In my first two posts, I examined various issues dealing with the current crisis in Iran. I examined the international relationship between our country and theirs, the concepts of national sovereignty, and the hypocrisy of the American people. While I examined these things and questioned if America should do anything, I never really looked into the fact of what we, as a nation, should do. That is the focus of today’s piece.
When we look at the potential course of action of a country, or really any body for that matter, we need to look at the benefits, and the problems, that could arise from our course of action. While it might seem like a good idea at the time, the potential of blowback, or any other form of consequences, needs seriously to be considered. Case in point, the support of the dictator of Iran for some time resulted in the current regime and the anti-American sentiment in the region.
These issues, of course, will never be black and white. Our current support of Israel is a clear example. While we need a strong ally in the region, the question is how useful Israel is as that ally. By remaining with Israel, we attract the hatred of the hard-line regimes, the fundamentalists, and the like. Do the fact that they hate us and the blowback resulting from this (cited by Bin Laden as a reason 9/11 happened), outweigh the gains we make by having them as an ally? This is the fundamental question we need to answer.
In Iran, the question is much simpler: how will US interaction (be it a statement, action, or request to the UN) affect the overall balance of power?
To me, this is actually extremely easy to answer, but it first requires some basic research. We know that both of the main presidential front-runners are members of the same ruling cast. One is the current president, the other is a former prime minister. Both support the Ayatollah, and both support the regime of Islamic law. Both candidates have used the West to justify their actions. Aside from some small differences, they seem very similar.
So, which should we support? Well, the obvious answer is that we should support the one who is more for freedom, human rights, and the like. However, that ignores the primary question – what will that support do? Before we can actually pick a side to support, we need to figure out if we should support any side at all.
Article comments
1 - Ruvy
While your facts and reasoning are dodgy (your ususal), I completely agree with you that the United States GOVEWRNMENT should stay out of Iran. You have nothing to gain but body bags and black eyes, and your government has no moral authority in the Middle East - or anywhere else. Beggars in Jerusalem have more moral authority than does the American government.
But if American citizens can privately render electronic aid, why not? It seems that for the most part, Joe Sixpack can walk a straighter moral line than the power drunk excuses for human beings that Joe Sixpack was forced to put in power.
I won't comment on your analogy to Israel. Your ignorance would require an entire article to correct.
2 - Robert M. Barga
Ruvy,
1)how is my reasoning dodgy here?
2) how do beggars in Jerusalem have more moral authority
3) how does moral authority matter in this regard
4) does the middle east really see a difference between America and an American?
5) nice personal attack, but how is my statement on Israel not valid?
3 - Robert M. Barga
Tell me Ruvy, how does the US supporting Israel help my country?
4 - Deano
Here's a few realpolitik reasons the US is interested in an alliance with Israel...
a). Israel is a democracy (one of the very, very few in the Middle East)
b). Up until the fall of the Soviet Union, Israel was a strategic regional ally against Egypt (which was firmly in the Soviet camp) and Syria and what was seen at the time as the "problem' of Soviet expansionism into the Middle East.
c). Geographically, the country is well-positioned for allowing the US to supply any logistical requirements should a major Middle East conflagration take place (i.e. Mediterranean port, possible land route to control the Gulf oil fields.)
5 - Robert M. Barga
a) that doesnt help my country at all (arguably, it harms it)
2) no help anymore
C) we have Turkey, Iraq, and Kuait, no need for Israel
6 - Ruvy
2) how do beggars in Jerusalem have more moral authority
3) how does moral authority matter in this regard
4) does the middle east really see a difference between America and an American?
Let's take your questions, one by one.
I'll not address your ignorance on Israel - it would take at least an article, and I do not have time to write an article for your sake.
This much I will say. Your government has made itself an enemy of the Jewish people. Your loss. You need Israel. We do not need you. You do not need a strategic military ally. You have 100,000 soldiers sitting in Iraq. You do not need us because we are democratic. Neither Israel nor America are democracies, but both like to tell themselves they are.
YOU NEED US BECAUSE OF OUR RESEARCH AND OUR BRAINPOWER!!. Or have you forgotten how much modern technology and medical equipment was developed in this country? Being a self-absorbed American who thinks he knows about the world (hire that college while he still knows everything!), you probably do not know how much at all.
Moral authority: Are you sure you are a poli sci major? You mean you actually never heard of TR and the "bully pulpit?" Tht is what you stinkin' liar of a president has been using all along. He doesn't have any other weapons - aside from a note pad to tell the boys at Treasury to print more scrip for him....
A Jerusalem beggar has more moral authority than any of the stinkin' shits in your government. At least when the beggar puts his hand out for your handout, he doesn't have a dagger hidden in the other hand - like your government officials tend to have. A more two-faced pack of bastards never walked the earth.... Oops! I take that back! The Brits are a more two-faced pack of bastards. They get first place - then the American government officials.
Moral authority - which America no longer has - matters because it is what the American adminisration could use (if it had any) to put serious pressure on the "Islamic Republic" and make them into pariahs the world over.
Finally, you briliant political scientist you, moral authority is what your stinkin' liar of a president has been attempting to use in his speech el-Qahir. And, much to my surprise, he has been using it with resopect to Iran, finally opening up his trap with a little forcefulness.
Why does moral authority matter? Because the Iranians would make mincemeat of those soldier boys in Iraq. The then thousand or more casualties it would take you to begin to accomplish anything in Iran would have you Americans hooting and howling like monkeys stuck with elecrric prods.
Finally, folks in the Middle East are a lot smarter than you give them credit for. Even those guys whose knowledge does not extend further than "it says so in the Qur'an/Bible" know the difference between a windbag on a government chit and a tourist spending his own money.
7 - Robert M. Barga
Ruvy, people would give you more credibility if you didn't sit there and say that your country is the only thing that matters in the entire world
that said, Israel would fall - albeit in a glorious mushroom cloud surrounding it - within days of us stopping the support of it
I truly dont think that the jewish people are enemies of America. Do you have a straw poll showing as such?
8 - Ruvy
Robert,
My credibility does not come from my point of view on Israel. My credibility comes from the fact that I call things accurately - even if what I say is distateful.
You really do need to reread my comment above. I did not say that the Jewish People are enemies of America - in fact, I said the opposite - I said that the gobvernment of the United States has made itself the enemy of the Jewish People.
As for disappearing in a musroom cloud, I do that every time we cook spaghetti; I make sure we have good sauce and parmesan cheese....
Those mushroons taste good, man!!
9 - Robert M. Barga
Are you sure you are not italian?
I dont understand why you think that my government is the enemy of your people