Bush's Advice on How to Fight Terrorism

An Associated Press report from Sydney, Australia, says that President Bush urged Asia-Pacific nations to keep up the anti-terror fight, deploying both military might and democratic ideals to turn the tide against extremists. Bush is quoted: "Pressure keeps the terrorists on the run, and when on the run, we're safer. We must be focused, and must not let up."

'Military might' did not produce the recent arrests in Germany of terrorists plotting to harm American military personnel and damage their installations. Armed forces are not designed for combating terrorists. Police work is what stops terrorists from carrying out their nefarious plots.

"Democratic ideals' are not indigenous to Middle Eastern culture, the spawning ground of Islamist Fundamentalist ideas that fuel terrorism. Democracy developed in Western Europe and the United States over centuries. Democracy will not be installed in Middle Eastern countries on Bush's timetable, whatever that is.

Keeping up the anti-terrorist fight on Bush's terms is a ridiculous notion. It is fed to the world population in disrespect for their common sense and with knowledge of their ignorance of the Muslim world. The anti-terrorist fight is what needs focus, not the idea of keeping the terrorists on the run. What needs focus is the state of mind of the terrorists and what motivates him or her to attack the West. Bush says they don't like us, because we have freedom. I propose that they hate us, because of our imperialistic practices with regard to their homelands. I propose that they hate us, because our movies, magazines and television shows are an affront to their cultural standards. I propose that they hate us, because their own civilization is in trouble and they think we are to blame. They don't hate us for our democratic ideals or our military might, except as we use these tools against their desire for self-determination.

We, the people, need to convene a citizen's convention to develop a plan of action to deal with Islamist terrorists. We need to gather together the world's foremost experts in the subject's that have a bearing on the problem of terrorism and draw on their collective knowledge to fashion a plan for neutralizing terroristic acts and advancing their just demands. We need to rise above the culture of fear-mongering and militarism to get to a real workable solution, not a continuation of an ineffective program with false hopes for victory. We need to start now, because already, under the inept leadership of the Bushites, we are six years late in getting started to counter the reality of terrorism aimed at our people and institutions.