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A Modest Proposal
By Ron McCray What a month we are experiencing in September. There is so much written "in the light" about what happened, why it happened, and its implications. It is not my intention to repeat or even reaffirm the basic message that is the common thread running through the messages that are currently proliferating. My intention is to suggest something that I have not specifically read elsewhere. It is A Modest Proposal… If the USA uses its military strength against Afghanistan in retaliation against Osama bin Laden, then it will spend billions of dollars in an effort that is principally one of destruction. The only people to "profit" from such action will be arms and munitions manufacturers as well as the political and industrial infrastructure surrounding them. Afghanistan would be humbled even more than it is now, and other Islamic nations will simply continue to see the USA as a bully that uses its wealth against poorer nations. That is simply more fodder for the terrorist mill. What if, on the other hand, the USA asked for the delivery of bin Laden and his supporters into a court of world "justice" conducted by the United Nations or other objective body in exchange for financial, industrial, and technological aid to Afghanistan? This would undoubtedly be cheaper and would demonstrate to the world that the USA is truly capable of being a world leader by actually leading. At one time towards the end of my work in corporate America, I was a trainer of communication and leadership programs. Then as now, I understand leadership is serving the needs of the people who would be led. I see the US government's concept of leadership as being more of an enforcement of its belief system on its own people as well as the world in general. It is time, as many tell us, for a change. Back to my modest proposal…as part of the exchange of bin Laden for aid, there could be stipulations that the money and support would only be used for rebuilding housing, schools, utilities, hospitals, and other components of Afghan society destroyed by decades of civil war and invasion. No funds or support could be used for religious or military purposes. On the other hand, the aid would be free of "strings" requiring the establishment of a democracy or a new policy of human rights. No nation can dictate those kinds of principles to another, regardless of how enlightened such social reengineering is. People always make those choices themselves when they are ready to do so. That is my proposal. There are several thousand readers of this magazine each month. I request that if you agree with my proposal, please take some sort of action with respect to it. For example, if you send this article to a friend, post it at work, write a government official, preferably the President of the US, or whatever seems appropriate to you, then we begin a kind of "Pay It Forward." Who knows where it may go?
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Email Ron: Ron@RonMcCray.com
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© Ron McCray 2002 - 2004
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