TJ ON SAVAGE NATION DEBATING OBAMA's MESSAGE TO ARAB WORLD

TJ spoke with Michael Savage today on Savage Nation (710am) regarding Obama's words and actions to the Arab world. Many of Savage 's callers followed Savage himself who took the position that Obama is making a mistake in acknowledging the Arabs in a positive way. "Who and what have they (Arabs) contributed to our society?" he asked listeners. "Why is Obama kissing the feet of the Saudi kings?" TJ then posed to Savage that the President's words and actions were meta messages designed solely to win over the large moderate Arab population still open to choice . Savage responded that the Arabs can only be dealt with in  Black and White fashion, that the gray area is soft, and that Obama is starting soft. Savage then added that Bush's mistake was that he started well but ended soft.

Savage is not accurate. The hard stance that Bush took early , with his "Shock and Awe" and  "Mission Accomplished" has left us with not one but 3 going on 4 theaters of engagement with the Islamic fundamentalists: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, with Iran on deck. It's hard to make the claim that a strong "with us or against us" approach is the only way when that way left the U.S with 4 issues in one region. Sorry Savage you're missing the point.

Recruitment is the key. Visual images and words used are the tools. Obama is taking the strategy that where there is no willingness to be open minded , then engage militarily. Hence

the Afghan troop surge on the border of Pakistan. Where there is hope for us to win the hearts and minds of Arabs who have not chosen a side yet, there is rhetoric and imagery. There is respect. Empathy. Open dialogue. While the Bin Ladens of the world recruit by claiming how evl the U.S is, Obama has chosen to defend this harsh talk by simply exemplifying a completely different visual to what's being said by Fundamentalist leaders on their You tube videos.

Savage is half right. There are those in the Taliban,  Al Qaeda, Hamas and other organizations for whom there will be no chance to talk and reason with. However, he is half wrong because its not those radicals that Obama has tried to reach out to with his words and actions of respect and empathy. By narrowing the pool of choices Al Qaeda has to recruit and win over, the U.S and it's allies militaries lessen their workload.  The War against Politically Motivated Violence by borderless networks rage on but over time, by winning over the middle the fight will begin to be  against fewer enemies.