Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to Joe Muslim. (Oh, and thanks.)

re: Joe Muslim. (Oh, and thanks.)
Tom Brosz — (archived)

You are right that we might not be tooting our own horn enough with our aid and other things we do right, but I remember back in college a lot of derision about the food packages that did have "Aid from America" on them. This was rampant politics, you see.

I'm fairly sure most of the people who actually deliver the aid could not care less about who gets credit for it, and rightfully so. It's also true that hearts and minds that have been changed don't advertise it widely. From the milblogs over the past couple of years, I know troops in Iraq have had many lives saved (terrorists turned in, bombs pointed out, etc) by Iraqis they have fed, healed, or helped. They see the benefits first hand.

I think this kind of thing does good. Even if it doesn't always make the headlines.

The widespread availibility of news to the world, via Internet and others, will help, too. Fifteen years ago, it's possible many Arab nations would never have heard about elections in Iraq.

We have supported oppressive governments in the Muslim world because it was of strategic value for us to do so.

Uhh...which ones weren't oppressive? We had to work with some ratty allies during the Cold War, and not just in the Arab world. Not sure we had much choice back then, but there was a definite price, still being paid in many ways.

When we have given aid, it is often of a charitable nature and not the kind of equal to equal business aid we give to those we trust. It's the look-at-the-downtrodden type of aid. It doesn't do anything for their self-respect, but it allows us to like ourselves very much.

On the other hand, when an American business sets foot in a Third World country, who starts marching down the streets screaming about "exploitation?" Even when the arrangements are actual partnerships?

For the record, there is a LOT of business work being done in Iraq, mostly off the front pages. The fact that Iraq has a new, stable currency, a functioning market, and a working banking system is a miracle of operations that has received damn little credit. Simply switching the currency was amazing enough.

If we are going to allow torture, I would like to attach an electrode to every American who calls Arabs "ragheads" or "camel jockeys". They hinder the war effort in a systemic way by undermining respect for the Arab people.

True. It doesn't take much of a screwup to nullify the good effects of a lot of aid and assistance. But this goes across a wide spectrum. I hear a lot of supposedly enlightened people who seem convinced that Arabs are not culturally or otherwise ready for individual or political freedom. Not much less condescending than "rag head" in my opinion.

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