"Send books, not weapons, Clinton says"

[Prada]

This is exactly how to tackle extremism at the root. Im quite content that someone acknowledges this. A well diversified modern school curriculum is what is needed. This is what will prevent ignorance and children being brainwashed and henceforth taken advantage of. It will eradicate the pipeline of terrorism, to a vast extent.

ANDY RIGA, ANN CARROLL of The Gazette contributed to this report, The Gazette
Published: Friday, November 10, 2006

If Bill Clinton knew then what he knows now, he would have sent books, not weapons.

The result might have been more scientists and fewer terrorists, the former U.S. president told the Montreal Millennium Promise Conference on child poverty yesterday.

In most developing countries, Clinton explained, parents must pay to send their children to public schools - "because of the strain on government budgets and the weak tax base."

But some Muslim countries such as Pakistan have networks of free madrassa schools, which "indoctrinate kids with a very militant ideology," he said.

And terrorist groups such as Al-Qa'ida use them as recruiting venues.

"During the '80s and the '90s - I take responsibility for this, too - because Pakistan was a good Cold War ally of the United States, we were only too happy to give them generous military aid," said Clinton, who was president from 1993 to 2001.

"If we had given them just one less plane and taken that money and put it into education, God only knows how many fewer terrorists and how many more engineers and scientists we might have educated."

Clinton used his 45-minute speech to lay out a blueprint for eradicating poverty. Funding education is a key component.

In a poor country, he noted, every year of schooling adds an average 10 per cent to a child's future earning capacity. Around the world, 130 million children don't go to school.

Programs that provide free food in school are cutting that number, Clinton said. And countries like Brazil have proved that attendance can also be boosted by paying parents a stipend if their kids go to class.

Through a foundation he created, Clinton now criss-crosses the globe promoting projects related to health security, economic empowerment, citizen service and racial, ethnic and religious reconciliation.

In his speech, Clinton, 60, noted 10 million children die of preventable causes annually and that half the people in the world live on less than $2 a day.

"The good news is we know what to do about these challenges," he said. "We can have a significant impact on child poverty in a short time" if governments, business and non-governmental groups team up.

He said aid to and trade with poor countries must increase. More debt must be relieved. Fair trade projects must be encouraged.

Business must invest in profitable projects in developing countries to create jobs so parents don't have to send children to work instead of school.

Health care must be improved so preventable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis can be eliminated.

"If there's one thing I've learned in my increasingly long life, (it) is that intelligence, ability and willingness to work are evenly distributed around the world," Clinton said. "But opportunity, investment and systems that function, that establish that critical link between effort and result, are not.

"We know that even though it sounds quite expensive to do, it is far cheaper than letting the situation continue to deteriorate. ... All the things we can do are much cheaper than the aftermath of calamity and also, parenthetically, much cheaper than going to war.

To loud applause from the audience, he noted the United States has spent $400 billion on the Iraq war and $100 billion in Afghanistan, yet won't honour a commitment to provide $30 billion a year in foreign aid.

Outside the conference at the Palais des congres, a coalition of Quebec housing, social welfare, women's groups and union representatives rallied at noon to draw attention to poverty issues closer to home.

The groups are calling for a hike in social assistance allocations and an increase in the minimum wage.

"It's a good thing to ask the public to be generous and donate, but that shouldn't take the place of government responsibility for social programs," said Marie-Josee Corriveau, of the Front d'action populaire en reamenagement urbain.

A United Nations social and economic committee this year criticized Canada for minimum-wage levels and welfare allocations that are too low to provide its citizens a decent life, Corriveau noted.

The minimum wage in Quebec is $7.75 an hour

"A single parent of two kids could work 40 hours a week and still fall well below the low-income level," Corriveau said.

The basic social assistance allocation of $543 a month, meanwhile, cannot begin to cover everyday costs of housing, food and clothing, Corriveau added.

"It's the government that is keeping people poor," she said

[Kärnfysikern]

Liberal wishwash. Hes just a dreaming stupid son of a bitch that has no clue on reality. Does he think a couple of books will change the muslim madness spreading over the word

(beat you to it logan )

[Kärnfysikern]

Clinton seems to atleast care for issues like this, I find that admirable. I doubt bush ever gives a though to how high literacy rates are in pakistan or kongo or if kids starve to death in africa.

[Phreak101]

Clinton seems to atleast care for issues like this, I find that admirable. I doubt bush ever gives a though to how high literacy rates are in pakistan or kongo or if kids starve to death in africa.

Bush gave one of the highest donations in history to Africa as well as a very large loan to combat AIDS across the continent. Just because his war is in shambles doesn't mean he's ALL bad...

[Prada]

Liberal wishwash. Hes just a dreaming stupid son of a bitch that has no clue on reality. Does he think a couple of books will change the muslim madness spreading over the word

(beat you to it logan )

WTF?

No but seriously this is an enormous element if you want to eradicate extremism from the root. I want to clarify that it is not what will annihilate AL Qaeeda but will prevent breeding grounds for recruitement You have to combat these terrorist recruiting grounds. If not we are in a perpetual state of terrorism. There are more terrorists that are born then killed. I dont like the idea of perpetuity. These kids are vulnerable, impoverished and uneducated. You know what happens when someone is like that? They are VERY easily manipulated taken advantage of brain washed to such an extent, that there is no point of return no matter how you try to explain it. They instill hate in these children. They cherish and nurture them........in they return they listen and become jihadists and suicide bombers. Where are they to learn any better? Remember many are orphans.

[Kärnfysikern]

WTF?

No but seriously this is an enormous element if you want to eradicate extremism from the root. I want to clarify that it is not what will annihilate AL Qaeeda but will prevent breeding grounds for recruitement You have to combat these terrorist recruiting grounds. If not we are in a perpetual state of terrorism. There are more terrorists that are born then killed. I dont like the idea of perpetuity. These kids are vulnerable, impoverished and uneducated. You know what happens when someone is like that? They are VERY easily manipulated taken advantage of brain washed to such an extent, that there is no point of return no matter how you try to explain it. They instill hate in these children. They cherish and nurture them........in they return they listen and become jihadists and suicide bombers. Where are they to learn any better? Remember many are orphans.

Yupp I agree to 100%, education is the key. Education banished the religious madness in europe and it will banish the religious madness in the middle east aswell. Everything we can do to encourage proper education in those countries will do alot for future peace and friendly relations.

The troubble is how do we spread education when the religious regimes teach vile and filthy hatred in the schools and we have no authority to go in there and change that?

[Kärnfysikern]

Bush gave one of the highest donations in history to Africa as well as a very large loan to combat AIDS across the continent. Just because his war is in shambles doesn't mean he's ALL bad...

Personal donation?? thats cool.

But hasnt foreign aid decreased under bush admin?

I dont think he is a bad guy, he seems like a decent guy that no one would dislike if he was just a regular dude in town. I just think he is incompetent.

[Prada]

Yupp I agree to 100%, education is the key. Education banished the religious madness in europe and it will banish the religious madness in the middle east aswell. Everything we can do to encourage proper education in those countries will do alot for future peace and friendly relations.

The troubble is how do we spread education when the religious regimes teach vile and filthy hatred in the schools and we have no authority to go in there and change that?

Tis the question!
Can it be that more difficult to apply pressure on smoeone like Musharraf to close these co called Madrassas. I would assume not. Yet states like Agghan, Iran and Iraq may be quite difficult

[Kärnfysikern]

Tis the question!
Can it be that more difficult to apply pressure on smoeone like Musharraf to close these co called Madrassas. I would assume not. Yet states like Agghan, Iran and Iraq may be quite difficult

Well Musharraf probably have to appease the fanatics in the country to stay alive and in power...

The other countries seems more or less hopeless. Even if we opened schools chanses are many parents would not let the kids attend schools that might teach things that go against religion The religious wackos would spread there filth propaganda against the schools so hard that no one would want them there.

[Kärnfysikern]

One thing I dont quite get, is the population in Iran, saudi arabia, afghanistan and all other dirty regimes pleased with the way the countries are run.

The dictatorships in east europe broken down because people was sic of it. But not even in soviet during the days of stalin did shit like stoning women take place.

Has religion so succesfully brainwashed the people in the middle east that they acctualy willingly submit themself to religious dictatorships and ignore or even accept the sic things done in allahs name?

Are they okay with women beeing stoned simply becuse they commited the crime of beeing raped? Are they ok with the goverment dictating what they can watch on tv? I mean wtf?

How can a avarage joe watch a stoning and not think he lives in a ****ed up place?

[Prada]

Its all social context Johan. SOme of these place are SO isolated from the rest of the world they think "stoning" is the norm. They are brought up in that culture. Another thing is that many of these children are orphans, living in poverty. They are adopted by these muhallah and are slowly but surely instilled hate. I really feel sorry for these kids, they are literally brainwashed.

The social context of Europe and Middle East is different. The ME is not open and is back a few decades and very conservaitve.
In my eyes they are not more open to the world then N. Korea, even less. They are bedoiuns(nomads), they dont know what a TV or radio is. Literally.
Remeber Johan they ask the EXACT same question as to "Why is Johan humping his ass repetively lifting weights? What a complete idiot. Why is Johans GF wearing short shorts is she a whore? They ask you: "How can a avarage joe lift kilograms for hours and not think he lives in a ****ed up place?

[Prada]

Well Musharraf probably have to appease the fanatics in the country to stay alive and in power...

The other countries seems more or less hopeless. Even if we opened schools chanses are many parents would not let the kids attend schools that might teach things that go against religion The religious wackos would spread there filth propaganda against the schools so hard that no one would want them there.

Exactly, CAPITE!!
Youd be surprised Johan many send their kids not out of choice but obligation. They have no money. Therfore we should work on getting free public education. Many parent "donate" their children to these Madrassa because they cant afford to keep the child. You can raise them to believe the world is flat and they would die still thinking that. This

[Kärnfysikern]

Its all social context Johan. SOme of these place are SO isolated from the rest of the world they think "stoning" is the norm. They are brought up in that culture. Another thing is that many of these children are orphans, living in poverty. They are adopted by these muhallah and are slowly but surely instilled hate. I really feel sorry for these kids, they are literally brainwashed.

The social context of Europe and Middle East is different. The ME is not open and is back a few decades and very conservaitve.
In my eyes they are not more open to the world then N. Korea, even less. They are bedoiuns(nomads), they dont know what a TV or radio is. Literally.
Remeber Johan they ask the EXACT same question as to "Why is Johan humping his ass repetively lifting weights? What a complete idiot. Why is Johans GF wearing short shorts is she a whore? They ask you: "How can a avarage joe lift kilograms for hours and not think he lives in a ****ed up place?

Thats why I think its going to take a long time before there is change.

Quite ironic that the middle east helped to spark the renaissance in europe but totaly missed the boat on the whole enlightment. I wonder wtf went wrong.

Exactly, CAPITE!!
Youd be surprised Johan many send their kids not out of choice but obligation. They have no money. Therfore we should work on getting free public education. Many parent "donate" their children to these Madrassa because they cant afford to keep the child. You can raise them to believe the world is flat and they would die still thinking that. This

If just every country there was more like Qatar we would not have a problem.

So what do you propose? How do we sneak in western style schooling in outback hillbilly world??

[Prada]

I agree it is quite ironic.

Well apply pressure on countries we do have some control/influence over. Yes its long processus but its the only way. Add some incentives (militray or financial) for states that develop modernization as far as education is concerned as well as tackle radicalization. Saudi Arabia, why the f**k are we unable to force them to modernize? Yet they provide many terrorists

[Logan13]

Personal donation?? thats cool.

But hasnt foreign aid decreased under bush admin?

I dont think he is a bad guy, he seems like a decent guy that no one would dislike if he was just a regular dude in town. I just think he is incompetent.

I will send a copy of Bill O'Reilly's book Culture Warrior to them.......