Why do we bother?
A Pew Research Center survey done in 2004 found that 61 percent of Pakistanis view the United States unfavorably.
Forty-one percent believe that suicide attacks against civilians are often or sometimes justified "in order to defend Islam against its enemies."
Sixty-five percent view Osama bin Laden favorably.
The United States has promised long-term support for the earthquake relief effort in Pakistan, pledging 50 million dollars thus far. Twelve helicopters and an undisclosed number of transport planes from the despised U.S. military are at this moment shuttling aid to survivors. For a complete breakdown of the aid provided and planned by the U.S., read the State Department fact sheet released yesterday.
I'm not suggesting that spite makes a good foreign policy tool, but neither does acting like gullible fools. There should be no strings attached to this relief, but it should be followed (after a respectful pause) by serious pressure for Pakistanis to secularize and liberalize their society. If they don't respect our values, they should do without our help.
If we can save their lives, can't we change their minds?
Forty-one percent believe that suicide attacks against civilians are often or sometimes justified "in order to defend Islam against its enemies."
Sixty-five percent view Osama bin Laden favorably.
The United States has promised long-term support for the earthquake relief effort in Pakistan, pledging 50 million dollars thus far. Twelve helicopters and an undisclosed number of transport planes from the despised U.S. military are at this moment shuttling aid to survivors. For a complete breakdown of the aid provided and planned by the U.S., read the State Department fact sheet released yesterday.
I'm not suggesting that spite makes a good foreign policy tool, but neither does acting like gullible fools. There should be no strings attached to this relief, but it should be followed (after a respectful pause) by serious pressure for Pakistanis to secularize and liberalize their society. If they don't respect our values, they should do without our help.
If we can save their lives, can't we change their minds?
posted by tompain at 11:20 AM
3 Comments:
My sentiments exactly! Why bother? Next week this time, they'll be howling for our blood and wanting to decapitate us for Allah? Why should we save them so they can murder us? Maybe Allah was sending them a message with a quake and adding insult to injury with hail and ice pelting them to boot. After all, last week the imams in Pakistan were saying Katrina was G*d's wrath against us.
I and others have come to see this aid to Muslim countries as jizya, the tax dhimmis pay so they can be left 'relatively' unmolested. Ironically the more jizy you pay, the more you are molested and hated.
All this goodwill is forgotten in an instant the moment we 'offend' Islam by damaging a Qur'an, or not respecting some mosque full of jihadists or...why bother?
I read really much effective material here!
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