Great HuffPo post from former Sen. Gary Hart (Gee this sounds familiar)

[TayTay]

Sen. Hart has a list of things that the US and the global community needs to do going forward to deal with the threats we face from violent extremist movements that sounds really familiar. (Well, he did do an intro of Sen. Kerry at the 9/9/06 Faneuil "Real Security" speech.)

First, treat jihadist terrorism more like organized crime than traditional warfare. By declaring "war on terrorism" we made the fatal mistake that it could be crushed using conventional warfare and massed armies. We clearly had the legal and moral right to overturn the Taliban government in Afghanistan that harbored al Qaeda as it planned and carried out the 9.11 attacks. Even so, the democratization of an ancient tribal society is proving hugely more difficult than driving the Taliban out of Kabul. Indeed, it seems set on returning.

Instead, we should create NATO II, an organization combining the intelligence services, law enforcement agencies, and special forces of Western democracies to coordinate the crushing of jihadist cells.

Second, liberate the U.S. from dependence on Persian Gulf oil. We can then sharply reduce the U.S. military presence in the region and remove the single most important iincentive for jihadism. A consortium of oil consuming nations can agree with regional oil producers to protect the continued flow of oil to world markets. The U.S. should not be the default guarantor of oil supplies. We would also help rid ourselves of the hypocrisy of "bringing democracy to the Middle East" even as we support Saudi Arabia and other oligarchies, and we would be at greater liberty to support genuine democratic voices in the region.

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-hart/the-lessons-of-iraq_b_43695.html

[MH1]

1. Excellent

It's amazing and sad how rationality and intellectualism has been discredited in American culture over the last few years. If it hadn't been, views like Hart's and Kerry's on this topic would be mainstream and recognized as simple common sense.

But no, instead we revel in our idiocy...

:banghead:

[Inuca]

2. So sad and so true

"revel on our idiocy"... it's so frustrating. As I may have already mentioned, I am foreign born and raised, and though I lived most of my adult life in the US I still have family and friends in Europe. The comments I hear, the overall attitude towards the US... it's getting worse and worse. And you cannot blame them too much for not distinguishing between the administration and common folks, Bush was voted into office twice afterall (well... kind of...).

[wisteria]

3. It is good. I saw that this morning. n/t

[TayTay]

4. Remember this event from 9/9/06

I guess there was a reason Sen. Hart was there, endorsing what Sen. Kerry was saying about Real National Security and how to achieve better results.

[wisteria]

5. I actually watched that again just last night.

It was an excellent appearance for both Hart and Kerry.