To Fight a New 'ism'
਍਀㰀倀㸀㰀䘀伀一吀 猀椀稀攀㴀ⴀ㄀㸀䈀礀 䴀椀挀栀愀攀氀 䴀挀䘀愀甀氀㰀䈀刀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀匀愀琀甀爀搀愀礀Ⰰ 匀攀瀀琀攀洀戀攀爀 ㈀㈀Ⰰ ㈀　　㄀㬀 倀愀最攀 䄀㈀㤀 ഀ ਍਀㰀倀㸀ഀ

Since Sept. 11, we have deployed dozens of analogies -- Pearl Harbor, the war ਍਀漀渀 搀爀甀最猀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 戀愀琀琀氀攀 愀最愀椀渀猀琀 洀漀猀焀甀椀琀漀攀猀 ⴀⴀ 琀漀 栀攀氀瀀 洀愀欀攀 猀攀渀猀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀猀攀 渀攀眀 琀椀洀攀猀 ഀ in international politics. Paradoxically, however, lessons from the Cold War and ਍਀椀琀猀 攀渀搀 洀愀礀 瀀爀漀瘀椀搀攀 琀栀攀 戀攀猀琀 挀氀甀攀猀 昀漀爀 栀漀眀 琀漀 昀爀愀洀攀 琀栀攀 渀攀眀 攀爀愀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

Above all else, we must remember that the battle against communism, like our ਍਀渀攀眀 猀琀爀甀最最氀攀 愀最愀椀渀猀琀 攀砀琀爀攀洀攀 猀琀爀愀椀渀猀 漀昀 䤀猀氀愀洀椀挀 昀甀渀搀愀洀攀渀琀愀氀椀猀洀Ⰰ 眀愀猀 愀 眀愀爀 漀昀 ഀ ideas. By framing our new battle as "a war on terrorism," we set out to do ਍਀戀愀琀琀氀攀 眀椀琀栀 愀 ∀洀攀愀渀猀∀ 愀渀搀 渀漀琀 琀栀攀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀Ⰰ 椀搀攀漀氀漀最椀攀猀 愀渀搀 挀愀甀猀攀猀 琀栀愀琀 搀攀瀀氀漀礀 琀栀椀猀 ഀ weapon. A war against terrorism is like a war against violence, which cannot be ਍਀眀漀渀⸀ 䄀 眀愀爀 愀最愀椀渀猀琀 愀 渀攀眀 ∀椀猀洀∀ 眀椀氀氀 戀攀 氀漀渀最 愀渀搀 搀椀昀昀椀挀甀氀琀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 挀愀渀 戀攀 眀漀渀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

Communism, like extreme versions of Islamic fundamentalism, provided a set of ਍਀戀攀氀椀攀昀猀 琀栀愀琀 攀砀瀀氀愀椀渀攀搀 攀瘀攀爀礀琀栀椀渀最 椀渀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀⸀ 䌀漀洀洀甀渀椀猀洀 昀爀愀洀攀搀 眀漀爀氀搀 瀀漀氀椀琀椀挀猀 ഀ as a Manichean struggle between the forces of good and evil. Radical communists ਍਀搀椀搀 渀漀琀 猀攀攀欀 愀 爀攀猀漀氀甀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 最爀椀攀瘀愀渀挀攀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 圀攀猀琀Ⰰ 戀攀 椀琀 一愀洀椀戀椀愀渀 ഀ independence or higher wages for Italian workers. Rather, the mission was total ਍਀搀攀猀琀爀甀挀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 琀栀攀 唀渀椀琀攀搀 匀琀愀琀攀猀Ⰰ 椀琀猀 愀氀氀椀攀猀 愀渀搀 椀琀猀 眀愀礀 漀昀 氀椀昀攀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

The battle against communism therefore was a worldwide, multifaceted campaign ਍਀琀栀愀琀 椀渀挀氀甀搀攀搀 洀椀氀椀琀愀爀礀 愀挀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 搀攀琀攀爀爀攀渀挀攀 愀最愀椀渀猀琀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀猀琀 猀琀愀琀攀猀 愀渀搀 ഀ non-state actors, economic support for countries threatened by communist ਍਀琀愀欀攀漀瘀攀爀 愀渀搀 愀渀 椀搀攀漀氀漀最椀挀愀氀 挀漀甀渀琀攀爀漀昀昀攀渀猀椀瘀攀⸀ 吀栀攀 挀攀渀琀甀爀礀ⴀ氀漀渀最 挀愀洀瀀愀椀最渀 攀渀搀攀搀 ഀ only when the war of ideas, not a battle of tanks, was won.

Yet the United States also pursued some successful innovations during the ਍਀䌀漀氀搀 圀愀爀 琀栀愀琀 愀爀攀 爀攀氀攀瘀愀渀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 渀攀眀 挀愀洀瀀愀椀最渀⸀ 䔀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 愀昀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 昀愀氀氀 漀昀 ഀ Czechoslovakia in 1948, the United States learned the importance of ਍਀椀渀琀攀爀渀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 愀氀氀椀攀猀⸀ 䌀漀洀瀀氀攀洀攀渀琀椀渀最 漀甀爀 洀椀氀椀琀愀爀礀 猀琀爀愀琀攀最礀 愀最愀椀渀猀琀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀猀洀 眀攀爀攀 ഀ new weapons against the last "ism," including the Marshall Plan, the World Bank, ਍਀䄀䤀䐀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 倀攀愀挀攀 䌀漀爀瀀猀Ⰰ 刀愀搀椀漀 䘀爀攀攀 䔀甀爀漀瀀攀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 一愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 䔀渀搀漀眀洀攀渀琀 昀漀爀 ഀ Democracy. Over time, the Western alliance developed a more sophisticated ਍਀甀渀搀攀爀猀琀愀渀搀椀渀最 漀昀 琀栀攀 琀栀爀攀愀琀Ⰰ 洀愀欀椀渀最 搀椀猀琀椀渀挀琀椀漀渀猀 愀洀漀渀最 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 猀琀爀愀渀搀猀 漀昀 ഀ communism, recognizing the difference between dangerous communist cells and ਍਀氀攀最椀琀椀洀愀琀攀 洀愀猀猀ⴀ戀愀猀攀搀 洀漀瘀攀洀攀渀琀猀 愀渀搀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀椀愀琀椀渀最 戀攀琀眀攀攀渀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀猀琀 氀攀愀搀攀爀猀 ഀ and the captive nations they subjugated.

These are valuable lessons for today's campaign. To fight a sustained battle ਍਀愀最愀椀渀猀琀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀猀洀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 唀渀椀琀攀搀 匀琀愀琀攀猀 愀氀猀漀 椀渀瘀攀猀琀攀搀 戀椀氀氀椀漀渀猀 椀渀 攀搀甀挀愀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 ഀ intelligence about the enemy. The U.S. government sponsored centers for Soviet ਍਀猀琀甀搀椀攀猀Ⰰ 瀀爀漀瘀椀搀攀搀 昀漀爀攀椀最渀ⴀ氀愀渀最甀愀最攀 猀挀栀漀氀愀爀猀栀椀瀀猀Ⰰ 漀昀昀攀爀攀搀 搀甀愀氀 挀漀洀瀀攀琀攀渀挀礀 最爀愀渀琀猀 ഀ to compel graduate students to gain expertise in both security issues and ਍਀刀甀猀猀椀愀渀 挀甀氀琀甀爀攀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

Such programs aimed to combat the new "ism" exist today but are ਍਀甀渀搀攀爀搀攀瘀攀氀漀瀀攀搀⸀ 圀攀 氀愀挀欀 ∀栀甀洀愀渀 椀渀琀攀氀氀椀最攀渀挀攀∀ ⴀⴀ 挀漀瘀攀爀琀 愀最攀渀琀猀Ⰰ 猀瀀椀攀猀 愀渀搀 ഀ informants -- in the Middle East. But we also suffer from shortages of NSA ਍਀氀椀渀最甀椀猀琀猀Ⰰ 愀挀愀搀攀洀椀挀 猀挀栀漀氀愀爀猀 愀渀搀 猀攀渀椀漀爀 瀀漀氀椀挀礀ⴀ洀愀欀攀爀猀 琀爀愀椀渀攀搀 椀渀 琀栀攀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀猀Ⰰ ഀ cultures, politics and economics of the Middle East.

Obviously, promoting regime change in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia is dangerous, ਍਀搀椀昀昀椀挀甀氀琀 愀渀搀 挀愀渀渀漀琀 栀愀瀀瀀攀渀 椀渀 琀栀攀 渀攀愀爀 昀甀琀甀爀攀⸀ 倀爀漀洀漀琀椀渀最 渀攀眀 昀漀爀洀猀 漀昀 ഀ governance in a country such as Afghanistan, where only 30 percent of the men ਍਀愀渀搀 ㄀㔀 瀀攀爀挀攀渀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 眀漀洀攀渀 愀爀攀 氀椀琀攀爀愀琀攀Ⰰ 猀攀攀洀猀 昀甀琀椀氀攀⸀ 夀攀琀 愀 氀漀渀最ⴀ琀攀爀洀 猀琀爀愀琀攀最礀 ഀ for combating radical Islamic fundamentalism must include policies that promote ਍਀渀攀眀 最漀瘀攀爀渀洀攀渀琀 愀渀搀 渀攀眀 搀攀瘀攀氀漀瀀洀攀渀琀 椀渀 琀栀攀 爀攀最椀漀渀 愀渀搀 攀渀搀 愀 搀攀挀愀搀攀 漀昀 渀攀最氀攀挀琀⸀ ഀ Democracy and economic growth may be the enemies of Osama bin Laden, but they ਍਀愀爀攀 渀漀琀 琀栀攀 攀渀攀洀椀攀猀 漀昀 䤀猀氀愀洀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

The battle against communism took more than a century. This new battle ਍਀愀最愀椀渀猀琀 愀 渀攀眀 ∀椀猀洀∀ 挀漀甀氀搀 琀愀欀攀 氀漀渀最攀爀⸀ 夀攀琀 琀栀攀 圀攀猀琀 攀瘀攀渀琀甀愀氀氀礀 搀椀搀 眀椀渀 琀栀攀 眀愀爀 ഀ against communism, an outcome that few predicted just a few decades ago. The ਍਀猀琀爀漀渀最 猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀 昀漀爀 搀攀洀漀挀爀愀挀礀 愀洀漀渀最 刀甀猀猀椀愀渀猀 琀漀搀愀礀 ⴀⴀ 洀漀爀攀 琀栀愀渀 琀眀漀ⴀ琀栀椀爀搀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 ഀ population in most polls -- suggests that no culture, regime or "ism" is immune ਍਀昀爀漀洀 挀栀愀渀最攀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

The writer is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment and associate ਍਀瀀爀漀昀攀猀猀漀爀 漀昀 瀀漀氀椀琀椀挀愀氀 猀挀椀攀渀挀攀 愀琀 匀琀愀渀昀漀爀搀 唀渀椀瘀攀爀猀椀琀礀⸀㰀⼀䔀䴀㸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ