Dangerous dictators, oppressive regimes, weak, poor run economies based on mis-focused militarism
Sound familiar?
Whether it's North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, or Palestine, the consensus seems to be punishment and alienation. Bush talked frequently about his "Axis of Evil" and bringing these enemies to justice. Moreover, embargoes and aggression are often seen as effective solutions in these regions.
An Alternative Solution
The aggressive policy that seeks regime change in poor nations is fundamentally flawed. Rather than improving the economies in these nations, it forces their governments to crack down and become even stricter.
A viable alternative is to provide economic and technological support to these nations so that they are able to develop strong, healthy economies.
A Historical Comparison
Nazi Germany:
The Policy: Although widely touted as an example of appeasement gone wrong, allied policy could only be very loosely described as appeasement. Germany was held to the infamous "war guilt" clause, that forced them to pay for the costs of the war.
The Effects: Not only did this damage the German economy (paving the way for Hitler), it put off the rebuilding efforts the nation desperately needed. Germany, with a weak and failing economy, a distraught currency, and a flailing infrastructure - looked for help in the form of Adolf Hitler.
1980s China:
The Policy: The US normalized relations with China, pouring billions of dollars in investment into their economy. Today, its difficult to find an American company that isn't heavily invested in China.
The Effects: China's economy succeeded without historical parallel. GDP growth has been over 5% for nearly three decades, and the per capita GDP has increased dramatically.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_o f_the_People's_Republic_of_China
1950s China:
The Policy: Threaten and isolate China, deny even acknowledgment of them as a nation. (For over 2 decades after WW2, the US acknowledged Taiwan's government as the leadership in China).
The Effects: Unparalleled death and destruction as China focused its limited resources on self-defense and control. Chinese leadership was effectively forced to take futile measures to improve steel and military production, even as their citizens starved. Although estimates vary, most put the death toll between 10 and 30 million.
http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/m ao.html
http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warsta t1.htm#Mao
Practical Implementation
The US holds vast economic and political resources, putting it in a prime position to implement effective foreign policy.
-Incentives for US companies to build factories in these nations. With the exceptions of extremely hostile nations like North Korea, this offers local citizens the promise of work and a stable income.
-Affirmative Action and government scholarships for foreign students. For example, a US law that provides grants to colleges for enrolling Iranian students, and scholarships to said students. This will appeal to the Iranian government, since it gives their best and brightest access to some of the finest research institutes in the world - putting them in a position to improve their economy.
-Public acknowledgment of a positive relationship. Rather than accusing these nations of "evil" and "terror", the government should send a clear sign that it prioritizes human progress and freedom. Don't get me wrong, I believe that the US should still support democracy. But rather than imposing democracy from the top, we have several opportunities to show these nations the effectiveness of a democratic system.
Everyone Wins
Iran gains the economic framework needed to be an influential and important state (a key part of national pride). America gains key partners overseas that can use their economic and creative energies for cooperative purposes. American citizens gain because they no longer have to invest in costly and inefficient wars to conquer these nations outright.