Economic measures are viable alternative to perpetuating the cycle of warfare
Christopher C. Cordes
Edward T. Prusiecki
First off, we would like to express our deepest sympathy and prayers for all those killed, injured, emotionally harmed and struggling with the inhumanity that occurred earlier this week.
Retaliation is the word on every American mind over the past days. Sanctions, declarations of war and most prominently military action are just a few of the options the American people have been bombarded with since the tragedies in Washington D.C. and New York. This call to action is more than expected when thousands of American civilians are brutally murdered. In the minds of the majority, nothing would be more satisfying than an all out military action; completely wiping out whichever terrorist or government committed these atrocities.
It is imperative for the future security of America to hunt down those responsible and punish them. We must not passively turn and give the other cheek to terrorism. However military retaliation is not a viable option. Instead, an all out military action would continue and increase this vicious cycle of terrorism. Economic action can go a lot further in winning this type of war than military action.
Instead of an all out military assault on whoever is responsible, the United States and its comrades should negotiate with countries like Afghanistan. We should offer those countries grain, money, educational materials and other supplies that they need in return for the terrorists in their countries. In other words, offer them such overwhelming economic benefits that they can not pass up the opportunity to improve their countries. America must make it known that is willing to offer enormous amount of economic benefits in the new global business of bringing terrorists to justice.
If the United States decides to send aircraft carriers to the Indian Ocean and launch a series of air attacks, we might take out terrorists like Bin Laden. However, inevitably we will also manage to wipe out towns full of innocent people, an act of terrorism. Then all the husbands, sons, brothers, etc. of the innocent people killed will vow revenge on America and a seed of terrorism will be sowed. In attempting to wipe out terrorism the United States is only feeding a fire; the more you try to eradicate them, the more you will end up fighting.
Retaliating and killing innocent people is exactly what terrorist like bin Laden want the Article Five nations to do. It will make martyrs out of the innocent people killed. In the eyes of the martyrs' family and friends, the United States will even more resemble the "head of a snake" that many believe it already is. Retaliation, bombing and wiping people out will only cause numerous more terrorist acts and more followers in their ludicrous ideologies.
Economic and political negotiating is a course of action that should be considered. The Article Five nations need to open up a dialog with so-labeled "terrorist nations." Article Five nations, led by the United States, should offer them significant materials and money to help out their economies and increase their standard of living. In return for these handouts, as in the Marshall Plan, those designated countries will cooperate with the United States. By agreeing to cooperate, they will hand over the masterminds behind these heinous actions and agree to work in eradicating terrorism from our communal planet. If we can negotiate with these countries by offering them money and other economic goods, the Article Five nations will become allies with such countries as Afghanistan in the war against terrorism.
America can accomplish more utilizing this "economic warfare" than using our enormous military power to fight terrorism. The United States contains cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago that each have a higher gross domestic product than Russia. Clearly we can offer numerous economic opportunities to third world countries. This course of action might be expensive, timely and difficult, but it is more than worth suffering through another September 11, 2001.
Christopher C. Cordes
Edward T. Prusiecki
seniors
Alumni Hall
Sept. 13, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, September 14, 2001
