Jeffrey Sachs, writing in the NY Times, looks at foreign aid as a tool of national security (JRobb, this would be a good piece for a Global Guerrillas post). I definitely agree with Sachs’ main points; consider how much positive work could be accomplished by shifting $15 billion from Defense (-3.3% of budget) to Aid (+100% of budget) and how much insight into problems and potential problems we will get as a result.
Rumsfeld says he is worried America is losing the wider war against terrorism, “It’s quite clear to me that we do not have a coherent approach to this.” So, Mr. Secretary, wouldn’t putting our feet on the ground in a supportive, productive manner be a good way to get clearer? Or is violence and skullduggery the only approach you know?
With Tenet and his top deputy for clandestine ops leaving the CIA and the FBI caught up in a tizzy over domestic intelligence, right now would be a great time to brainstorm both how we gather and evaluate knowledge about the wider world, how we interact with others. We’ve reached a cusp and the question is whether the Administration, or Kerry when he wins in November for that matter, can grasp it in a positive way rather than following a worn-out path.
BillSaysThis 