Time to get back on track

Not only was every single American shaken by the events of 9/11, but so were most citizens of the world. There was great consensus in the immediate aftermath, and the commandeered state of Afghanistan was the consensus first target in setting things aright. After that, it seems to have all gone wrong.

Time gives us perspective. We can look back now and see that. What really happened? Twenty some guys hijacked some airplanes and flew them into buildings. No new technology, in factit was very low tech, no mobilization of great armies, no existential threat. So, what did we do? We created a war on terror. We jumped into the clash of civilizations with both feet. And in so doing, we lost track of the big picture; the rise of rest, the danger of true existential threats like nuclear proliferation and precarious warhead security, and most importantly, we lost track of the things that make America the model for a better world.

I've just finished Zakaria's The Post-American World, (this is the first of many posts motivated by this source), and this passage needs to be emphasized

Before it can implement any of these specific strategies, however, the United States must make a much broader adjustment. It needs to stop cowering in fear. It is fear that has created a climate of paranoia and panic in the United States and fear that has enabled our strategic missteps. Having spooked ourselves into believing that we have no option but to act fast and alone, preemptively and unilaterally, we have managed to destroy decades of goodwill, alienate allies, and embolden enemies, while solving few of the major problems we face. To recover its place in the world, America first has to recover it's confidence.

We are not at war with Islam. We ended up giving our true enemies more of what they wanted than we suspect. The cry was, "we will fight them over there so won't have to fight them here". And we are, spilling enormous amounts of blood and treasure while doing so. Zakaria points out that the world really is going our way. The processes we set in motion after WWII - economic integration, bringing all nations into an orderly world system, democratization - are still going strong. It's time to reset our focus and put the system of international relations back on track. It is not just military strength that makes us great.

Btw, the Rand Corporation recently released this study that shows policing is far more effective at eliminating terrorist groups than military action and calls for and to the so-called "war on terror".