And wasn't it just yesterday when they hated us simply because of our "freedoms" and "way of life" and seemingly inexhaustible supply of McHappy McMeals and Paris Hilton videos, and when even the mildest suggestion of perhaps, just perhaps, trying to understand the "root causes" of terrorism would get one branded as an unpatriotic, America-hating troublemaker when, damn it, all we needed to know was that they were unthinking, murderous, religious fundamentalist vermin that had to be exterminated, and isn't it odd then that, just recently, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers suggested that perhaps, just perhaps, the solution to the newly-rebranded Global Struggle Against Extremism might be "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military" and the Bush administration is now suggesting that perhaps, just perhaps, the effort might be more than just military, which sure sounds like addressing the "root causes" somewhere along the way, but as long as you don't actually use those exact words, maybe it's all right.
AND BESIDES: Well, yeah, if I had more talent, I could have explained it this well, too:
... Now that Bush is a safe distance from reelection, however, it is Gen. Myers who’s unleashed to confess the problem’s solution is “more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military.”
That could have come right off the pages of John Kerry’s campaign talking points. In fact, it did.
As early as late 2003 Kerry said as president he would launch “a major initiative in public diplomacy” to lead “the next generation of Islamic youth” toward democracy, work to overcome anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, block financial resources for terrorists and rebuild international alliances.
To this wide-ranging proposal that it now parrots, the Bush administration then responded that Kerry was "misguided [and] hypocritical.”
If you're a Republican, it must be just awesome to have a mainstream media with such a short memory.
2 comments:
This is in relation to the move from the 'WAR' to the 'STRUGGLE'.
An article from Hersh last Jan had the US running an asymetrical war of their own outside Iraq, with spies and commandos doing whatever needs doing, run from the Dept of Defense, outside congressional overview.
When the drug cartels in Columbia were completely out of control, there was eventually an asymetrical response by (likely) government paramilitary groups to simply track done and kill drug cartel members, and to do so in a terrorizing manner. Sadly, it worked. I say sadly, because the method abandoned due process and the rule of law.
They were US trained.
Realizing that nation-building is expensive and difficult, the US is turning to other methods to deal with violent radicals, including eroding their base support, which involves, finally, dealing with root causes.
I think though, that the US will be doing assassination hits under the public radar.
fuck you !
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