2. Put your proposals and arguments in the context of an interconnected world.
3. Explain why your proposals are smart/effective/pragmatic/realistic in the context of today's world. Reference big ideas about sound decision making, leadership, or management.
4. Explain why your proposals are the right thing to do. Evoke big ideas familiar to Americans about
decent behavior.
6. Stress a "can-do" approach. Don't open with fear, guilt, or comments that overwhelm listeners about the enormity and complexity of problems.
7. When appropriate, cite examples of other countries (and NGOs) that are working alongside the U.S.
8. Cite examples of what works and offer success stories.
9. Empower listeners by telling them what they can do to help. Talk about yardsticks citizens can use to evaluate policy actions and progress over time. (See "Engaging Citizens.")
13. Avoid jargon and acronyms. (See "Wonk-Speak Translator.")
17. Use a reasonable, rational tone. Don't attack personally or attack motives. Avoid partisan attacks. Question others' assumptions, not their integrity.
18. Show both the benefits of approaches you propose and the costs of alternatives.
- Remind listeners that terrorism is a tactic employed by extremists. This will open up possibilities to discuss the need for more comprehensive strategies to address it.
- Explain why effective strategies to fight global terrorist networks require countries working together. Give examples.
- Be clear about your high regard for American troops -- especially if you plan to critique current strategies on terrorism or security policy. That will prevent listeners from mistakenly inferring that your critiques in any way diminish your opinion of the military.
- Talk about the return on investment for preventive measures.
- Empower people by focusing on what can be done to reduce the chances of a terrorist attack.
- Avoid any implications or possible inferences that might suggest that this is a war against Islam.
- Don't overpromise. This is about doing everything we can to create protective nets that reduce the chances of terrorist attacks, not about eliminating the threat altogether. Do reassure people that we can take concrete steps every day to reduce the chances of a catastrophic event.
- Don't try to deny people's fear. But encourage them to use their critical reasoning to consider fear in the context of all the risks we face, and to support the concrete steps we can take to reduce the risks of terrorism.
- You risk needlessly alienating large segments of the public by making the claim that America is "less safe," even if you believe that certain policies are having that effect. Instead, try asking "Are we doing everything we can? Do we have our priorities right? Do we have a balanced strategy? Talk about your ideas for the additional steps we could be taking to make us safer in the short term and those that could make us safer in the long term.
- Be cautious with appeals to morality, because research indicates that many Americans believe we are fighting an amoral enemy that doesn't fight fair. Focus on the effectiveness of tactics, smart strategies, and common sense.
- If you argue for the transfer of some U.S. defense budget spending to other pressing needs, you risk triggering a mindset that makes it hard for listeners to hear your arguments and facts. Calls for cuts in defense can put listeners into a mindset of insecurity, because most citizens take it for granted that any spending on defense will make America more secure. Moreover, critics can easily distort your arguments. Possible alternatives: Try framing your recommendations in terms of smart choices and the distribution of resources within the defense budget; in terms of how we can more effectively organize our military to address threats; and in terms of the distribution of new spending (e.g., how many dollars out of $100 in new money we should spend for each important piece of a comprehensive approach to the problem of terrorism).
Interconnected; Teamwork Terrorists with a global reach take full advantage of all the
ways our world is interconnected -- we need strong antiterrorist
partnerships to fight back. The groups that use terror as a tactic to threaten us
are mobile, flexible, and hard to trace. They threaten many nations, but the United States'
unique power and visibility also make us uniquely vulnerable. This means that we have a
high stake in investing in alliances and partnerships to fight back. We must defeat global
terrorists globally, not just at U.S. borders.
- We've seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere that our military is better off when it
has partners, when its actions have the respect of all sides, and when it can depend on
strong support through diplomacy, intelligence, and other means to achieve its mission.
- To start dismantling al Qaeda's worldwide networks, for example, we've needed the
goodwill and hard work of UN peacekeepers to track stolen explosives in the Sahara
Desert; of international bankers to track accounts in Germany, Italy, and elsewhere; of
telephone companies in Switzerland to track phone cards used in Pakistan; and of the
law enforcement agencies and coast guards of a dozen countries to shut down export
businesses in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
- The U.S. has stopped suspected attackers from crossing our borders by working closely
with law enforcement agencies in Canada and Jordan (at the time of the celebrations
of the Millennium New Year) and France and the United Kingdom (regarding threats
to transatlantic flights) -- and those are just the cases that have been publicly reported.
- When the U.S. isn't able to be a good partner and to respond to other countries'
concerns, it can mean that suspects are allowed to go free, leads are not investigated,
and warnings are not heeded -- and sometimes that we and our men and women in
uniform are left to act dangerously alone.
Comprehensive A smart strategy against terrorism will be comprehensive and
focus on preventing attacks. Global terrorist groups rely on shadowy international
networks, making use of illegal and legal facilities in many countries. Our response must be
just as networked, connecting the dots among the different sites and sources for terrorist
recruitment, training, and financing. That means strong diplomacy, police, and intelligence -- and strong cooperation with other countries -- as well as a strong military. And it means taking
a look at all of our actions in the world -- from how we get our energy to how we help poor
people -- to see if our actions are helping or hurting our fight against terrorism. For example:
- Breaking up the financial networks that keep terrorists in business demands help from
banks, businesses, and law enforcement agencies across borders;
- Border security, and cooperation with travel authorities in other countries, are vital to ending
terrorists' freedom of movement;
- Homeland security is part of our defense. We can do more to frustrate attacks on our
ports, borders, cities, and industry; we can make sure that firefighters, police, hospital
staffs, and others on the front lines have the equipment they need; and we can close the
communication gaps among local and national officials. These moves will protect us --
and they will make life harder for terrorist planners.
- Better intelligence and understanding of the cultures in which terrorists are living and
working demands more investment in diplomats who can be our eyes and ears, and in
language training for diplomats and intelligence officers alike. Experts say we need to
at least double the number of Arab linguists the government employs -- a shortage that
may take 20 years to fill.
Farsighted Our strategy must be long term. Terrorism works as a tactic when
it gets the attention of an international audience that is alienated
and angry. Part of ending support for the extremists who use
terrorism as a tactic is helping to shape a world where we win
back that audience -- and where people can see that there are
better ways to address grievances. - We must show that our values and commitments are real and have meaning -- by living
by them in what we do overseas, and by protecting the civil liberties and freedoms that
make our country what it is at home.
- Global terrorists take advantage of weak, desperate states to hide their operations. We
need to help those states grow stronger by investing in their economies, education, and
health, and by looking ahead to help prevent them from failing in the first place. How
much agony would we have been spared if, after its civil wars of the 1980s, Afghanistan
had not been allowed to grow so desperate that the Taliban could rule it, and invite
Osama bin Laden in to plan and execute the 9/11 attacks!
- Global terrorists also take advantage of places where America is hated and feared.
Working now to gain the trust and respect of others, by listening to their views and
showing respect for their priority concerns -- disease, economic growth, poverty -- is an
investment in our long-term security.
- Global terrorists use conflict, injustice, and indignity as recruiting tools. It's in our
interest to be on the side of those working to end violence, not exploit it, in places like
the Middle East.
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