middle east

What, Politics? Me?
Oil and The Middle East: Why U.S. Foreign Policy Has To Change by Bill Christison is a great, matter-of-fact distillation of how we got to where we are in the Middle East since World War II. It mentions an agreement with the Saudi Royal family made by FDR which I had never heard of. It’s excellent reading.

You know, things in the world are hellaciously, hideously, unreservedly chaotic. I don’t talk about politics much. I wonder sometimes if I use this venue to the fullest extent. Am I talking about the right things? What responsibility do I have to my very-few readers. What responsibility do I have to posterity?

People, children, are dying today in Isreal, Palestine, and elsewhere. I have no wisdom to offer for this other than obviously things are broken.

Of course, if you’re reading this in English you’re probably not living in a repressive regime. You probably live in a Western democracy. We are the elite of the world. All I ask is that you consider the role you play in your government. I ask you to consider the role your government plays in world affairs. If you dislike the role it takes, I ask you to do something about it. To get involved, to pay attention, and to act. But not just act as part of a herd. Be cautious of those whose cries are a bit too loud, and too certain. Beware of voices of vociferous anger—excessive emotion clouds judgement—beware of pundits bearing simple solutions.

And hey, let’s be careful out there.

I am dismayed that this hopeful post was somewhat unfounded. I was hopeful to see the US engaging in a smart PR/information war in the middle east is not succeeding as we might hope.

I wish we were playing our cards better. We suffered a calamitous and vicious attack, at the hands of people who truly seek to take over a huge slice of the world – and we end up characterized as lunkheaded baby-killers.

These times demand a higher standard of conduct for us. I think it’s possible to decimate our enemies, re-orient who our friends are, and rejoin the community of nations in a serious way (i.e.: acknowledge the World Court, pay our UN dues, etc). But we’re screwing up our opportunity to do so.

Meanwhile, the American people is distracted by anthrax.