Mark Satin pursues "America's Purpose" at NAF Terrorism Conference



Radical Middle writer Mark Satin outlines "a 12-Point Plan for Combatting Terrorism and Becoming More Understanding, More Humane, AND MORE EFFECTIVE in the Process", based on his observations of the New America Foundation's conference on "Terrorism, Security, and America's Purpose." Some excerpts from the full article:
1. Stop! Listen! Learn!
We can’t move forward without doing a lot more listening and learning.
2. Beyond Good Versus Evil
Note the overriding empathy in all the analyses
3. Provide Servant Leadership
To lead effectively in the war on terror (or in any other global endeavor), the U.S. needs to practice collaboration, foresight, and an ethically informed approach to power.
4. Help Bring Democracy to Muslim Nations
First, democracy has to come from the bottom up. Second, America can’t present itself as the sole model. And third, although elections are important, even more important are (a) rule of law, and (b) having a genuine opposition party take root.
5. Help Bring Prosperity to Muslim Nations
any solution to terrorism will therefore require us to help induce economic progress in all Muslim states, from Morocco to Indonesia.
6. Mobilize Global Civil Society
People ... urgently need to know they have a future, she said, and a future means jobs.
7. Keep Nuclear Weapons Out of Terrorists’ Hands
We can’t eliminate everyone who’d do us harm, but we can and must make it a lot harder for such people to get their hands on nuclear weapons.
8. Eliminate Overdependence on Our Armed Forces
“[F]orce alone will not be sufficient . . . and can be counter-productive when not part of a comprehensive, integrated, and long-term strategy.”
9. Reform Our Political Institutions
we’re becoming more centralized and rigid while the terrorists are becoming more decentralized and flexible
10. Reform the Law, Don’t Thwart It
We must stay within the constraints of the law, even if the laws may have to be modified to deal with terrorists
11. Mobilize U.S. Civil Society
The front line of democracy promotion must not be the U.S. government, [but] be non-profits, NGOs. Government should “privilege” them.
12. A Little Self-Improvement
if more Americans were truly interested in the world and truly willing to accept and understand The Other, our responses to terrorism might be more productive.

The conference’s real message
if we want to build a new and radical centrist consensus, then we need to listen to what everyone is saying. That’s why the conference included expert voices from every credible point on the American political spectrum, and from at least eight other nations...
The conference’s holistic perspective was its real message. It modeled the holistic, integrative, ethically aware worldview we’ll all need to adopt if we want to become more effective opponents of terrorism, more substantial global citizens, and more responsive human beings.

Posted: Fri - September 16, 2005 at 05:34 PM        

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