Re my suggestion that we include bin Laden in the talks, readers are pointing out to me that this is ridiculous because Michael Ledeen has pointed out that Osama has probably gone off to that Big Orgy in the Sky. This strikes me as terribly insensitive.
The dead, after all, have their point of view. And what about putting yourself in the other guy’s shoes — Rule One for the successful negotiator? Won’t we all be dead someday? Wouldn’t it just be another case of unilateral American cowboy arrogance to refuse to negotiate with someone just because he’s, er, vitally-challenged?
Where, I ask you, are the moderates? When did diplomacy become a dirty word? Why should we be unwilling to lie, cheat and dissemble in our dealings with the departed? Aren’t they human beings just like the rest of us – except, y’know, for that whole not-breathing thing? Don’t they want stability in Iraq every bit as much as the Iranians, the Syrians, and the entire “international community” do?