major aid projects to a far greater degree.
President Bush proposed $11.4 billion on foreign aid in 2004-2005. That's less than 3.4 percent of the war spending on Iraq and Afghanistan thus far. Most Americans believe that we spend close to 1/4 of our annual budget on foreign aid, which is 25 times what we actually DO spend. Why not spend more? We can spend 80 billion dollars at the drop of a hat on a war that 60% of US citizens disagree with, and $286 billion on a 10-year highway bill with more than 6000 pet projects, but if somebody asks to increase foreign aid by, say, $2 billion a year, to improve our image abroad, they're a tax-and-spend liberal nutjob. And with every project we fund, with every school or power plant that is built, we should require the recipient country to post a sign saying, "This project was completed with the assistance of the United States of America" in the local dialect. There is no better way to improve our standing with a populace than by buying their hearts.

4) Seriously. Quit with the invasions. Isn't two enough?

5) More strenuously tell Israel that enough is enough. We are their single biggest source of income, and so they should listen to us when we offer strong criticism, but we never said anything more than "we are disappointed" when an Israeli "targeted strike" took out a few innocent kids along with the target. We missed so many chances to improve our standing in the Arab world because we never told Israel to shape up, under Netanyahu or Sharon. It's not too late - Syria still wants the Golan Heights back. We ought to start leaning on Israel to make that their next project.

6) Forgive international debts. "We give because we ought" should be our motto, not "We give now, but you better pay up by 2041, with interest."

7) Stop making aid payments to regimes that commit human rights violations. African nations have received billions of dollars in aid over the last 20 years, and the continent as a whole is worse off thant it was before. Instead, when we're making aid payments to a country and they've committed crimes against humanity, we should stop paying cash to their government, and instead should use the money to buy food and equipment (from American farmers and factories) and just do giant airdrops, with big ol' American flags plastered on the boxes.

And that's just a start, as far as I'm concerned. There are many more ways to stunt the grown of terrorism before it has a chance to really take root. Maybe it's time for the Party to more seriously push some of them in Congress and with the American people.