More on Alternatives to the War on Terror:

As part of the mission of this blog, which is to promote positive solutions to pressing problems, I am working on an essay about an alternative approach to the concept of the War on Terror (WOT). After living with the WOT, as we all have been for the last two years, I just can't see the long-term benefits of emphasizing cultural differences among peoples of the world, and the emphasis on US military deployment as a way of creating a better and more peaceful future for the world. There's no way Something Better will result from such a misguded approach as the WOT promoted by those in power in the US. It's a formula only for endless war.

While researching for this concept, I looked up the recent Pew Reseach Poll on attitudes around the world. Here's the URL:

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=795

A few notable items:
Worldwide opinions on the US, in general, are worsening. Increasing numbers of people are viewing the US negatively. The majority of Muslims view Americans, in general, negatively, as do a sizeable minority of Americans, who view Islam negatively. These negative numbers are growing, which only adds to the potential for future conflict among nations and cultures. These are serious numbers. They are as dangerous as any weapons stockpile.

This is why I am working on an approach that I am currently calling "Restraint and Outreach." It is a two part alternative to the WOT. The first part is to get the American People to get American leadership to see the benefits of restraining US military power rather than the free use of it as is currently being done as promoted by the Project for a New American Century. (See links list) This aggressive approach is clearly provoking more terrorism than it is stopping, (see the Pew Poll for data on this) and logic should direct us to cease initiatives that are producing undesired and negative effects.

The second part is to use the power of the American People to go out into the world to visit with people in other nations and cultures to create positive international relationships. Such personal outreach could be very effective in improving how Americans, and the West in general, are perceived by the world.

Both parts of this approach must be done so that positive efforts by people are not undermined by negative effects of military deployment. This approach has a far greater likelihood of achieving improved relations around the world than is the current US approach which is based on threat of military power rather than on the rule of law.

The US (allegedly) follows the precepts of free markets, that goods and services should compete, and the consumer will benefit from better prices and service. For some reason, this principle is seldom linked to the market of ideas in the US. The political parties, and the media, seem very satisfied with the narrow range of thought about the possible ways the US can behave in the world. This is a sad comment on the US and it should motivate all of us to think about positive possibilites and do our best to share these ideas.

Imagine a world in which we don't have a WOT, but have international cooperation, and increasing prosperity for ALL. Isn't that better than generations of cultural warfare as our leaders tell us we're in for?

Better ideas should compete with the ones put out by those in power. That's what I'm trying to do, in my own small way, with this blog.

Let me know what YOU think.

Universal