What are some ways the USA can increase its "soft power" in the Mideast?

Question

Soft power is more important than military power.

Here's what Napolean had to say about it: "Even in war, moral power is to physical as three parts out of four."

We didn't win the cold war with military power, we won it because of rock and roll, blue jeans and freedom. (Yes, military power kept us from becoming commies, but it was a stalemate, not a victory.)

Now we're losing the middle east because of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and the lack of electricity and sewage treatment in Bagdad.

Even though the American public doesn't know it, we scored big by helping out after the Tsunami and the Pakistani earthquakes. That was far, far cheaper than the war in Iraq. We need to do way more!

When people like you, they don't send suicide bombers after you. When they trust you, they don't revolt after you invade their country to remove a dictator. When they respect you, they listen to what you have to say.

I'm not saying that soft power is everything, I'm just *asking* how we can improve it.

Thanks for the answer RsDaCat. I think you have some ideas in there, but they're hard to locate.

Don't take this the wrong way, but your writing needs some clean-up, as it is hard to follow. Good ideas come through better when expressed clearly.

Answer 1

I do not know that we can, unlike the soviets who were living under communisim and had no God fearing religion, the Arab states of the middle east have Allah and the Qu'ran. And an unusual prophet in Mohammed, one who unlike Christ "let your light so shine that men may see the truth and be convicted" or the God of the Old Testament who seems did not command his people to proselytize at all, actually commands the followers of Islam (meaning submission) to kill all those who will not profess Allah as God, and Mohammed his true prophet.

The followers of Islam are taught from a very early age that all those who fail to convert, and/or those that leave Islam, must die. Additionally it is a great honor to give ones life in pursuit of killing such.

It is a common known fact that if a person is willing to die in order to kill you, there is not much you can do to stop them except kill them first.

Unlike the Soviets who saw their great system crumbling around them, yet saw the non-communist world as thriving, Islam teaches that any information outside of the Qu'ran is from Satan, and the West under satanic influence. And looking at "western" society filled with pornography, lust, and immorality doesn't help.

Probably the best "soft power" we could gain, would be if we could reach Islam’s most neglected and abused segment; Its women.
They have real complaints; they are treated like second and third class citizens. Give them a voice and power and you will win.

The catch is that these women are very moral and mostly modest. They are very reluctant to be thrown into the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, that is seen in the west, where women are made the objects of filth and only use their "so called" power to sadly make themselves what the men of Islam force them to be, empty shells of lust.

Hard solution, no easy quick answer. Islam sells morality (the good guys?) with a sword, the "west" freedom but with little morality.

I guess what I am saying is that in order to gain "soft power" the west must clean up its act and appeal to those who have the least power under Islam.

Answer 2

To never give in to these people that believe in such corrupt ways of killing and Terrorizing. Let the true Religion be poured out all over the Middle East. This will bring about Soft Power and allow the Kingdom Of God to be well known among these people. It';s called Jesus Christ and he will show himself someday. He will not hide behind a false anything!

Answer 3

Napoleon lost.

Answer 4

How about giving a free camel to anyone who wants one?