Other Music from a... Different Kitchen

The report describes the struggle as "more than a war," but what the conclusions make plain is that it really means that it is different from war. Of the 27 recommendations in this chapter, only one can be seen as advocating the use of military force: attacking "terrorists and their organizations." And even that one, on closer inspection, is more complicated.

It is increasingly clear that the conflict in Afghanistan falsely fed the idea that the war against terrorism was a real war. In fact, Afghanistan was an exception. The reality of this threat, the very reason it is so difficult to tackle, is precisely that it cannot be addressed by conventional military means. Yet the prism of war has distorted the vision of important segments of Washington, especially within the Bush administration. This has produced bad strategy. The Yale historian John Lewis Gaddis has written on the Bush administration's strategy and describes its three pillars as hegemony, preemption and unilateralism. All three approaches seem justifiable if you believe that we are in a war that can be won militarily. All are counterproductive in a struggle that seeks to modernize alien societies, win over Muslim moderates and sustain cooperation on intelligence and law enforcement across the world.

The issue of Iraq highlighted these choices. If you believed that this was truly a war, all that mattered was defeating the enemy. If you believed that a broader political struggle was key, then creating a new and modern Iraq was in many ways more important than defeating Saddam Hussein. The administration showed its colors with a brilliant war plan and no postwar planning. Even in Afghanistan, where the war succeeded and the postwar settlement is working (though fragile), the administration's superhawks (such as Donald Rumsfeld) were continually opposed to greater efforts at nation-building. It doesn't help the war on terror, they argued. But it does help the struggle against Islamic extremism. And there is no war on terror that is not fundamentally an ideological struggle.

The bulk of the commission's substantive recommendations are for a broad political and economic strategy toward the Muslim and Arab world. The report argues that the United States should "offer an example of moral leadership in the world, committed to treat people humanely, abide by the rule of law, and be generous and caring to our neighbors." It recommends substantial resources being devoted to scholarship, exchange and library programs in the Muslim world, and has a specific, excellent recommendation to fund public education in these countries. Madrassas and other such religious schools have grown in the Muslim world because the secular educational system has collapsed under the weight of poverty and population growth.

Tonight (JULY 26, 2004 at 9:30 PM) on Mantahhan Neighborhood Network (MNN Channels - AOL Time Warner/NYC: 34, 56, 57, 67 rcn: 107, 108, 109, 110 j.d.) is Jennifer Dobson, creator and producer of "The Town of West 69th Street" documentary, as a guest on "This Side of Central Park," the monthly show on the West Side and Clinton communities featuring local issues and heroes of the neighborhood.

Had [the commission's recommended] changes been made six years ago, they would not have significantly altered the way we dealt with Al Qaeda; they certainly would not have prevented 9/11.

Even more important than any bureaucratic suggestions is the report's cogent discussion of who the enemy is and what strategies we need in the fight. The commission properly identified the threat not as terrorism (which is a tactic, not an enemy), but as Islamic jihadism, which must be defeated in a battle of ideas as well as in armed conflict.

We need to expose the Islamic world to values that are more attractive than those of the jihadists. This means aiding economic development and political openness in Muslim countries, and efforts to stabilize places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Restarting the Israel-Palestinian peace process is also vital.

Also, we can't do this alone. In addition to "hearts and minds" television and radio programming by the American government, we would be greatly helped by a pan-Islamic council of respected spiritual and secular leaders to coordinate (without United States involvement) the Islamic world's own ideological effort against the new Al Qaeda.

Unfortunately, because of America's low standing in the Islamic world, we are now at a great disadvantage in the battle of ideas. This is primarily because of the unnecessary and counterproductive invasion of Iraq. In pulling its bipartisan punches, the commission failed to admit the obvious: we are less capable of defeating the jihadists because of the Iraq war.

Your pictures and article on Sudan brought me to tears, anger and then questions. Why are our "Christian" leaders paying Halliburton and not feeding the starving Sudanese people? How is it that Pope John Paul II consecrated a $150 million giant basilica in Cote d'Ivoire while people there starved? Why do we, as followers of Christ, spend time and money persecuting homosexuals when Jesus said not a word about them, and then ignore his command to "feed my sheep"? How did we get the message so wrong? -- Joan Welk, Medina, WA.

American counterterrorism officials, citing what they call "alarming" intelligence about a possible Qaeda strike inside the United States this fall, are reviewing a proposal that could allow for the postponement of the November presidential election in the event of such an attack.

Our two parties have organized themselves around two lopsided and mutually exclusive world views: Democrats believe every American is "entitled" to government largesse, while Republicans see only the ball and chain of punitive taxation. Each of these views has a set of self-justifying "myths." But their consequences go well beyond making our political process seem foolish. While federal deficit projections soar to dangerous heights, threatening our kids with unconscionable tax hikes, these myths have polarized the two parties and ruled out the sort of bipartisan consensus Americans need to avert fiscal catastrophe.

"Democracy is Like Sex... It's Only Good if you Particpate"

COME TO BROOKLYN AND SHAKE YOUR JUICY TO SOME GOOD GROOVES, because who wants a revolution they can't dance to? It is time to SWING THIS ELECTION OUR WAY... and if you got the groove, you got the power!

Thursday July 8
at VOLUME
Williamsburg Brooklyn
99 N 13th ST
(Bedford stop on the L)

Doors at 7
Show at 8

Tickets are 20$ at the door
18+

Featuring:

PETE ROCK
KURTIS BLOW
GROOVE COLLECTIVE
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT (Eric & Neal from Soulive) w/ special guest MCs
ANTHONY B
DJ G BROWN
DJ MKL
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE
CUBAN LINK
AND MORE...

Click here for more info.

This show will benefit the following organizations: X The Box, The League of Pissed Off Voters, ActivElement and Music For America will be there registering people to vote.

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY OFFER**
"Democracy is Like Sex... " has been kind enough to offer Different Kitchen a pair of tickets for this event to the first person that emails me (Subject line "Democracy is Like Sex...").