The way to win the "war" on Islamic fundamentalism is not through using military might. Instead we need to use the same weapons that won us the cold war: prosperity and freedom. Using bombs and missiles, however sophisticated the technology may be, is the most primitive way of settling any type of conflict. The idea of bringing freedom to a country accustomed to authoritarian dictatorship through a semi-permanent military occupation is even more ludicrous. In order to reduce the threat of radical Islam and rouge states is to invest in them. Instead of issuing sanctions on Iran, for example, we ought to increase our trade with the Iranian people. Giving American banks incentive to fund Middle-Eastern entrepreneurs, eliminating trade barriers and advertising ourselves is the way to go. Once people in the mid-east have employment, education and prosperity their world outlook is going to change dramatically. A shoe maker in Tehran is going to be quite fond of the U.S. and EU after the Rabo Bank and Chase Manhattan funded him and his shoes are being sold at Target and Carrefour. Furthermore, we ought to encourage our media corporations to air Western-style television - sit-coms, stand-up comedy, late-night talk, etc... throughout the Mid-East. When combined with large-scale investment in the people of the Middle-East, advertising our life-style, that is our freedom and prosperity, will largely dismantle the threat of fundamental Islam. The current primitive "be our friend and be shot" strategy needs to abandoned. A new strategy, bringing prosperity to the Middle-East is needed. The U.S. grants over 1,000 PhDs in economics and political science each year. We have more money than any country in the history of humankind. We should do better than bombs and rifles.

About the Author

I am a rational, creative, intelligent and, as you may have thought, liberal person with a passion for politics and the social sciences in general. I am from a progressive professional (upper middle) class background and pride myself in being someone whose actions and opinions are based on rational thought. My political ideology largely rests on three main principles. First, human beings should be as free as possible. Thus, I advocate the