By (O)CT(O)PUS
Let us recall this quote from the film classic, Lawrence of Arabia:
“So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be
a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel …”
Arabs or Americans ... sometimes I wonder which of the two are the little people, the silly people. If anything, Americans are a meddlesome people - provincial, opinionated, arrogant, yet exceptionally ignorant of Middle Eastern culture and history.
How many Americans recall the coup that overthrew Mohammed Moseddegh, the first democratically elected leader of Iran? In 1953, our own CIA aided and abetted the British in toppling a nascent democracy over access to Persian oil. “A cruel and imperialistic country” stealing from a “needy and naked people” were the words spoken by Mosaddegh at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. These words have informed Middle Eastern attitudes for more than half a century.
Does terrorism represent the face of Islam? Not according to the highest religious authority of Saudi Arabia, who said: “Extremist and militant ideas and terrorism which spread decay on Earth, destroying human civilisation, are not in any way part of Islam, but are enemy number one of Islam, and Muslims are their first victims” (The Grand Mufti Sheik Abdulaziz Al al-Sheik).
Not according to the highest religious authority of Egypt, who said: “An extremist and bloody group such as this poses a danger to Islam and Muslims, tarnishing its image as well as shedding blood and spreading corruption” (The Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam).
Not according to the Egyptian military, which overthrew the government of Mohamed Morsi and banned the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood. Nor the monarchy of Saudi Arabia, which purged and banished al-Qaeda - whose affiliated groups now operate in remote regions of Yemen and North Africa. Yet, how many Americans pay attention?
Consider the impact of successive Western interventions in the Middle East over time - over oil. European colonialism is partly to blame. As colonial empires crumbled in the aftermath of WWI, European powers gave little thought to the historical schism between the Shiite and Sunni branches of Islam. Britain drew borders around rival ethnic enclaves and formed the modern nation state of Iraq - thus creating a recipe for future volatility.
Failing to take these historical antecedents into account, America blundered into an occupation of Iraq that worsened an already unstable situation. In short order, the American regency of Paul Bremer swept away a long established order. Regime change brought in a new Shiite government that promptly disenfranchised the formerly dominant Sunnis. Thus began a cycle of sectarian conflict and civil war – rife with insurgencies, ethnic militias, car bombings, kidnappings, massacres, and more. Thus, the American misadventure started a sequence of events leading directly to the rise of ISIS.
A war-weary American public says: “No boots on the ground.” Neo-Cons in Congress demand military action.
Iraqi President al-Maliki disenfranchises the Sunnis and creates a window of opportunity for ISIS. The Cringe Fringe blames the crisis on the president.
Al-Malady refuses to sign a Residual Force Agreement; The Cringe Fringe blames the president.
Our military says ISIS cannot be defeated without a Syrian incursion. Last year, Congress failed to reach agreement on a similar authorization.Follow the trail of duplicity amongst our allies in the region: ISIS trades Syrian oil for money and arms in Turkey, our NATO ally. Our military maintains vital strategic strike capabilities at al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates even as the wealthy citizens of Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE underwrite radical jihadi groups throughout the Middle East – from al-Qaeda to ISIS.
How can the enemy of your enemy be your friend when you can no longer distinguish enemies from friends?
Meanwhile, partisans in Congress criticize the President over an honest admission: “We don't have a strategy yet” for dealing with the "existential threat" of ISIS. Perhaps the time is long overdue to rethink the complexities, duplicities and past failures - to avoid yet another national repetition compulsion - before we leap again into the Middle Eastern abyss.
Brilliant post. Indeed there can't be more than a handful who remember our history in the Middle East and that great blot on the Eisenhower administration that every school child in Iran learns and our most recent Bastard in Chief didn't seem to know a Sunni from a Sufi, much less a Shiite.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to heap our contempt on "Muslims" and forget about the Grand Muftational opposition, but so far I haven't noticed much effect from their proclamations. I don't see any of those wealthy countries doing anything about it and as you say, they afford much support. Without that support, financial and military, I think the possibility of our engaging voluntarily in yet another very protracted war of attrition is minimal -- until it's very much too late, of course.
Whatever the president decided will be opposed of course, he being damned either way simply because of who he is and the vast right wing resources being so able to latch onto a phrase, take it out of context and use it against him with such a speed that he can't get through a sentence without being defeated. Frankly I don't think we are nearly as capable, as we once were, if indeed we are capable at all of doing anything to stop the ascendancy of religious insanity in Muslim strongholds. If I'm wrong in seeing the US as a cowardly and greedy nation, more interested in ourselves than in anything else, I'm not too far off.
Indeed history can be a useful tool to acheive a broader understanding and presumably avoid repeating past errors in judgement.
ReplyDeleteOne thing history has taught us is for the most part humans seem incapable of learning from history. Therefore humankind is doomed to repeated failures.
Insanity is alive and well. In the Middle East, in the west... everywhere.
And, the threat remains, it grows, becoming more virulent. Somehow it will burn itself out. But at what cost? How many innocent lives lost?
In the end self blame resolves nothing. It serves to strengthen ones adversaries. We are indeed locked into a conundrum of our own making.
And, history say as always repeat itself.
“In the end self blame resolves nothing.”
DeleteIn the life of a person or a country, the ability to undertake an honest and healthy self-assessment, to learn, and to improve upon the past is not an exercise in self-blame. Ego, national pride, reactive and reflexive knee jerk patriotism ... these are impediments to improvement and future growth.
No doubt, the Cringe Fringe will criticize the Octopus and say: “See, the cephalopod is unpatriotic and un-American for calling us ‘a little people, a silly people.’” And “How dare he compare us to those AyeRabs!” Frankly, I don’t give a damn because such criticism misses the point. What was it that Einstein said about stupidity? Something about repeating the same mistakes again and again?
“It serves to strengthen ones adversaries.”
Repeating the same mistake is what your adversary wants, more than changing course and trying a new more informed/effective approach. Shall this country waste more blood and treasure on another misadventure? An adversary wants you to dig yourself deeper and deeper - and fail miserably.
“We are indeed locked into a conundrum of our own making.
Indeed! Which is why I do NOT agree with Diane Feinstein and the GOP neo-cons in Congress on the issue of caution. Now is the best time to look at past policy failures and think before we leap. There are too many impatient hotheads who think “caution” means “incompetence.” In this instance, the reverse is true: Caution IS competence.
"Caution IS competence"
DeleteIndeed -- caution, circumspection, objectivity, deliberation and all that. Any time such is called for ancient voices begin to whine about weakness and we always fall for it, like little boys being dared to do something stupid. Fear of weakness may be our tragic flaw if indeed I can raise the level of human incompetence and stupidity to the level of tragedy. Perhaps we just deserve to either become extinct or to go on killing and oppressing each other forever.
Perhaps thinking we can learn from history is one of those things we keep trying to repeat, expecting different results. Damned if you bomb Syria, damned if you don't. Damned for weakness if we send someone to negotiate to get Americans out of North Korea and damned for weakness if we do not.
I think all our efforts and all the efforts to oppose those efforts speak of tribalism more than anything else and the T.E. Lawrence quote, whether real or not, sums up my lack of hope precisely.
Introspection is the mark of a wise person or nation. My experience, for whatever it is worth, advises me most people chose not to engage in the practice. Therefore (O)CT(O) PUS I have no quibble with your response.
ReplyDeleteNor would I be so presumptuous as to call you un-American or unpatriotic. What I object to is the willingness to criticize and do so in a way that gives the impression that our nation intentionally is out to screw everyone else in the world and somehow that exonerated the evil or terrorists.
That's how I see it and as they say perception becomes reality. Who is to say just whose perception is right?
Interesting don't you think?
Referencing the CIA overthrow of Mossedegh (1953), there are some historical footnotes worthy of mention. Originally, the Truman administration rejected the British plan to overthrow the Iranian government. It was John Foster Dulles in the Eisenhower administration who decided to implement the British plan and enlist the CIA to take the lead role. Why? By 1952, the U.S. was heavily embroiled in the Korean War and wanted the British on board. Hence, it was a favor to the British with an expected quid pro quo.
DeleteIn this instance, did we intentionally set out to screw somebody? Yes, we did. Here was the world’s oldest democracy overthrowing the world’s newest democracy. It was a cynical and hypocritical betrayal of our basic values, and we paid a dear price: The Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the ire of Iranians for imposing a despot whose secret police, SAVAK, kept order through the use of torture. No family in Iran remained untouched.
No one here is suggesting that we flagellate ourselves on a world stage, nor should we even think of excusing or exonerating terrorists. Nevertheless, we can’t shove past foreign policy blunders under the rug and expect to know something about Middle Eastern attitudes, or the causes of our current situation.
Now I remember why I hated Dulles -- a name that is only associated with an airport in today's knowitall America. We can hardly absolve Britain in this affair. They were behind it from the beginning and we resisted going along with it for a while.
DeleteWe will never know whether Moseddegh, had he remained, could have stemmed the tide of religious insanity or if he would have had to resort to severe repression to do it, but I think it's important to remember that in the US and the UK, the commitment to liberty is pretty flimsy when compared to the commitment to oil. MM wanted to nationalize the oil industry to give Iran control over Iran's resources and that's something that's never been tolerated by Western Capitalism. Indeed there was a stron effort by the neo-cons to justify grabbing the Iraqi oil fields as well.
Whether it's oil or water or minerals or lumber we want to own it and control it and exploit it as we see fit. Corporate World domination: there is no other system of values, no other code of behavior -- in Mammon's name, amen.
As long as we treat unfettered capitalism as a moral code there can be no freedom.
In fact Captain it is now, and always has been my contention freedom is illusive regardless of the economic system. IMNHO it will remain so for eternity.
ReplyDeleteAs Joplin sang... "freedom is just a word for nothing left to lose."
Not only a great song, but it's the truth.
DeleteI am tired of the constant manipulations of the ruling systems of other countries by our government under the guise of "humanitarian" defense. The battle cry is that we will save the people when in reality we are saving whatever resource we hold dear. We are hated and reviled and is it any wonder?
ReplyDeletePersonally my view is cut all foreign aid. Period, regardless of intended purpose.
ReplyDeleteThen let the world revile us.
"Personally my view is cut all foreign aid ... Then let the world revile us."
ReplyDeleteI understand where you are coming from; but wouldn't this be akin to self-sabotage? Let Rome burn? Let ISIS run rampant? Yes, I agree: "Hey you AyeRabs and Europeans. Why don't you carry this water for a change!"
Can we afford to say, Fuckitall?"
Yes it would be akin to all cited. It is time the source of the cancers step up to the plate provide the cure. If they don't, you tell me the alternative.
ReplyDeleteCan we afford to say Fuckitall? Can we?
Waiting. Watching. Anticipating the worse.
I think it really is time for all those threatened by ever more extreme movements like ISIS to de4cide to take the initiative and do something about it. Of course no matter who joins a coalition, the blame will always accrue to the US and Israel but What George Bush Sr. did in Iraq is an example. No quagmire, no casualties to speak of and those with the deep, oily pockets picking up much of the cost. ISIS threatens a great many people, Muslim and otherwise far more than it threatens us. Why shouldn't they chip in? We've pumped billions and BILLIONS into the militaries of Pakistan and Egypt and others so that they could "fight terrorism" Isn't it time to call in some favors?
DeleteNo arguments here, it would be the ideal resolution.
DeleteIt is however unlikely we will see this anytime soon.
And the threat would remain, likely growing and becoming more dangerous.
No arguments here, it would be the ideal resolution.
DeleteIt is however unlikely we will see this anytime soon.
And the threat would remain, likely growing and becoming more dangerous.