From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rafal@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Mon Feb 17 2003 - 09:30:02 MST
owner-extropians@extropy.org wrote:
> Ramez Naam said:
>
>> I would support a US invasion of Iraq if I thought the US was
>> committed to sticking around in that country for the decades
>> necessary to build a working, healthy democracy. The Bush
>> Administration has held Afghanistan up as an example of their
>> commitment to rebuild after a war. Those who've followed the news
>> know the the US has actually done incredibly little to help rebuild
>> Afghanistan, making this example a source of doubt about US behavior
>> in post-war Iraq. Now comes even more evidence: Bush's proposed
>> budget to congress for 2004 contains 0 dollars in spending to help
>> rebuild Afghanistan.
>
>
> This is a legitimate concern. If a war is necessary, we will need to
> reconstruct Iraq massively, but there seems to be no program for
> doing this. We seem to have dropped the ball in Afghanistan, where
> was certainly necessary to get rid of the Taliban.
>
> This is *one* area where we need some hardnosed policy debate (one of
> many). I wish the peace marchers would devote their energies to this
> sort of issue.
>
>
### I definitely agree here. The success of American reconstruction in
Europe and Japan is a very clear sign that the best method for healing
hatred is expanding political freedom under the firm rule of law, and lots
of cash.
I do not know enough about the current situation in Afghanistan, whether
they really need cash, and how much, but judicious use of some US tax money
to promote goodwill and welfare in that country seems like a good idea.
After all the billions spent on kicking butt, a little could go a long way.
Rafal
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