How can the middle east be made less backwards?

[self biased]

either that, or one side will wipe out the other and there'll be less to deal with.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by self biased
drop a few neutron bombs and start over? outlaw islam?

It might be a radical solution, but maybe more efficient. Drop those neutron bombs on US - that surely would reduce the demand of oil.

[Elok]

Originally posted by Arrian
They've got to figure that out themselves. Whatever the solution is, it won't be imposed by us.

-Arrian

QFT. I might add that it could take a while. They have to decide for themselves that they're sick of being led by crazy SOBs. I suppose we could accelerate it somewhat by staying out of it and letting them see for themselves who's causing all the misery...hmm, Asmodean beat me to the first part. Oh well. Consider that QFT'd too, I'm lazy.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by BlackCat


It might be a radical solution, but maybe more efficient. Drop those neutron bombs on US - that surely would reduce the demand of oil.

most growth in oil use will occur in china such that China is going to overtake the US as the largest importer of mideast oil. Best to nuke China and the US both. I have no idea how long it would take for this destruction of some of the market for mideast crude oil to transform the mideast from a ****hole to a livable region. Presumably if it takes too long dropping neutron bombs on additional oil importers would further speed it up.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Geronimo


most growth in oil use will occur in china such that China is going to overtake the US as the largest importer of mideast oil. Best to nuke China and the US both. I have no idea how long it would take for this destruction of some of the market for mideast crude oil to transform the mideast from a ****hole to a livable region. Presumably if it takes too long dropping neutron bombs on additional oil importers would further speed it up.

Yeah, i should have taken the chinese view into acount - guess that several more neutron bombs are nedeed.

[MRT144]

letting them figure it out is pathetic. incentives towards working with us isnt.

[Traianvs]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Ugh. Pan arab nationalism is the LAST thing we want to encourage. It leaves them interfering in each others politics, and pursuing fantasies instead of tangible realities. We want Moroccan nationalists, Tunisian nationalists, Egyptian nationalist, NOT Arab nationalists. We may fail in creating Iraqi nationalism, but Moroccan nationalism may be more achievable. A grand pan-arab free trade zone would be a mistake. better to integrate the best countries, again Morocco and Tunisia into the European area, or bilaterals with the US.

Well, I've recently done some interesting work on a trade related treaty of the EU with Algeria, and apparently creating free trade areas is one of the issues the EU is dealing with right now. They have finished bilateral associtation agreements with nearly every mediterranean country except Libya having observer status in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, which is a sort of regional/multilateral framework into which bilateral agreements should be seen. The EU intends to harmonize each Mediterranean (Arab) country so that norms, rules and values will converge. De facto this means that those Arab countries need to adjust to EU certification, rules etc. simply because they are in a weaker position to negotiate seeing that the EU is for most countries the major trading partner. The goal for the EU is to improve those Arab standards so that in the future the EU will be able to exert its influence a lot easier. You could say the EU acts as a soft power, using these agreements to enhance its position in the Middle-East and North-Africa, especially with security and stability in mind. It's not easy to assess this already, but so far countries like Algeria seem happy enough to adjust their standards because it's in their interest just as well.
Indirectly this kind of policy also acts against islamist movements (who, btw, oppose these agreements because they fear westernization and loss of jobs through liberalisation of the market), because many joint projects in various domains (even cultural, social, scientific etc) are started along with the agreements. In short trade liberalisation is seen as a sort of leverage in order to democratize and reform the country. So far reforms have been partially successful (in the case of Algeria), but in the human rights domain tangible results have yet to be achieved unfortunately. However seeing the particular case of that country with its islamist movements (now starting to identify with al qaeda) it's probably quite impossible to demand these human rights reforms, or the country might fall into civil strife again...

BTw: The EU also tries to support a pan-arabic free trade zone ( the agadir process for example) because it thinks this could improve harmonisation with the EU as well. /Me thinks it's the best option.

By creating a dialogue and cooperation with these countries, you can influence them far easier than by shutting yourself off from them. Where diplomatic and military solutions have failed, a slow progress through economic reform might be a valid alternative imo

[ZEE]

tldr

[Straybow]

It is clear that invasion and toppling foreign governments is to expensive, difficult, and divisive

Well, no. If all we did was invade and topple, it would've been a "short, decisive war."

[Patroklos]

Dubai is awesome, but twenty miles away they are still living in mud brick hovels. Seen with my own eyes

[Dinner]

Proof that oil money can buy just about everything but corrupt governments aren't the best at getting that oil wealth to the people.

[Odin]

That is something they must figure out on thier own. IMO any attempt to try to impose Western values on the Islamic Civilization by force or otherwise on our part will only lead to a more backward-looking backlash. My hope is that the emerging middle classes start forcing Atatürk-clones into power.

[Perfection]

Widespread unrestricted internet access in all its pornographic glory.

[Dinner]

Is Pakistan still the number one location for just about every google search involving sex? Animal sex, child sex, you name it and Pakistan was the King of that search.

[SlowwHand]

What's the matter, Oerdin? Did someone tell you your dick was too small, so you decided to revive all your old threads?