Allen McDuffee is a freelance journalist I met at the two U of Maryland journalism fellowships I attended. He is liberal politically and we have had some most excellent arguments about all the usual suspects and targets. He is also a thoughtful and reasonable dude. He has granted points I have made, and i have done the same for him. He is the type of person I like to engage because I know my ideas will be tested but given a fair hearing and not dismissed out of hand as the rantings of a wingnut, which unfortunately is the default position of far too many on the tolerant left. He has finally spun up a blog called Think Tanked covering exactly what you would expect. It is well worth the time to check out what the loftiest thinkers on both sides of the fence are up to....so let's. He has an interview up with CAP's Brian Katulis and I have a bone or two to pick. 2) What does a progressive foreign policy bring to the table as military efforts are soon to be ratcheted-up in Afghanistan? Progressive foreign policy thinking has much more it can contribute to the situation in Afghanistan than it has to date. In particular progressives can help map out alternatives to the current course and develop better ideas on some of the key elements to stabilizing Afghanistan – outlining the investments needed in institutions and economic development to achieve a sustainable end state and advance justice in Afghanistan, developing policy recommendations on a m ore effective and limited use of force against irreconcilable insurgents grounded in moral principles as well as efficacy arguments, and mapping out a conceivable exit strategy. Progressives have a lot to offer on effective governance and have a distinct advantage over conservatives, who are disinclined against making governance central. It is striking that in many of the hot spots around the world – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen – these countries are excellent descriptions of what many conservatives in America support here at home – in those places that are pose the greatest threats from non-state terrorist networks, there’s no or very limited government, a lot of people have guns, and religion dominates the politics – exactly in line with what many conservatives espouse. The first paragraph is standard boilerplate, but in the second we get some excellent condescension. I am curious how many prominent American conservatives espouse having religion dominate the politics? I am aware of some who believe that the Judeo-Christian moral principles that served as the foundation for our free, liberal society ought to be held dear. I'm even aware of some who use religious dogma as the basis for some policies (abortion, gay marriage). But the idea that this is even remotely comparable to Sharia-ruled, Islamic states is farcical. Our state guarantees that while religious people can worship any God they want and participate fully in our democratic process, they cannot enshrine religion as the arbiter of laws or governance. In the states Katulis mentions, the religion is the state and there is no escape, no opting out and running afoul of the holy book can get you killed. On Obama's Israel-Palestinian policy i have to agree with him. At this moment, America seems to lack a clear strategy for moving forward – and I’m not sure if it has to do with lack of opportunity or courage. It may have more to do with a complex situation that has become increasingly stalemated and all sides have become even more entrenched. Opportunities are limited, but new opportunities can be created through new strategies. At this point, I don’t see a clear strategic approach from the Obama administration – it has employed a set of tactics that have not yielded tangible results. The strategy employed thus far was the kiss our enemies, kick our allies that has been the hallmark of O's enagement. If they were our friends before him, then they are part of our evil global imperialistic past and must be shown the stick. If they have been at odds with us, it must have been our fault and we must extend a hand in friendship and maybe bow a bit in submission. Anyhow, keep an eye on Allen's blog as I am sure there will be plenty to discuss.
Read the complete post at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackfive/~3/KZsuQuRHwfg/think-tank-thoughts.html
Posted
May 20 2010, 01:43 AM
by
BLACKFIVE