OT : Australian intervention in Solomon Islands

[EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro]

Australians shouldn't cringe from the duty of helping others who can't or won't help themselves. It is the duty of civilized nations to intervene. I know that sounds like I think Australians should be acting like the regions policeman but so what. The region needs a policeman. Think of it this way, Would you rather let that country go to hell? Would you trust the Islamic thugs of the Indonesian Army to intervene and set things straight. Would you trust some pretty Blue Helmets of the U.N. to restore order. I would trust the Australians. Back in the good ol' days this probably would have been called "white mans burden" which isn't exactly very nice, but hey sometimes it is the duty of others to intervene and sometimes that means smacking around a little country. Did Australia get rid of that aircraft carrier yet? I know they got some pretty cool catamaran commando ships!

That dingo's got my baby...back ribs!

[narf poit chez BOOM]

well, i was thinking of what would happen if things continued to deteriate.

[Erax]

Thermo, your views sound... familiar. You wouldn't be an ex-US Navy lieutenant turned science fiction writer, would you ?

I'd just like to say that there is no effective way to make war on terrorism, because the terrorists hide. They do not show their faces. The ones who support them do so secretly. Conventional warfare will NOT work against such an enemy (I'll assume your 'kill them all' suggestion was a rant). But there is a weapon out there that may work. It won't kill your enemy but it will make his children leave his camp and join yours; it's called television.

Take over their schools, their universities, their TV and radio stations. At the very least, make them lift state bans on what can be broadcast or taught in their countries, then flood them with your culture. Build hospitals, movie theaters, community centers. Send your pacifists over to be their children's teachers. The US has the power to do this, it will restore your credibility with the rest of the world and it will have support from peace and war proponents at home.

And unfortunately, America is divided along ideological boundaries to an extent that has not existed since the American Civil War.

I am not an American and I do not live in the US, but that is also my perception. Only this time it isn't North vs. South, it's Coasts vs. Center.

[Thermodyne]

Originally posted by Erax:
Thermo, your views sound... familiar. You wouldn't be an ex-US Navy lieutenant turned science fiction writer, would you ?

I'd just like to say that there is no effective way to make war on terrorism, because the terrorists hide. They do not show their faces. The ones who support them do so secretly. Conventional warfare will NOT work against such an enemy (I'll assume your 'kill them all' suggestion was a rant). But there is a weapon out there that may work. It won't kill your enemy but it will make his children leave his camp and join yours; it's called television.

Take over their schools, their universities, their TV and radio stations. At the very least, make them lift state bans on what can be broadcast or taught in their countries, then flood them with your culture. Build hospitals, movie theaters, community centers. Send your pacifists over to be their children's teachers. The US has the power to do this, it will restore your credibility with the rest of the world and it will have support from peace and war proponents at home.

quote:

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And unfortunately, America is divided along ideological boundaries to an extent that has not existed since the American Civil War.

I am not an American and I do not live in the US, but that is also my perception. Only this time it isn't North vs. South, it's Coasts vs. Center.

---

Me in the Navy, well I took a ride in sub once. Been on a couple of boats too. Actually they were ships and the sub was a boat Who do you think I am? Perhaps I might want to look at his work.

The split is along party lines and while each side has its areas of power, it is not a clean divide. I feel that if a party would form that was right in the middle, they would become the majority very quickly. The two parties we have now just keep going further and further apart.

[TerranC]

Originally posted by EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro:
The region needs a policeman.

The region needs drastic political and social reforms, not some wealthy, well-armed country invading others under the pretense of "policing".

It would take more than the Solomons going topsy turvy to classify Oceania/South East Asia a region needing policing.

[Will]

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
The split is along party lines and while each side has its areas of power, it is not a clean divide. I feel that if a party would form that was right in the middle, they would become the majority very quickly. The two parties we have now just keep going further and further apart.

More like the split is along party lines... as long as it's not within 10 months of an election. For me, both Democrats and Republicans have become mostly indistinguishable. There are a few exceptions at the extremes of both parties, but for the most part, they're the same because they want to stay in office.

Personally, I take the same view as Erax. Anyone who thinks that conventional warfare will defeat unconventional tactics is just fooling themselves. The British tried during the Revolutionary War/War of Insurrection, and the start-up USA won in part because they (usually) refused to "play by the rules", march out in a long line, and let the other side shoot you while you shoot it. Vietnam, US troops were there trying to figure out just exactly who they were fighting; is this village supporting us or "the Commies"? Not that there was much that was conventional about Vietnam... It just seems analagous to the current "war"; are they with us, or with them, and what will it take for them to switch sides?

But I think the way to go is "cultural warfare". Right now, we aren't making much of an attempt to spread our ideas to the Islamic world. Parts of the younger generations in that culture are coming closer to a "westernized" culture, more because their elders are telling them not to than anything else. If there was an active outreach to truly embrace these people, then the radical fundamentalism that has spawned this particular batch of terrorists will eventually die out. The current policy of going into their house and making a show of force, shooting off some guns... that will only serve to harden their resolve, and we will have more, not less, terrorism on our hands.

Anyway, sorry for perpetuating the topic drift. deccan, thank you for posting this information, it hasn't exactly had an easy time getting to me through other channels... Let us know if anything else comes up!

[TerranC]

Originally posted by Will:
But I think the way to go is "cultural warfare". Right now, we aren't making much of an attempt to spread our ideas to the Islamic world. Parts of the younger generations in that culture are coming closer to a "westernized" culture, more because their elders are telling them not to than anything else. If there was an active outreach to truly embrace these people, then the radical fundamentalism that has spawned this particular batch of terrorists will eventually die out. The current policy of going into their house and making a show of force, shooting off some guns... that will only serve to harden their resolve, and we will have more, not less, terrorism on our hands.

Are you saying that the only effective way of stamping out islamic fundamentalism is assimilating them into western culture, erasing any cultural uniqueness?