You want to win a war against Iran?

[WilliamPitt]

Easy.

All we need to do to overthrow the Ayatollahs, empower Sistani and electrify the moderates is give the people satellite TV broadcasts. Which means park one satellite over Iran and give them MTV 24/7/365. The mullahs won't know what hit them.

Seriously. The biggest cultural revolt in the last decade in Iran happened when a 'banned' comedy show was broadcast via satellite that mocked the mullahs and the religious authoritarianism. EVERYONE there has a dish. Everyone saw it.

One satellite, and the war is over. Free gas for everyone.

Kidding, but not. Something like 75% of the country is under 25, and a lot of them are into the West. Smart foreign policy for the Empire would involve taking 10 Iranian 20 year olds on a speaking tour of the Mideast. They'd talk about how great the West is, and they'd mean it.

Smart foreign policy for non-Imperial thinkers would involve not dropping bombs on people, letting them worship as they please, and figuring out a way to run stuff without oil, but whatever. One satellite and the war is fought.

[tavalon]

1. It's a better idea

than the neocons have. Of course, they prefer the bloodiness of their way. Nothing gives a neocon a bigger hard-on than some good ol' violence.

[arcos]

2. That's why Al Qaeda endorsed Bush...

In one tape they said that the Democrats were worse for islam because they used that kind of tactics, while Republicans actually energize fundamentalists with their policies.

[Pachamama]

3. Unfortunately, the Bush Co. Neocons have a different Satellite in mind

Great idea Will...(seriously)....but I do think these nutjobs in control of our country right now have a different idea....

I mean according to them, they will be throwing flowers at our feet :eyes:

[Swamp Rat]

6. no more war...

I can't take this death and distruction. It's killing me inside. :cry:

[whistle]

4. Right and as our troops enter Tehran, the crowds will be....

...throwing flowers at them along with rocks, knives, and high velosity shells from the mussels of Kalashnikov

[Fire Bush]

5. One problem

How do we funnel money into the weapons builders coffers? I mean, that's half the fun!

[theorist]

7. They're also seeing a boom in internet access.

I wonder if any of them are reading this, right now...

:hi:, Iranians!

[yvr girl]

8. Let's think ahead here

There's millions of orphans in Africa. They're growing up without enough food, shelter, education and love. You think they might grow to resent their lot in life eventually and get a little pissy about it? Just imagine a whole generation, hardened by a cruel youth, with a resentment that no one can assuage.

Someone cries out that the West was complicit. They could have made a difference, but they didn't. They didn't care enough to pay attention to our plight. This someone gathers a crowd. The crowd becomes angry. The crowd is a mob, with a taste for blood. Ah...the future's so bright...

I agree, smart foreign policy should focus on the ounce of prevention.

[WilliamPitt]

9. You forgot to add the crucial element

Millions of guns, millions of bullets, thousands of grenade launchers, and all stamped 'Made in the USA' because someone here makes good money selling weapons over there.

[yvr girl]

10. My bad

So you're hopeful that not all of America's major industries will be outsourced? Look for the union label...

...It's always better to be killed by a quality bullet.

[WilliamPitt]

11. .

[NewJeffCT]

12. We could probably do that in a lot of places...like Cuba

It's probably something we should try with Cuba as well. Opening up other cultures to Western ideas works a lot better than dropping bombs on them. Sure, it takes longer and means less short term profit for the bomb makers... but, it worked in Eastern Europe and China is slowly opening up as well due to exposure to Western culture & ideas.

[Vladimir]

13. Maybe I'm just bitter and twisted,

but why not take them on a tour of South Central LA (or Blackbird Leys in Oxford for a UK example) instead, and see how great they think we are then...

Our shit stinks, and it stinks a lot more then theirs precisely because we spend so much time telling the rest of the world that is smells of roses. A lot of the West's problems would indeed be solved by finding an energy source other than oil to run our economies on, but only if coupled with a profound halt to our prosletysing...