As I look to the New Year I was thinking that this would be an extremely opportunistic time for the US to demonstrate to the potentially radical Islamic community that we can and will help those devistated by the recent tsunami. Or we could be seen as cheap uncaring self centered people. The largest Islamic population is in that region of the world. Most of the terrorisitic activities were planned in that part of the world. History has born that out.
Therefore it would be a great place for a Marshall Plan type rebuilding effort. I would hope that it would be without the greed as outlined in "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by Perkins. Historically we gave out aid and loans only to line the pockets of the ruling class and large corporations in that part of the world. I have first hand knowledge of that with the building of the electrical power grid infrastructure in Jakarta and Bali. So we need to be seen as the benefactor of the people, the people that Bin Laden's folks are trying to recruit against us. Hearts and Minds over terror and bullets is where we need to go. I Hope we turn this tragedy into something good for the rest of the world. We need that over more death and destruction. We have lost too many generations so far.