Joho the Blog
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September 07, 2007
John Edwards has given a major speech outlining his anti-terrorism policies. (Disclosure: I'm a volunteer advisor on Net policy to the campaign.) I read it and I think: This is a lot better than our current policies. Orders of magnitude better. But do I think each of the agenda items is the best thing to do? Nah, but that's because I don't think there is a set of best things. If only. So, I look for the general understanding of how the world is made more peaceful. And for that, I think Edwards is right on. But Edwards doesn't say the one thing I think any anti-terrorism policy should acknowledge: Terrorism is not going away, any more than crime is going to end. Kerry said something along those lines and got creamed for it, even though Bush had muttered something similar a few weeks earlier. But it's the truth that ought to be setting our sense of what constitutes success. [Tags: john_edwards terrorism politics] Posted
by D. Weinberger at September 7, 2007 02:56 PM
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Comments
#1 - The Patriot act already worked on sharing information internally for the US on terrorism, for both right and wrong. As externally why create a new organization there is this one that is a voluntary one called Interpol, it has terrorism among it's missions to counter already. To recreate the wheel it's a waste of resources and time.
#2 - The microfinance idea seems ok, but considering that terrorism is not really committed by uneducated folks, it's actually by educated extremists I don't know it would help anything. It might work if the US government charter a non-profit that got some government startup funds but then had to succeed to stay in opperation MIGHT work, it's worth a ponder.
#3 - Last his "Marshall Corps" idea, I don't know about that. Would it work as a program I don't know, that from a Libertarian leaning, International Affairs BA, former Hill Wonk. I don't mean it from a partisan angle at all but it sounds at least an idea worth fleshing out. The current UN Peacekeeping system hasn't worked well the last 20 years and there might be a niche for something like this idea. For it to work you can't send kids straight from college, they don't have the experience base necessary, you'd more likely succeed with former military career folks with the proper skill sets and have to pay alot for their experience. But it's an idea worth at least giving a test program.
Posted by: Thomas | September 7, 2007 04:27 PM
#1- His CITO proposal, Interpol already has terrorism as part of their mandate, to recreate the wheel will waste time, energy, and money.
#2- The microfinance idea, I don't think it will help, but I am willing to give it a try. It should be an international nonprofit program that gets some short term governmental funding with a clear cut off date, after which it's own successful programs must pay for it's future operation.
#3- 'Marshall Corps' program I don't know if it could even work. As someone with a degree in international affairs that worked on the Hill, peacekeepers have been a failure and it is probably time for a new approach. I suspect young people aren't going to be the success of such a program, that it would be better served by military retirees with skill set and experience for such jobs, which also, based on environments he is suggested would mean it would be expensive for such skills as well. That said I think it's an idea worth fleshing out further and even giving a test program.
Posted by: Thomas | September 7, 2007 04:43 PM
er I guess I reposted, sorry, my machine crashed as I was posting the first time so I retyped it, ops.
Posted by: Thomas | September 7, 2007 04:45 PM