No, this is not my message to Blogger, although I am beyond pissed with them for not letting me post for FOUR days!!
That said, I wanted to share this article from today's New York Times:
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan said yesterday that after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks the United States threatened to bomb his country if it did not cooperate with the American campaign against the Taliban in Aghanistan.
[...]
General Musharraf said the intelligence director had told him that Mr. Armitage had said: “ ‘Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age.’ ”
General Musharraf added, “I think it was a very rude remark.”
***
First, I think harboring terrorists is pretty rude. That aside, I have no qualms with our intelligence department doing a bit of arm wrangling with terrorist-friendly countries who are going to stand in the way of our national security. Tough noogies General Musharraf, your country harbors terrorists, Osama bin Laden is probably hiding in your country right now, and you're lucky we haven't bombed you into the Stone Age. Yet.
OK, I will step back from anger.
Let's face it, we have NO friends in the Middle East or Asia. America didn't become a super power without pissing a few people off and perhaps hindering progress in other nations for our own good. That said, as much as my instinct tells me we should bomb every country that doesnt worship America, I know that such action won't help us at all.
Here's what I think:
1. Diplomacy is dead.
2. Our safety will not hinge on finding Osama or on bombing Pakistan.
3. Technology is going to save us.
A brilliant article in Time magazine by historian Niall Ferguson highlighted a point I made on this blog a few weeks ago about China not being our ally at all. In an article that ventures into the year 2031 to reveal a post-War on Terror America, Niall Ferguson validated my belief that intelligence and technology, not war, will eventually win this war for us.
I highly recommend that you read his article - not only does it assuage the pro-Bush camp by avoiding any shots at the President, it also provides a very well thought-out, sensitive, and logical alternative to our current bomb and win strategy in the Middle East (which we all know is NOT winning).
As for Musharraf, shut up.
1 comment:
Alright - I'll be the first to give it a spin on this post. Surprise.
Well, I think the first thing that should be said is that if anyone thinks China is an ally, they are absolutely blind. Remember the surveillance plane that was clipped by a Chinese fighter jet and the endless arrogance the Chinese government showed while their military gathered intelligence from the plane? I remember they demanded an apology - and when it became clear that the Chinese airman - not the US - caused the accident - the Chinese just quietly released the US soliders they held prisoner and offered no apology. But, bigger than that, is the Chinese indescribably hostile posture towards Taiwan - the one-child policy, the fact that they clubbed 50,000 dogs to death. The culture has a lot of catching up to do to fall in line with the growing economy. In many ways, Chinese culture is barbaric, violent and cruel - and the restriction on religous rights (Falun Gong) and the denial of unfettered access to information (perhaps the single most important aspect of a free society) makes it fully at odds with America.
As far as Pakistan - I mean, even if it is true that the US made - shall we say - a stern overture to the government - are we somehow to believe that this is any different than how most countries behave? Anyone remember Chriac's threats to eastern Europe if they didn't oppose the War in Iraq? This is politics. It is raw and unsavory - but it is practiced by EVERY country that has the power to do it and I am sick of the US being singled out becuase it has the nerve to do what every country systematically does - and that is act in its own interest.
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