10/16/2001
Dad wrote:
In Europe, we have fathomed the depth of anti americanism even among our so called friends and touched as I am by expression of sorrows abroad I wonder how steadfast other nations willl be in their support of the U.S>I responded
On the other hand, one needn't consider it necessarily support of the US. Even for those nations whose populations and/or politics don't easily rush to the aid of the US, the process of crippling pro-terror organizations and infrastructures that have developed largely unhindered for the the last many decades is a desirable goal.It's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. Among the things I look forward to watching are:
o How the US handles open alliances with countries that don't meet the bullshit Puritanical American double-standard of "cleanliness". There are a lot of countries with blood on their hands that we would normally keep at long arm's length, who now we have a vested interest in partnering with. Perhaps, as a new foreign policy unfolds, we will stop posturing about the purity and sanctity of our motives and become a little more honest and forthright about our foreign affairs. It'd be nice to lose the "We are the light and the truth, and only the righteous walk in our shadow" attitude, and go with a more realistic "We're pretty sure this is a better way for the world to interrelate, and we will, in fact, wield our influence as needed to help shove it in that direction, especially when it benefits us directly". The credibility inherent in that kind of attitude would make it a lot more likely for us to make some inroads where we haven't before.
o How will we cope with owing favors to countries we really don't want to owe favors to? We have a well-earned reputation in the world as a disloyal friend. I bet we don't do much to fix that, especially when some of our "newer" friends ask something in return.
o Will US policy figure out what a lot of individuals in the US are figuring out (minority, but still a lot), that the ultimate answer doesn't lie in "security' or "destroying terrorism where it lives", but rather, it lies in becoming a more responsible neighbor? Osama bin Laden will always hate the US, as will lots of other extremist leaders, and there's no foreign policy that will fix it. However, the ability of those guys to make any real difference depends on a less extreme, but larger population of supporters whose anti-American sentiments incline them to run with the extremist. If we gave a shit how the world viewed us, and acted accordingly, a lot of the people who participate with, support, or at least turn a blind eye to terrorism might suddenly find themselves disapproving of the terrorists. That would be the most crippling blow we could deliver. If suddenly, half of the hundreds of thousands of Afghanis that protect/help/hide bin Laden decided not to protect him, he'd have no place to hide, and it'd become a non-issue. We wouldn't have to even pursue it. He would become Just Another Pissed Off Guy Ranting On Street Corners, and be no really credible threat to anyone. Today, we don't just shit on our "enemies", we even shit on our friends. For example, Turkey is a "friend" of ours. A non-Arab, pro-west, secular government, whose goals and ambitions are very much in line with the west. Hell, they're on the road to EU membership. BUT: Did you know that a *huge* portion of Turkey's economy, *especially* in the southeast, but for much of the entire eastern half of the country, is based on trade with Iraq? Turkey is the shipping gateway into and out of Iraq. The US sanctions against Iraq have DELETED the economy of southeastern Turkey, and caused deep recession nationwide. And what have we done to offset the damage to our "friends"? Not a bloody thing. Nothing. Not aid, not trade concessions, not even publicly acknowledging the cost they're paying. Nothing. Typical. And gee, we wonder why there's anti-American sentiment among foreign populations.
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