First Response to the Culture War Essay

<BODY> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//SoftQuad Software//DTD HoTMetaL PRO 6.0::19990601::extensions to HTML 4.0//EN" "hmpro6.dtd"> <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE> </TITLE><LINK REL="STYLESHEET" HREF="../adastrastyle.css"><BASE TARGET="_top"> </HEAD> <BODY VLINK="#FF0000" BGCOLOR="#000000"> <H2>The Necessity of A Two Phase Operation</H2> <P>Ken Burnside wrote:</P> <P> This should be our stated objective. To destroy their way of life. Never forget this; this is their stated objective against us. After we punish the enemy with bombs, with bullets, we must salt the soil that the twisted tree of intolerance and fanaticism takes nourishment from. We must change the hearts and minds of the young. </P> <P> We salt them with small computers. With internet access. With a telephone in every village. With juvenile novels and encyclopedias translated into Arabic. With teachers who speak their language, and who teach them to use these tools to answer questions for themselves. > > </P> <P>Alan Brain replied with:</P> <P>That's scary. </P> <P> No, I mean it. You've cut to the heart of the matter. Buildings, symbols, even individual lives are ephemeral. Your proposal would not just win the war, it would convert the children of our enemies into our friends. It's Bin Laden's worst nightmare, and reveals deep strategic insight. </P> <P>Of course a triplet of B-61s in airburst mode on each of his camps (nicely tucked away in the mountains, no civilians nearby) might be a good entree to the main course, pour l'encourage les autres. Pick the right moment though, they're not going anywhere... </P> <P>And Ken Burnside replied in return with:</P> <P>I have gotten a surprising amount of email about that screed, given how few places I've posted it. Half have said "Right! This is the best solution!" The others say "We must control their society first, so it will never work." </P> <P>Both of these responses have made me think. It is not enough to rant on a pulpit of recycled electrons on a mailing list. Sure, it's theraputic to beat my breast, and to froth. But in the long view, my ranting solves nothing. </P> <P> Therefore, I have the following objectives. 1) I need a slogan. A catchphrase. Something that can act as a keystone for the strategic concept above, and which will make people ask the right questions. </P> <P>2) I need an operational plan. Lists of books to translate into Arabic. Lists of known Arabic translations of encyclopedias. And Farsi and Pushtu. Names of publishers who own the prints to the books mentioned above. Cost schedules. A place for teachers who know the languages of the region to sign up to volunteer. I don't know how to write this plan, but people on this list do. </P> <P>3) I need a meeting with Colin Powell to present this plan. In person. No later than November. I, personally, do not have access to Mr. Powell, but that is merely an obstacle to overcome. </P> <P>I cannot do this alone. If you think this is an apt observation on my part, and wish to help, please stand with me. </P> <P> I am a citizen of this country, not a subject to any man. The power of this country comes from me, and others like me. The corridors and avenues of power cannot be closed to me forever, not in an age of cheap communications, where my friends have friends, and their friends have friends. Someone will eventually know the right person to talk to, to get me the opportunity to present the plan to Mr. Powell. </P> <P>When that causal connection is made, I intend to be ready. </P> <P>In response to a follow-up message, which asked why the rush, and why Mr. Powell, Ken Burnside answered as follows:</P> <P>With the calls for blood and nukes and FAEs, and the extermination of entire peoples, root and branch, my fear is that we will either be too indiscriminate in our target selection, and water the soil of fanaticism with the blood of martyrs, or we will be too thorough, and overstep our mandate. The window of opportunity is a short-lived one. We must be able to show that we can mete violence for violence, without meting tragedy for tragedy.</P> <P>We must break the cycle of hatred. We can do this now, but only while we hold the moral high ground. </P> <P>Personally: Letters can be ignored. Email is easy to ignore. Given the tide of information hitting the State Department, I suspect that any letter or email I sent, without the avenues being opened beforehand by letters of introduction, would languish in a file somewhere, and be read when we've gone too far. </P> <P> Why Powell? Right now, the President's job is dealing with the Here and Now, and Powell's job is presenting him with options. Part of Powell's job is to think about the Great After, to see beyond this crisis, and the next crisis, to assess the strategic scope. </P> <P>This is a plan for the Great After, which is closer than we think. </P> <P><I>Ken Burnside</I> (<A HREF="mailto:burnside@chorus.net">burnside@chorus.net</A>)</P> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//SoftQuad Software//DTD HoTMetaL PRO 6.0::19990601::extensions to HTML 4.0//EN" "hmpro6.dtd"> <HTML> <HEAD><LINK REL="STYLESHEET" HREF="adastrastyle.css"> <TITLE></TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <P>[<A HREF="culture_war_index.html">Culture War Index Page</A>]</P> <P><FONT SIZE="-2">Reproduction is expressly permitted under the following conditions:</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE="-2">1: The author's permission is requested, and his name is included as part of the reproduction.<BR>2: The link to <A HREF="http://www.adastragames.com">http://www.adastragames.com/</A> remains.<BR>3: If your publication compensates authors financially for original material, the author accepts payments via PayPal at <A HREF="mailto:burnside@chorus.net">burnside@chorus.net</A>. 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