The
US Should Be Nation-Building
Mike Forster, Palo Alto California
Copyright
© 2002 Mike Forster
The US should always be active in nation-building, contrary
to President Bush's position.
Of course, no situation justifies terrorist attacks
against civilians anywhere - in Pakistan, India, Indonesia, China, Israel,
Palestine, or the US.
However, the long-term solution to minimizing terrorism,
promoting free-market economics, and spreading democracy is for the
US to lead in nation-building around the world, with the support of
the United Nations.
Nation-building may comprise many activities, but more
importantly those activities must consistently support democratic positions
and policies. Those positions and polices must include:
- Respect for the citizens of all nations.
Such respect for civlians in other nations is violated every time
the US military accidentally kills scores of those civilians.
- Consisent statement and promotion of individual
rights - for minorities and especially women. Such promotion must
be strong with all nations, friends and foes alike. It must be supportive
of advocates of democracies within those nations. But it must also
be respectful that changing a society does take time.
- Consistent oppostion to religion-based governments.
The US should be consistent in its opposition to governments that
base their laws on religious doctrine - whether that doctrine be Muslim,
Jewish, Christian, Hindu, or any other. As the Taliban showed clearly
in Afghanistan, such religion-based law inevitably leads to persecution
of individual religious viewpoints.
- Support for expanding trade that grows the economies
of the developing world. Internal policies that subvert such expansion
- such as farm subsidies and protectionism for industries such as
steel - must be steadily reduced and finally eliminated over time.