Monday, December 18, 2006

Middle East Summary

Here is the best summary of America and the Middle East that I have read.

The essay concludes:

"It remains the only plausible answer--changing the culture of that area, no matter how slow and how difficult the process. It starts in Iraq and Lebanon, and must be allowed to proceed and not precipitate an early and premature surrender. That idea remains the only conceivable one for ultimately prevailing over the Arab Islamic radicalism that exploded upon us 9/11. Every other is a policy of retreat and defeat that would ultimately bring ruin not only on the U.S. but on the very idea of freedom. "

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is abhorrent to me that anyone could happily extol the notion of changing cultures in the middle east. It will never happen, could not possibly happen and it is utterly wrong that we should think of doing such a thing.

Jack, for some real perspective on the middle east, I suggest reading The Great War for Civilisation by Robert Fisk. It will open your eyes.

Niall

Jack Le Moine said...

Niall, I'll look up that book. That is something I want to read. Thank you!

As for your comment, was it abhorrent when all those Iraqis were allowed to contradict conventional wisdom about the Middle East Civilization by voting? And voting? And then voting yet again? Was their enthusiasm abhorrent? It was certainly surprising to all the experts. But was it abhorrent?

The West can give the Arabs an opportunity to show what they really want. And yes, that may change cultures.

Anonymous said...

It was great to see them voting but that is not to say that is not what they wanted in the first place. Let us not forget that it was the west who provided much of the funding for Saddam and who provided him with many of his weapons!

It is sheer hypocrisy on behalf of the west to consider that we can show them what it is that they should want. That is for them to decide and them alone. We did not go there for that reason in any case, only for oil.

Niall

Jack Le Moine said...

So why is gas up arount $2.75 per gallon? Anything happens in the Middle East and people always say "we're doing it for oil."

As for whether or not we know whether the Iraqis prefered to live under Saddam Hussein, we know because that's been the one thing they have been clear on. Quite vocirferously, too.

Anonymous said...

So why is gas up arount $2.75 per gallon?

Because it hasn't quite turned out as was expected!

The removal of Saddam Hussein was an achievement certainly, but 600,000 dead civilians since the invasion and subsequent occupation is hardly an achievement. Whats more it remains to be seen whether any form of democracy will result from the occupation. The current administration have no influence at all outside of the Green Zone - hardly what one could describe as as a successful democracy.

I sincerely hope that one day the Iraqis will be able to pull through and choose for themselves how to live their lives, but at the moment, with all the slaughter and lawlessness that our invasion has resulted in the future for them looks no brighter than under saddam himself.

The politicians constantly extoll the notion that Iraq is getting better but this is no more than poor rhetoric.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2037594.ece

Niall

Anonymous said...

http://news.independent.co.uk/

world/politics/

article2037594.ece

Anonymous said...

You might also be interested in

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/