Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
The U.S. must restate the problem. The U.S. must take responsibility for the effects of its role in the Middle East over the past 60+ years. Once we have that cathartic moment, not unlike step one in 12-step program, we can begin to get better.
Do you see this admission as being more for our own sake, or for the benefit of the people in the Middle East? If it is for us, then it makes sense... if it is for the folks in the Middle East, then I am not sure if it would be effective.

I do agree that we should confess our sins as it were...

Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
We can employ our influence to encourage meaningful evolution of government where such is required (on local terms, not ours)

We can become the champion of the oppressed people of these regions, standing on the principles contained within our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights rather than more recent corruptions of that founding Ethos to justify our behavior. We can implement a form of "soft-UW" that encourages very effective non-violent approaches; over the violence offered by AQ. By out-competing AQ we render them moot. By attacking them we validate and strengthen them at the same time. (Like cutting up starfish and throwing them back in the ocean...it makes sense, but the actual effects are the opposite of those intended)

Or, placed in the terminology of my community: We must put the Liber back in De Oppresso Liber.
I agree on the non-violence. If you look at our own civil rights movement, you see many elements of a (mainly) non-violent insurgency that was relatively effective...

Why have the Palestinians, Kashmiris, or others in the Middle East not attempted to use non-violent protests and methods?

It looked to me like the Kashmiris were going in this direction a little while back... but the emphasis on throwing stones is closer to the intifada than to MLK or Gandhi.

These techniques could rally world opinion to their causes... It seems like the Gaza relief flotilla folks definitely benefited from this sort of push.

Do you think that these methods could be effective if used en masse? Certainly us training/encouraging such efforts would hopefully help... but would long-term benefits occur? Or will the people just vote to institute sharia once they have the power?

It seems like we gave the Mujahideen a lot of help, and not all of ended up liking us afterwards...

I'd be curious to here folks opinions on the viability of non-violent resistance in the Middle East.

V/R,

Cliff