Former Vice President Al Gore’s most recent book “The Assault on Reason” bemoans the fact that reasoned discourse has been replaced by emotional and ideological responses that are encouraged by mass media and 10 second sound bites. Although many reviewers have suggested that he is making much adieu about nothing and is ignoring the role of emotion in making sound judgments, a look at US Middle East policies leads one to conclude that that he may have a good point. Some examples quickly come to mind.
Support democracy in the Middle East while implementing policies that enrage the general population and expect that they will elect governments that are friendly to the US. (A good example is here)
Support a Shia government in Iraq and at the same time oppose influence and involvement by Shia Iran
Give millions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia and at the same time accuse them of undermining US efforts in Iraq
Encourage a Sunni barrier around the “Shiite Crescent” and expect that there won’t be sectarian rivalry
Support Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and expect that Palestinians will peacefully accept the status quo
Threaten Iran with sanctions, nuclear attack and regime change and expect that talks will encourage them to help the US out of the mess in Iraq
Isolate and starve Palestinians in Gaza and expect that they will blame Hamas rather than the US/Israel (A story about Hamas’s approach in Gaza is here)
Encourage Israel to bomb Lebanon and kill over 1000 civilians and expect that the Lebanese will blame Hezbollah rather than the US/Israel
Exclude Hamas from peace negotiations and expect that any agreement would be supported by the majority of Palestinians who elected them to office
Maybe American logic is an oxymoron.
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