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This idea is naive and actually a bit silly. If the U.S. government never again stationed troops in foreign lands or interceded in foreign wars, our imperialist culture, economy and...by inference...our government foreign policy would STILL be considered...and WOULD BE...enormously interventionist. Every time Alan Greenspan belches, the world economy has an upset stomach. Our music, our television programs, our movies, our literature are all pumped continuously into every nation on Earth...except, it appears...Afghanistan. McDonald's hamburger stands and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets have blossomed from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro. The very medium in which this column appears, the World Wide Web, consists of 85% U.S. generated content and reaches into the living rooms of peoples throughout the civilized world...except, it seems...Afghanistan.
If we really want to "win" the war against terrorism we must begin to recognize and embrace the actual products of our social and economic dominance, which itself are arguably the tangible results of the great freedoms we enjoy. Along this line, we can and should learn from the British. While their empire was still intact, they never hesitated in spreading the "fruits" of British civilization to their colonies. As a result, even after they were expelled...our previous column, Empire, explained that this was mostly because of the lack of consent in the imperial arrangement, not anger with the benefits of being a colony...the former colonies maintained close ties to their former "masters." Even...or especially...here, one of the first colonies to discard British rule, it was only a few years before we were once again fast friends...a friendship that endures right up to the present moment. We speak...more or less...the same language. Our political institutions derived from British tradition. This is no accident. The Brits actively and unabashedly spread their (our) language and their (our) democratic traditions wherever they went.
Now it is our turn. Sooner or later, our day in the sun, like Britain's, will terminate. If our way of life and governmental institutions are really as good and as enduring as they seem to be, why not make every possible effort to spread them around before OUR empire expires?
Along those lines, we suggest that the Peace Corps should be immediately revitalized and dispatched to the refugee camps of Afghanistan. Sign up a whole new cadre of workers...offering them the same wages and benefits available to members of our armed forces...and give them quick lessons on the cultures of South Asia in general, Afghanistan in particular.
Let them dispense food and medical assistance to the refugees. In addition, "arm" them with all the equipment and software they need to bring modern media to those people. Generators, television sets, computers, sound equipment, etc. would be supplied by U.S. high tech firms. Teams could set to work adding Dari and Pashtu...the principal languages of Afghanistan...subtitles to children's television cartoon shows and to a collection of Hollywood movies. Set up tents full of computers hooked via satellite to the Internet and teach whomever wishes to learn just how to navigate the WWW and to send email.
In other words, quickly export examples of principle elements of our culture to these folks who have never been exposed to the real thing, only to Taliban and al Qaida propaganda about us. Let Afghani women see for themselves the results of women's rights, since presumedly at least half of the proposed workforce would be women.
We believe that this effort would be a legitimate...indeed a WONDERFUL...use of taxpayer dollars, although, as libertarians, we suggest that the actual organization be done by Madison Avenue and Hollywood types, NOT by bureaucrats or politicians. U.S. industry could be called upon to contribute both dollars and expertise to the effort. In any case, the total cost would probably not exceed the cost of single B2 bomber or the amount spent EACH DAY bombing the rubble of Afghanistan!
We predict that such an effort would go an enormous way toward spreading good will about America. It would directly involve the American people...especially those not particularly attracted to the military...directly in the "war" effort. Last, but certainly not least, it would allow us to BE the empire we WANT to be.
Then we ALL could chant with pride and gusto "U-S-A...U-S-A!"
Talk to you later...
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