So, how do we improve our standing in the Middle East?

It's obvious that the entire Middle East hates us now (and I don't blame them, to be honest), and we need a plan to at least not have them hate us with a passion.


Firstly, I say we kick * out of office and charge with about ~105,000 counts of murder. Secondly, we explain to them VERY CLEARLY that this was only one group's evil intentions and the MAJORITY of America hates this war and all it stands for, and that we are extremely sorry for the murder of their families and children. It's almost nothing, but it's a start.

What else is there?

Anything less is futile.

Osama Bin Laden himself has told us that, for the love of god!

Quit supporting oppressive regimes in the ME, firstly, SAUDI ARABIA.

If I recall correctly, making amends with actual material goods is an acceptable form of apology in the Arab culture. True?

Maybe we can do something like building schools and hospitals and HELPING REBUILD EVERYTHING WE DESTROYED.


Once again, it may not be much, but it's a start.

That's all they ask for.

... one can't make the blanket statement that this war is responsible for the hatred--it's the result of some longstanding policies of the US (the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are just the worst recent examples).

We've effectively thwarted democracy in many, many places by shoring up support for monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

It was over fifty years ago that we and British intelligence overthrew an elected prime minister in Iran and installed the Shah, another brutal dictator.

We supported Suharto behind the scenes for decades.

We drew the Soviets into a prolonged war in Afghanistan which we financed, secretively.

We've supported the Mubarek government in Egypt, one of the most repressive in the region (and that repression has in it the roots of Islamic religious terrorism today).

We played both sides in the Iran-Iraq war in the hopes of using the worst-off country in that battle as a military and economic wedge into the Middle East.

It is for these reasons, and many more, that a simple declaration of purpose won't do. We are now reaping the whirlwind. It's hard to buy back trust after that kind of track record. But, in order to do it, there has to be a steady change in how the US government perceives its role in the world. As long as we continue to see these countries as chess pieces in a global grand, great game to be won, ultimately by us and our multinational businesses, we're doomed to fail.

Change begins from within.

Cheers.

AND THIS CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE OUR RELATIONS EVERY WHERE,



we use our more than enough wealth in this nation too:
1. create actually clean drinking wells, so people can stop worrying about disease every god damn day of the week,
2. forgive all third and second world debt, take money and give no strings attached to the nations to support them, Werther it be through security, schools, housing, farming.
3. don;t eat some much or waste so much food, we could use all that food, thats making America the fattest country in the world to children all over that are dying of starvation.
4. how about helping these nations prosper through good and moral policies< i.e. kick out the world bank and IMF>, protect them form corporate colonialism.
5. say you want to go the peaceful rout send these nations money for schools only, the smarter the populous the more likely they will support there own democracies.
6. help these people create food sources.
7.let them know that not all in America are corporate pig dogs.

I'm sure you guys will come up with better ones than i can.

I'm only 18

The USA has leaders who are able to converse honestly and openly with leaders in the Middle East. They include Jesse Jackson, and others who are not "main stream."

Another thing is that the average American citizen should learn more about Islam. I think that Islamic culture has the same range of good and bad as most others. Yet we have been mislead in most cases about Muslim people.

The United States government has to radically change its policy in Iraq -- obviously -- and also the manner in which we deal with the Israeli-Palastinian question. That does not imply anything "anti-Israel"; we should maintain a strong relationship with a close friend. But that does not mean we should favor the Israeli friends of Cheney & the neocons. A fair stance in the Middle East makes Israel a safer place, too.

then get the hell outta dodge

Stop killing people. (that usually works)

and then next pull the fuck out of Iraq and turn over control to Iraqis and the UN.

then IMPEACH the chimp.

or maybe the reverse order is more appropriate :evilgrin:

peace