We need SOLUTIONS we can believe in.

My developing thoughts on Iraq:

1. The borders should be sealed and fortified. Terrorists and bombs from Syria and Iran should not be able to freely flow into Iraq. Biometrics should be used, to identify terrorists more effectively.

2. The provinces and not the national government should primarily hold power. The government structure, in this respect, would more resemble Switzerland than the United States. This would reduce the tension and power struggle between the Southern Shia provinces and the Baghdad Shia province, as well as empower the Suni-Arab majority provinces, who believe they are disenfranchised (the Sunis overwhelmingly reject the Iraqi government and constitution, and resent the American “occupation”, which they believe is propping up an illegitimate Shia government).

I recently visited Robben Island in South Africa and found it interesting that Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher believed Nelson Mandela and his cohorts to be terrorists! During the apartheid, the blacks were disenfranchised…

Also, prior to the American Revolution, the American colonies were disenfranchised from the British government, and George Washington and the American revolutionaries were considered terrorists… (especially since they didn’t abide by the warfare rules of the day - they ambushed the british troops rather than marching in formation.)

3. Oil revenue should be distributed to the citizens of Iraq, in a similar way that Alaska distributes oil revenue to citizens of Alaska. If people are not hungry, and able to subsist, than they are less likely to buy into extremist propaganda. The Iraqi government has a $35 billion surplus! That buys a lot of bread, as well as potentially funding small business lending and education initiatives aimed at developing the economy.