Solutions?

Although many people do not agree with any U.S. involvement in Iraq, or anywhere in the Middle East, the fact is our military is there. And, depending if you look at is future heaven or hell, troops of ours will probably be there for quite some time. Maybe we need to find out what ‘we can do.’ While most of us will not travel there, at least not “to change the world,” that does not mean we cannot be productive. I have mentioned that things such as pollution and crime need to be changed here, too, but to a much larger degree there. Perhaps because many of the countries are dry and denser than the U.S. as a whole, their pollution stands out? Either way, there are more important matters. The book was one of the only first hand accounts of experiences in the Middle East. I hope that by saying I doubt too much has changed I do not offend anyone. The news, at least, has barely changed its’ theme over the last 10 years. Different people and places are always introduced, but similar themes are used over and over again: the oil industry, Palestinian and Israeli suicide bombings, feuds over religious rights and restrictions, etc. Again, not to insult anyone, but the fact that it has been so long and little change has taken place should indicate something. Whether ‘it’ is that the west needs to intervene is debatable, and of course what the west should do if we do intervene is debatable too; however, I believe that change is needed soon. Changes are not always economical, political, or even within their societal traditions, but ‘it’ has to be along those lines, and drastic. The reason for all this talk of change, to me, is simple: the Middle East is so large and important to the rest of the world in several ways that as long as they ‘suffer’ others may too. I would not mind the abolition of things from the Middle East such as incredible numbers of extremists and terrorists, but I truly believe the Middle East, as a whole, is more important to the world than people realize. Quite selfishly, I want improvement in the Middle East. Sincerely,
C.S.