FRAMESHOP:FRAMESHOP: THE 'ROOT CAUSE' FRAME ON LEBANON, ISRAEL

!ALERT!
The phrase 'root cause' is being used repeatedly by the White House and their allies in their discussion of the Israeli war with Lebanon.

This phrase is invoking a frame that defines the the war as part of the broader effort to 'root out' terrorism.

This is problematic frame and Frameshop readers should be aware of it as an active PR scheme by the White House.

Frameshop:  The Logic of the 'Root' Frame

The logic of the 'root' or 'root cause' frame is based on the idea that 'danger' is something like a 'weed.'  Now, that sounds silly when stated in the abstract, but it provides a very clear set of actions as to what we should do when we see danger.

If 'danger' is like a 'weed,' then when we see 'danger' we need to 'get to the roots' of that danger.  Everyone in America has at one point in their lives, for example, picked a dandelian in a field.  You pull it up and it seems that the dandelion is gone. But, a week later, twenty dandelions re-emerge in its place. 

So the next time, we apply more force and more agression to get to the 'roots' of the problem.  We use a shovel instead our hands, then weed spray, and if necessary--we dig up the entire lawn.

This logic of using force to 'get to the roots' of a problem is the frame being pushed to justify supporting the Israeli action in Lebanon--which everyone agrees is a vastly overblown response to the kidknapping of soldiers or the launching of rockets. 

The question, in other words, is not if Israel is justified in responding to Hezbollah's attacks, but what is the right response. Should they respond with overwhelming force--crippling all of Lebanon, killing hundres of people and sending tens of thousands of people fleeing--all in the name  of 'rooting out a the cause' of Hezbollay?  Or is there another way?

Reframe:  Standing Together
The key is to see that the logic of the 'root cause' frame has been in effect with the Bush policy in Iraq and the Israeli policy in the West Bank for decades.

For decades, the Israeli Defense Forces has been trying to 'root out' the cause of what they see as terrorism coming from their northern border and the West Bank.  And for decades, this approach has not worked.

They dig up the 'roots' of the problem, and still more problems rise up and attack. 

And in the past three years, the American invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have shown that the 'root cause' frame does not work. 

The solution is to switch to a new frame--a new logic for fighting these problems.  One new frame is to talk about the solution to danger as 'unity' or 'standing together.'

When Iraq became an aggressive problem through the invasion of Kuwait, for example, our solution was not to 'root out the problem,' but to build a coalition to confront the offense.

In that case, building a coalition resulted in a switft military action to liberate Kuwait.   

The logic of 'rooting out' the cause, by contrast, dictates that even if we cannot see the problem blooming up on the surface, we have the right to go in and start digging--or bombing, as the case may be.

The reframe of 'root cause,' in other words, is to talk about 'standing together,' 'building coalitions,' and 'confronting the offense' together. 

Two different frames with two different end results.

In recent decades, the problems we have confronted as a nation through the 'unity' frame--Kuwait, Bosnia, World War II--have resulted in American military success.  By contrast, the problems we have confronted as a nation through the 'root cause' frame--Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq--have resulted in temporary military action that appeared to be successful, followed by slowly building, long term deteriotion of the sitution.

CAUTION:  'Root Cause' Will Be Repeated By GOP This Week
This week, President Bush and his allies will probably repeat this idea in the media as a way of justifying their giving the 'green light' to Israel to continue their incursion into Lebanon.

Progressives should beware that this is happening and do their best to drive the debate towards the 'unity' frame:

• standing together
• building a coalition
• confronting the offense

©  2006 Jeffrey Feldman