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On the Wrong Side of History in the Middle East
For over sixty years, the U.S. and the West wanted stability in the
Middle East while dividing and conquering the area. They installed and
supported puppets, despots, and corrupt and totalitarian regimes as
long as they did our bidding. The West had no plans to bring freedom and
democracy to Middle Eastern countries. Granting sovereignty to Middle
Eastern countries was furthest from the minds of Western leaders.
The immolation of a street merchant December 28 last year brought Tunisia to the front of the line of Arab countries trying to break free. Now people around the Arab world are lighting fires to the powder keg of Middle Eastern misery: abject poverty, corruption, and violation of rudimentary elements of human rights.
The brush fire spread to Egypt, Jordan, Algeria and Yemen with thousands of young and old demonstrators, not belonging to any specific group, demanding the ouster of their corrupt regimes. In Jordan, the demonstrators demanded that the Prime Minister step down. In Yemen, the demonstrators demanded the ouster of the corrupt President ruling the country for three decades.
Egypt, the center of gravity for Arabs, has had the most vociferous demonstrations. In cities across Egypt, Egyptians are demanding the ouster of Hosni Mubarak – their ruthless ruler for three decades. Mubarak’s answer was to send his goons of security forces to intimidate the demonstrators without success. Mubarak’s final gambit was to appoint former top military professionals and loyal supporters such as Omar Suleiman as Vice-President. Suleiman’s brutality as the former head of security services known for the torture and rape of political prisoners helped to spawn large numbers of al-Qaeda leadership.
As an Arab-American raised in Middle East, I was always baffled by America’s claim of being the beacon of freedom and democracy while consistently supporting regimes in the Middle East headed by kings and dictators who killed, imprisoned, starved, tortured and on occasion raped their people in order to stay in power. Unfortunately, this policy remains the same today. The American people are ill-informed about the Middle East because of scant and biased reporting. So, it is not surprising that some of the mainstream media is surprised at the events in Middle East. At present, our media portrays the U.S. policy as balancing stability and support of corrupt regimes with instituting some reforms. But we need to recognize the need for true change in these regimes.
For decades, the pundits in America belittled the Arab streets’ reaction to political events. But, they are now silent since they never understood or did not want to understand the extent of oppression the Arab people are under with our active support. We gave these regimes massive military hardware; we trained their security services; and we provided them with intelligence information to suppress their people and remain in power. Today we are doing the same thing. If the U.S. policy towards Middle Eastern countries truly is changing, we need to have overt and covert operations congruent in goals and practice. For decades, the Arab streets were aware of our support of their regimes, and have held us complicit. This is the root of anti-American sentiment. We are reaping the results of seeds we planted long ago.
The Obama administration’s policy towards Middle East and Muslims in general has been slightly better than Bush’s policies in tone and substance since Obama’s speech at Cairo University in 2009. Secretary Clinton’s first reactions to the event in Egypt were muted and tilted towards stability. She shifted her rhetoric slowly to acknowledge the struggle of the Egyptian people and on Sunday (1-30-11) talk shows she actually admitted the need for a plan to “transition to a democratic regime.” President Obama gave mild support and later on YouTube interview became Mr. Obama’s position became more assertive as the events unfolded. The least helpful and inappropriate comment came from Vice-President Biden claiming that Mubarak is not a dictator. The Egyptian demonstrators are now demanding that the White House condemn Mubarak.
Our policies towards Middle East are shaped by strategic needs, oil, and support for our friendly countries – primarily Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. After 9/11, our rhetoric and actions became even more abhorrent, as we labeled any Arab not in agreement with our policies in the Middle East as terrorists, in order to mute free-flowing discussions regarding our policies in the region. Our policy since 9/11 has added the requirement of collaboration with us against the terrorists as a litmus test to the strength of our relationship. Thus, regimes that are helping us weed out the terrorists receive strong support from us to help stabilize and remain in power by covert and over means. Our policy is contradictory. The mere support of these corrupt regimes creates terrorists against the United States. Somehow we think if we perform these activities covertly and lie about it, the Arab people would not know about it. Of course, the unconditional U.S. support of Israel towards the Palestinians adds another complicating and negative dimension.
Our policy towards the Middle East should take a 180 degree turn. We should support, without any qualifications, the Arab people’s yearning for freedom and democracy. We should not support the corrupt regimes regardless of the short-range benefits. In the long run, we may not get every Arab free country’s friendship but in the long run we will get their friendship and will serve our strategic goals. For example, we react negatively to the Hezbollah-supported newly designated Prime Minister but in the long run we plant the seed of respect to the people of Lebanon to work out their differences. More importantly, the policy of supporting the people is the right policy consistent with our American values.
The time for mere reforms in Middle East has past. The choice is between lack of freedom and democracy, police-state, torture and rape on one side and the respect of human values that encompass freedom, democracy and sovereignty on the other. The U.S. has one choice to make of supporting the inevitable rise of the people for self-government. The U.S. must change its policy for our sake and the sake of Middle East and more importantly it must be on the right side of history. The revolution may not succeed, co-opted, or fails today but surely will succeed tomorrow.
31 Comments so far
Show AllThe image of the international community and US citizens in particular reaping a harvest of decades of choices helps the 'sticker shock' of spurious US exceptionalism and helps it begin to crumble and evaporate. The process must be nurtured.
The sea change in information that needs to occur cannot be overstated. The powers that be tighten the economic harness, one must work 2-3 jobs to have a home, we are made complicit in our own rape and a narcissistic system slaps on PRIDE not to make one feel good - but to set up the psychological whammy board for later. If you define yourself through "pride" you can be shamed and controlled and bound to the system that abuses you. You become an element bearing a bizarre extractive value. When the screws are tightened, your pride shames to silence and complicity. It also becomes your weak point and hair trigger to protect because you're playing emperor and the tailor knows the gig. And we all know the ways that nakedness is used to abuse women, prisoners and children.
What is the difference between dignity and pride? No one can take your dignity; dignity recognizes itself in others - no matter how distant the culture the savor is universal. Far fetched? as near as the air we breathe..
Excellent analysis and I'm glad you brought forth "pride". keeping up with the Joneses is just not going to work anymore. Besides the 2-3 jobs one must work (if "lucky" enough to have)real wages haven't risen since the eighties. And thanks to the sham of credit, the average citizen of the US is eternally in debt, and through debt, the facade of a "solid middle class lifestyle" is kept up.
I think 5-6 USD per gallon for gas ( which is a possibility from the shockwave of ME rapacious elites and dictators deciding to loot their own treasuries and high tail it to "Bedouin hospitality" Saudi Arabia) might just do the trick for dismantling "pride" once and for all.
Your comment regarding 'pride' is so brilliant - so simple - and yet so enlightening. It defines the whole propaganda game and how people are systematically disenfranchised - and divided against one another.
This is how Americans have been controlled ever since WWII (I wasn't around before then). People don't seem to know, or realize, that highly-paid psychologists use sophisticated techniques to brainwash Americans and then manipulate them against their own best interests. Reminds me of 'Manchurian Candidate' - and all the Korean War era buzz about 'new' brainwashing techniques. SOP in some circles...
I think being an American - or even wanting to be one (or like one) - compromises a person's self-esteem, self-assurance, and self-awareness. Maybe the years of 'anti-brainwashing' under my parents' watchful eye is why I'm partially immune to this bizarre effect (and lack of exposure to the 'idiot box').
Your choice of the work 'bizarre' is so appropriate in this context - it is indeed 'bizarre' to a casual observer who doesn't understand the mechanism involved. This is how both Nazis and Communists also were controlled by their governments - in addition to more repressive methods to reinforce the lessons. Although McCarthyism, racism, the Cold War, and now Islamophobia and 'terrorism' are perhaps even more insidious than blatant repression. That element is glaringly apparent in the anti-war venue - actually anti-militarism and/or anti-empire - where repression is overtly used since it reinforces the 'attack on pride' effect observed in the early post-9/11 days. It just seemed so strange to me how the media, government, and public opinion were reacting to that event - all out of proportion to the actual losses suffered here, and later supporting retaliation in the worst possible manner - not to mention least likely to succeed. The hysteria was quite baffling to me - but you explain it nicely here. Thank you!
bligh4
The hypocracy seems thick on both sides. On one side the U.S. sends arms and money to dictatorships while asking for democracy(so does China, Russia, Korea, Syria, Saudi, Cuba, ect. al. but at least don't pretend to support democracy in these countries).
On the other side we have most of the Arab countries, along with a good many "progessives", calling for democracy and fair treatment for Palestine while totally ignoring the repressive governments in Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Iran, ect. That is until this week when they supported democracy in Tunisia and Egypt all along...
For a view of a Washington Post columnist whose position is, "I care about Israel. I care about Egypt, too, but its survival is hardly at stake," check out Richard Cohen's article, "A democratic Egypt or a state of hate?" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/31/AR2011013104014.html] for a different view of being on the "side of history." Spoiler: the article ends with, "America needs to be on the right side of human rights. But it also needs to be on the right side of history. This time, the two may not be the same."
A nice essay, lot of passion, yadadada. But you cant actually think this is going to lead to democracy? The Egyptian opposition "nobel prize winner" will simply seize power. The media did the same thing with Tunsia in the 80's whenthe now deposed dictator deposed another dictator. The Egyptians dont care for democracy they just want social change. This is the Egyptians responsibility to bring prosperity to there own land. Failing to do so is their own fault. Stop playing, "blame it on the west". That game is used by the pathetic and weak to make up for their incompetence.
Your comment couldn't be farther from the truth. Please enlighten the world as to your knowledge of ElBaradei's ambitions to be a dictator. Please elaborate on how not bringing prosperity to their own land is the fault of a people living under tyrannical rule. The West can stop being blamed as soon as their imperialistic foreign policies are discontinued. And while your at it superman, why don't toss a little prosperity my way with all of your strength and knowledge...
Hmmmm... I was about to respond to a comment from Horrified ... and the comment disappeared before my very eyes... it was a rant against someone but I could not discern the target. Maybe that was disappeared, too. Seemed to concern Zionist shills or some such.
Anyway, Professor Shamoo is spot on.
"Our policies towards Middle East are shaped by strategic needs, oil, and support for our friendly countries – primarily Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. After 9/11, our rhetoric and actions became even more abhorrent, as we labeled any Arab not in agreement with our policies in the Middle East as terrorists, in order to mute free-flowing discussions regarding our policies in the region. Our policy since 9/11 has added the requirement of collaboration with us against the terrorists as a litmus test to the strength of our relationship."
The essay should be read on every network and posted in every U.S. newspaper. (But won't be.)
The reason U.S. policy seems so contradictory and hypocritical is that it has nothing to do with democracy and freedom, and everything to do with hegemony and oil.
Must be what Americans and Zionists have in common - rogue terrorist states founded on genocide. Australians have a pretty ugly history as well, and don't exactly welcome other immigrants now - isn't that strange?
Any powerful nation is 'on the wrong side of history' - that's how and why they're powerful. It's easy to do the wrong thing when you embrace 'might makes right' - and this has gone on throughout recorded history, all over the world. Humans, as individuals, have an innate sense of justice - but gather a mob and all bets are off. Throw in strong ethnic variations and you have grounds for genocidal conflict, even if there is no competition for resources - as is the case for the US in the Middle East (the US doesn't need the oil, but wants to control it anyway - just because it can).
When a country has an empire, it can only be on the wrong side of history.
The only really bad thing about oxycontin (that I know about) is the horrific withdrawal. The real drug problem involves SSRIs and SNRIs - so-called 'anti-depressants' that do both temporary and permanent damage to the mind and brain. But these aren't the cause - just symptoms. Sophisticated propaganda and brainwashing techniques are what keep the Americans apathetic and subdued - unless rabid demonization is required to justify persecuting their latest victims... Americans are mental cases - just look at how polluted the environment has become, on top of social degradation, propaganda, and those designer drugs... how could a sane person stand it? (Yeah - just take a step back.)
Didn't know that about heroin and oxycontin - wasn't ever around street drugs (or any other kind until I got busted up). Used fentanyl last fall - 50 times stronger than heroin (and 80 times stronger than morphine, which is what I usually use). Those narcotics don't cause physical withdrawal like oxycontin - which was prescribed for me, but I won't take it anymore - don't want to be forced to take it when I don't need it, just to stop withdrawal symptoms - that's crazy. I've been on morphine for nearly 12 years now, and use far less than I did in the beginning. The 'legal' non-narcotic drugs are much more dangerous - and mess with your head. I won't ever take any of them again - they make you crazy.
Sorry about your family experience - I'm sure it was an horrific experience that didn't end well (at least it usually doesn't). I've heard that marijuana might help me, but have no experience with that either - but I hate taking these drugs (not as much as being unable to function, however, so I use them when I have to).
True enough, but also consider that pride, false pride, is also a drug. "Support the Troops" and "My Country, Right or Wrong" are two examples of this. Other posters to this article have made this point, and it is a valid one. Will we wake up from our drug-induced coma?
I suppose there is an endorphin-related experience involved in that 'pride' thing - and an addiction as well (as there is for religious revival shows - it's the endorphines stirred up by the communal experience of the mob).
bligh4
The old "there must be drugs in the water" argument. Naw, they just have their own opinions.
SOME people take drugs, doesn't mean everyone does. Some people take off their clothes and howl at the moon too, I suppose.
"they must be high on drugs because they don't agree with ME!"
Haven't seen such absolute self-righteousness since my freshman debate class. But, then again, they were all 18 year olds.
I am sick of hearing about Democracy in the U.S.and so repeated in U.S. foreign policy propaganda. The rich capitalists hate democracy. American democracy is now dead.
The only blessing President Obama has given the American people is a public awakening that he is powerless against Wall Street. The American public is fast awakening to the fact that BOTH Republican and Democratic parties are under the fascist boot of Wall Street and corporate capitalism.
The chickens are coming home to roost. It's called a shift in human consciousness. But Americans are slow to learn because they are in the belly of the capitalistic beast.
This author's article is much more in line with reality that that of Garth Porter's article proceeding this one. he is absolutely correct in his view of American foreign policy, but to think that the current political system in the US will change this vicious and immoral path is wishful thinking.
America needs a similar demonstration to those of Egypt and Tunisia to boot our corporate friendly regime from power. But as the author points out, the American public is woefully ignorant of the way the world operates beyond our borders. Most Americans believe that terrorists "Hate our freedom", that Canada's universal healthcare is a failed policy and that we live in a democracy that is admired the world over.
The education of the masses here at home is a monumental task which will never get the support of our corporate MSM, the Repo-Demo party or that .01% of our population who sets the rules. Our enemies of change are not the Tea Party, the Republicans or the religious right, but rather the institutions of propaganda like Hate Radio, the corporate news and an inherently evil capitalistic system that values corporate profits over human values.
The author doesn't seem to understand that foreign policy is rooted in domestic policy, which causes him to make numerous errors in both observation and fact. For example, this sentence: "More importantly, the policy of supporting the people is the right policy consistent with our American values." At only one point in US history was "supporting the people" a policy goal--the New Deal years--but only to save the wealthy from the folly of the usual policy--the Class War--which was resumed with a vengence after WW2. The meaning of self-determination ought to be self-evident, but that ideal collides with elites and others presuming to know better. A polity's idealized, natural goal ought to be a functional society, which is defined as meeting the polity's basic needs first and foremost which allows for security based on comity thus giving the culture an opportunity to become strong enough to control destabilizing forces driven by envy/greed. The three facets of Abrahamic religion, for example, are attempts to help society regain cultural control over those forces. It ought to be clear by now that if we fail to share and share alike strife will be the natural outcome which then creates a dysfunctional society. You simply cannot allow individuals to amass fortunes while others are unable to satisfy their needs and have a civil society. The belief that a society with such inequities is civil and sustainable is what is at fault with US policy.
in the meantime:
Guard detachment is heading to Egypt
Published 01/24/2011 12:00 AMUpdated 01/24/2011 04:59 AM
COMMENTS ( 3 )
Groton - Connecticut National Guard Detachment 2, Company I, 185th Aviation Regiment of Groton has mobilized and will deploy to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, to support the Multinational Force and Observers.
The unit left Connecticut Jan. 15 for Fort Benning, Ga., for further training and validation. The unit operates C-23C Sherpa aircraft and has deployed three times in the last seven years in support of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The unit will provide an on-demand aviation asset to the Multinational Force and Observers commander to support its !!! mission of supervising the security provisions of the Egypt/ Israel Peace Treaty.!!!
Chief Warrant Officer Four James Smith of Ivoryton commands the aviation unit.
"We're from the US government, and we are here to help you!"
On the wrong side in the Middle East, in Asia, in South America...
http://texshelters.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/security-threats-u-s-foreign-policy/
Peace,
Tex Shelters