The Best Way To Defeat The Terrorists Is To Offer A Hopeful Alternative Based On Human Liberty

[uppityperson]

I just luvs #5. blah blah blah blah blah

http://www.whitehouse.gov.edgesuite.net/news/releases/2008/07/20080724-8.html

Today, President Bush observed Captive Nations Week and discussed the progress of his Freedom Agenda while calling on future Presidents and Congresses to continue leading the cause of freedom worldwide. Different Presidents, from different eras and parties, have acted to defend and advance the cause of liberty. Because we were steadfast in liberty's defense, the cause of freedom has prevailed, and we will prevail again. It is in our interest to continue liberty's advance – because we know from history that the advance of freedom is necessary for our security and peace.

Leading The Cause Of Freedom Requires Combating Hopelessness In Struggling Nations

To protect America, we must defeat the ideology of hatred by spreading the hope of freedom. Over the past seven years, this is exactly what the Administration has done. Recently, the President issued National Security Presidential Directive 58: Institutionalizing the Freedom Agenda to offer a guidepost to future Administrations, codifying many of the policies and practices he has put in place to promote freedom worldwide. The challenge for America in the years ahead is to continue to help people in struggling nations achieve freedom from corruption, disease, poverty, hunger, and tyranny. In the years ahead, America must continue to:

1. Use our foreign assistance to promote democracy and good government. Over the past seven years, we have more than doubled the Federal budget for democracy, governance, and human rights programs. We have increased the budget for the National Endowment for Democracy by more than 150 percent since 2001.

* President Bush has transformed the way we deliver aid by creating the Millennium hallenge Account, which offers support to developing nations that fight corruption, govern justly, open up their economies, and invest in the health and education of their people.


* Increased aid alone will not help nations overcome institutional challenges that hold entire societies back. To be effective, our aid must be targeted to encourage the development of free and accountable institutions. America's generosity must remain tied to the promotion of transparency, accountability, and prosperity.

2. Promote free trade and open investment. Over the past seven years, we expanded the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which is spreading prosperity by dramatically increasing trade between the United States and Africa. We have implemented free trade agreements with 11 countries.

* We are also striving to complete an ambitious Doha trade agreement, which will open up new markets for American goods and services and help alleviate poverty around the world. America must reject the false temptation of protectionism, and remain open to the world.

3. Lead the fight against disease. We are working in 15 African nations to cut the number of malaria-related deaths in half. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is supporting treatment for more than 1.7 million people. Congress will soon pass legislation to significantly expand this vital initiative.

* We are expanding our efforts to train health workers for the poorest countries, and to treat key neglected tropical diseases such as river blindness and hookworm. America must continue this commitment, so we can lift the shadow of malaria and HIV/AIDS once and for all.

4. Lead the fight against global hunger. Americans are answering the call to feed the hungry. This year, the United States has provided more than $1.8 billion in new funds to bolster global food security. We are the world's largest provider of food aid, but we must transform the way that our food aid is delivered. One innovative proposal is to purchase up to 25 percent of our food assistance directly from farmers in the developing world.

* This assistance would help build up local agriculture and help break the cycle of famine. President Bush calls on Congress to approve this measure as soon as possible. America must find other innovative ways to alleviate hunger while promoting greater self-reliance in developing nations.

5. Lead the cause of human rights. Over the past seven years, we have spoken out against human rights abuses by tyrannical regimes like those in Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe. We also have spoken candidly about human rights with nations with whom America has good relations, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and China. In keeping with this commitment, today President Bush renewed his call for the release of all prisoners of conscience around the world – including Ayman Nour of Egypt, Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, Oscar Biscet of Cuba, and Riad Seif of Syria.

* To ensure our government continues to speak out for those who have no other voice, President Bush recently issued a directive instructing all senior U.S. officials serving in undemocratic countries to maintain regular contact with political dissidents and democracy activists. America must always stands with those seeking freedom – and never hesitate to shine the light of conscience on abuses of human rights across the world.


* Today, President Bush met with several individuals who have suffered terribly in the cause of freedom – and who inspire our country with their resolve and resilience. The President's message for all those throughout the world who still languish in tyranny is that they are not alone. America hears them. Millions of American citizens stand with them and hope still lives – even in bleak places and in dark moments.

The Best Way To Defeat The Terrorists Is To Offer A Hopeful Alternative Based On Human Liberty
We have seen a hopeful beginning for the cause of liberty at the start of the 21st century. Over the last seven years, we have seen citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq emerge from tyranny to establish representative governments. We have seen citizens in Georgia and Ukraine stand up for their right to free and fair elections. We have seen people in Lebanon take to the streets to demand their independence. We have seen strides toward democracy taken by nations such as Kuwait, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Pakistan.

[LSparkle]

1. Like maybe somebody like Barack Obama offering an olive branch to the world?

He did more today by giving that speech than RatBastard has done in
ONE MINUTE as president ...

[ColbertWatcher]

2. It sounds like what everyone EXCEPT the GOP has been saying/doing all along n/t

[uppityperson]

3. You do realize that came from the white house?

Obama did more today by giving his speech than mrbush has done in his entire administration giving speeches like this blah blah blah. Talk is cheap and they just don't get the irony behind saying stuff like this and doing the opposite.

[DCKit]

4. ",,,don't get the irony behind saying stuff like this and doing the opposite."

Yes they do. They're laughing at those of U.S. who still fall for this crap. I can't even conceive of the damage that's been done under the guise of these policies. When it's all about money, oil and power, everything listed in this missive goes out the window, and the maladministration is all about money, oil and power.

Every day is opposite day for this WH.

[warren pease]

5. The best way to defeat the terrorists...

...would be to send a small army of US Marshalls to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and arrest the ringleaders. That would be if anybody's still interested in nailing the perps who run the world's most lethal terrorist state and happily sacrificed 3,000 or so people so that the PNAC agenda could proceed without opposition. And look how well that's working out for them, as opposed to the rest of the world.

Side trips to Wall St. and thousands of corporate board rooms would remove many of their financial backers from the swamp for awhile. Then a quick run to DC to arrest a few dozen generals, hundreds of high ranking officials from the spook community, and the entire leadership of the democratic party.

On the other hand, if you want bread and circuses, destroy what's left of Afghanistan in the vain search for a tall guy with the world's most powerful laptop running the only copy of Windows XP that never crashes.

And bring back some of those exquisite poppies they're growing again now that everybody's been retrained to look the other way.


wp

[anonymous171]

6. Good idea. Let's start by outlawing torture (waterboarding is torture.)

And by treating "enemy combatants" as the prisoners of war that they are.

[azul]

7. Terrorism is a tactic sometimes used by desperate people.

The non-sensical narrative that attacks are an organized war on democracy has been used as a reason to continue with the US war economy when there is no sane reason to do so. And the escalation of trying to fight a possible terror tactics threat with a vast military machine is sending us into bankruptcy and ignominy.

When you see terrorism tactics used by people, take a hard look at what they are doing and saying, not what special interest authorities put into their mouths and how their actions are interpreted. Some violence is just personal madness, some violent acts are desperate attempts to correct injustice. Look at the US colonial terrorists, or the Israel national terrorists against the British oppressors also.

So an option to counter some terrorist violence is to correct violence-provoking injustices. If not from a human rights or conscience stance, then correct conditions that lead to violence for an economic option to all out war.

Has any one done an economic comparison of the costs of paying to fix the conditions that lead to extreme violent acts by some people with legitimate grievances against the costs of hunting them down and killing them all? My figuring is that it would be less cost to improve conditions for oppressed and desperate people, and as a bonus it would increase stability of the economy and stabilize governments and use less resources and waste less lives.

But the companies that profit by the war economy have vast corrupt influence on the military and government and stand to lose by such reckonings and actions. This mostly fake fight of terror, an emotion, is a smoke screen for international businesses to operate in countries that are not democratic, and call it a protecting democracy war when it is a strictly pro-business effort.