Saturday, January 9, 2010

Our Stupid Foreign Policy


Our Stupid Foreign Policy by Jack Hunter

"It is past time to ask the big questions. How can invading and occupying a nation stop an individual or a collection of individuals from carrying out terrorist acts? How can invading and occupying a nation, or a handful of nations, stop a terrorist network that exists in over 80 countries? What could our presence in Iraq, stepping up the war in Afghanistan, drone strikes in Pakistan, or a new war in Yemen possibly have done to deter the so-called “underwear bomber” on Christmas day? Would the Nigerian, would-be suicide bomber have been radicalized, or would a terrorist network be as available to accommodate and encourage his radicalization, if the U.S. did not have such a massive presence in the Middle East? Do terrorists simply hate our “freedom” or is there indeed a correlation between US intervention and terrorist recruitment and activity? Hell, let’s get extreme: would completely annihilating the Middle East through nuclear war finally eliminate the terrorist threat-or create the greatest terrorist threat in our history? Might such genocide make the Islamic world mad? Or just “freedom?” "


I'm a little confused over the website's title "The American Conservative" because the word "conservative" has become symbolic of all that's wrong here. I get the feeling that if I read more on this website, he'll accuse the Neocons of hijacking the word, and I would agree. Years ago I regarded myself as somewhat of a conservative, but not these days, after the hijacking.

More cause and effect in our ever-expanding "war" By Glenn Greenwald

"If it is taboo to discuss how America's actions in the Middle East cause Terrorism -- and it generally is -- that taboo is far stronger still when it comes to specifically discussing how our blind, endless enabling of Israeli actions fuels Terrorism directed at the U.S."



Glenn Greenwald is one of the smartest people of our time. He's been kept out of the public eye, but you can see him in an interview by Bill Moyers (another of our smartest, but he's retiring - to our great detriment).


Bill

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