There are other ways..but better ways ? Al Queda is hanging upon the ropes, many of the folks in the mid east are sick and tired of them and are taking the fight to Al Queda themselves.
Genl Petraeus' plan to win the conflict by winning hearts and minds seems to be working. Most of the Iraqis in the streets now realize that we don't intend upon staying any longer than necessary..while they also know that Al Queda wants to put them into slavery...permanently !
Just suppose we did refuse to take the fight to the enemy..do you think they will leave us alone ? They sure didn't on 9/11, and we were not even engaged in combat with them !
Suppose we gave NO foreign aid and assistance to other nations..those nations would probably fall to one totalitarian force or another in the next few years.
Then those would be more nations aligned against us ...
No; in order to beat this enemy, we must BEAT him..radical Islam doesn't understand anything about the concept of "live and let live" ..never has, never will.
He doesn't even understand "truce" except for a chance to regroup, rearm and come back after us once he "catches his wind".
We are already using virtually all available banking, boycott and other financial ways, so please explain how you would plan on beating an enemy by cowering at home !
As I see it, that would only encourage the enemy more..just as it did through the 90s until 9/11/01..we haven't had any more Khobar towers, USS Cole or buildings bombed since then..because THEY are the ones now cowering in remote places.
There is an old military axiom that says, " The best possible defense is a vigorous, determined offense" this is probably more true than ever with the diabolical enemy we are now facing..