Reductive Orientalism Explored

No, Paul, you're not a reductive orientalist. But I think that this is a very complicated issue which needs deeper thought by those both smarter and at higher pay-grades than our own.

As a theroretical construct, you are absolutely right. Why should we, at the end of the day, really concern ourselves with Osama bin Laden's perverse and petulant rationales for waging jihad against America? He and his jihadis have all the proof that they need and are fanatical and deluded enough to kill as many Americans and westerners as they possibly can. There is nothing that can be done about these people. We cannot change their minds and we cannot negotiate with them. We cannot prevail upon them to eventually give up on their twisted missions. With these people, all we can hope to do is apprehend or kill as many of them as possible and hope that we achieve those objectives before they kill any of us.

But as a practical matter, the real battle is not being waged against Osama himself. The real battle is being waged against Osama and Islamic fascists for the hearts and minds of moderate Muslims. The strategy, is in part, to avoid providing our enemies with incendiary "proof points" which can be used to substantiate their outrageous claims. While this sounds easy enough, it is not.

Consider our relationship with Israel and our role in "mediating" Middle East peace. Consider the abuses at Abu Ghraib and the verified violations at Guantanamo and elsewhere. Consider the inexplicable policy of "rendition" and how the United States suddenly finds itself comfortable with torture. Consider our relationships with the governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Consider the failure to find WMD in Iraq and the elaborate conspiracy theories which have emerged to explain the "real reasons." Consider the freedom of our press and the proliferation of Internet outlets which allow such conspiracy theories to gain traction worldwide. Consider "friends and allies" in the Middle East (and around the globe) who seek to deflect the attention of domestic populations from their own shortcomings by leveraging state-run medias and "useful idiots" to impugn U.S. motives. And consider our own government's inability to properly articulate our positions or get serious about conducting effective public diplomacy initiatives.

When viewed through this lens, is it then surprising that increasing numbers of moderate Muslims view Bush's democracy rhetoric with great skepticism? When one considers the widespread illiteracy in that part of the world and the role that word-of-mouth plays in proliferating the angry rantings of fanatical mullahs, is it any wonder that stories about the desecration of holy books find purchase among the masses? How can one expect policy "nuances" like our support for Israel and $2B a year to Egypt to resonate with moderates in the region? When we straddle the line on torture, whether indirectly by not holding senior-level officials accountable for Abu Ghraib or directly indirect via rendition, can we really expect Islamic fundamentalists to discount the word of Newsweek? Let's face it, through word and deed, we have made our bed. Abu Ghraib stripped us of many of our democracy credentials. Nevermind that it was childs play in comparison to My Lai , it was captured on hundreds of photos disseminated via the Internet and it stands in direct opposition to our proclaimed ideals of spreading freedom and democracy. While those in the Middle East aren't generally familiar with the accountability of democratic systems, we also aren't showing them much, either.

So, yes, actually we do have to bend over backwards and swim the "broad symbolic ocean" if we are to compete for the hearts and minds of those in the Muslim world who aren't already too far gone. Pete Peterson's work in the area of public diplomacy has not been adopted quickly enough by this administration. And not enough effort has been made to clarify our policy vis-a-vis Israel and despotic regimes in the region. Only by increasing the transparency, reaching out via public diplomacy and showing accountability when we goof, will we have any hope of developing credibility with moderate Muslims. In the meantime, we must also be aware that our fumbles have set us back. And therefore, it is incumbent upon us to go the extra mile.