Forget the hearts...concentrate on the minds.

This piece in The New Republic details Karen Hughes' pathetic failed attempts to win the support of Muslim women by talking to them about the joys of driving. Read it if you want to groan in embarrassment.

Why are her attempts pathetic and failed? One explanation is that she's incompetent, just another unqualified individual bumped up the ladder by the Bush-administration crony machine.
Another explanation is that Muslims will always judge the U.S. on our actions, not our words, meaning we have to get out of Iraq, stop supporting Israel, etc. before Muslim public opinion turns our way.

But I'm going to go with the idea that we're just sending the wrong message. In a war of ideas, defining the paradigm - the popular notion of which ideas are the alternatives to which other ideas - is essential. When Karen Hughes talks about women having the right to drive, she's creating a paradigm - she's implying that the our desire for the Mideast is that those countries adopt U.S. culture wholesale. Instead of "Help us stop terrorism," she's saying "Become totally like us." That in turn implies that anyone who doesn't want to live like people in the U.S. live is on Bin Laden's side.

Sorry, Karen, but outside of Japan, trying to get people to imitate American culture never works. Other countries may want freedom, they may want capitalism and prosperity and peace, but they want it on their own terms. We're better off not fighting that battle, and concentrating on a war of ideas that we can win.

For example, imagine if, instead of singing the praises of American freedom, Karen Hughes said to Muslim women: "Al-qaeda's terrorism has destroyed Muslim homes and families, killed Muslim women's sons and daughters, and hurt your economy. Wouldn't you rather live in peace and be free from fear?"
Something tells me that message would resonate a lot more. Win the minds first, I say, and the hearts will come someday.

Side note: Isn't it funny to see right-wingers talking up women's equality? Heh heh.