The Washington Outsider

​Proper Governance in the Middle East is Key to Preventing Terrorism

11/20/2015

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Aside from “stop terrorism” and “destroy the Islamic State,” world leaders are charging into battle against globalized terrorism without a strategic vision or any well-defined objectives.  The inconsistent nature of US foreign policy has often been blamed for causing untold damage throughout the International Community.  Epitomizing this very criticism, George W. Bush’s Iraq War suffered due to a lack of well-defined objectives and overall vision for the future of Iraq.  The same can be said about the Bush Administration’s national security policies, which lead the US to torture suspected terrorists and violate the civil liberties of our own citizens.
 
In the wake of the Paris Terrorist Attacks, European leaders are about to follow in the footsteps of the Bush Administration.  Unlike the Bush Administration’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq where nation-building was an assumption, however, Western leaders have failed to even recognize what role they might play in engineering long-term regional stability.  “Region-building” will assuredly be part of the fight to defeat the Islamic State and emerging terrorist threats.  As little has improved for the Peoples of the Middle East since the Arab Spring Revolutions began, the International Community must calibrate its strategy to address proper governance in the Middle East.
Unfortunately, fiscal constraints, massive budgetary issues, and economic uncertainty limit what the International Community can do for the Middle East.  Material and financial support will be extremely limited, so writing massive checks is not an option while doing so will only subsidize the corruption and undermining policies of those in power.  Considering the relatively small nations of Iraq and Afghanistan cost the US over $4 trillion, the entirety of the International Community does not have enough resources to adequately sustain the status quo in the region nor can Middle Eastern powers fulfill the needs of their populations if they continue to be so dependent on government spending and outside interests.
 
Furthermore, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Paris Terrorist Attacks happened, because the US and France failed to address the threat of globalized terrorism, which is true for all the other terrorist attacks that have happened throughout the world.  Factoring in the Great Recession, climate change, political dysfunction, the Arab Spring Revolutions, the Ukraine Crisis, the South China Sea Crisis, and so many other global issues, it is clear that an ongoing series of global crises have arisen, because governments failed to recognize and address critical faults in public policies.  These crises are the consequences of failed governance and leadership over decades.  No longer able to compensate for bad policies, the world has been experiencing a catastrophic recalibration of neglected interests.
 
With that in mind, the Arab Spring Revolutions are often blamed for the widespread instability and violence seen in the Middle East today, but it was the unwillingness of Middle Eastern governments to relinquish power and address the unmet interests of their Peoples that invited the current troubles.  Political pressure in the Middle East had been building for years thanks to unresponsive and oppressive governance.  The Arab Spring Revolutions erupted in 2011, because the Peoples of the Middle East were so neglected and angry that they were finally forced to defend themselves. 
 
The Middle East is defined by great oil wealth and vast spans of impoverished communities, which are characterized by cultural differences that are accentuated by lagging civil and economic development.  Instead of addressing the interests of the many Peoples across the region, those in power and those who control the region’s wealth have neglected the interests of their fellow compatriots.  Unfortunately, this means instability will be the rule for some time.  Beyond bombing the Islamic State, the role of foreign powers in the Middle East is, therefore, to help improve governance in the region.  This means confronting current leaders on their failures.  It also means developing coequal economic partnerships while the majority of assistance from the outside must come in the form of civil and political development.  
 
With Europe’s complex history of colonialism and America’s support of authoritarian regimes in mind, the West has not been honest in how it has engaged the Muslim world.  Going forward, the International Community must be far more direct and sincere when engaging the Middle Eastern Peoples.  This means the West must stop trying to shape the destiny of the region for our convenience.  Democracy, economic development, and social values cannot be neglected nor forced upon the Peoples of the Middle East for our interests.  In short, the West must help empower the Peoples of the Middle East to properly govern themselves.
 
Unfortunately, a major cost of propping up non-democratic governments has been a lack of trust and weak development among the populations of this region.  While it is one thing to cooperate with whatever ruling body governs a territory, it is quite another for us to forget our values and get in bed with oppressive, abusive leaders as we did in the Middle East.  Outsiders may pressure the Peoples of these lands to consider different perspectives of other individuals, but social evolution cannot be substituted with sermons from the West.  The Peoples of the Middle East must be empowered to properly govern themselves. 
 
This does not, of course, preclude world leaders from openly criticizing the behavior of regional leaders, who ignore the interests of their populations, or reinforcing our principles, especially when global interests are endangered.  Lending our expertise to help the development of the political institutions required to self-govern, as well as offering leaders advice on how to cope with the cultural and social changes needed for the Peoples of emerging democracies to define the role of government and participate in governance, is also necessary. 
 
In many respects, the Obama Administration’s limited intervention against the Islamic State and greater reliance on domestic partners is the type of intervention that should have been undertaken by George W. Bush Administration following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Instead of using American might to impose regime change and nation-building in order to “create” allies, the US is returning to a foreign policy mission based on “making the world safe for democracy.”  If Middle Eastern governments are ever going to address and properly balance the interests of their Peoples, if the threat of globalized terrorism is ever going to be contained, the US needs to help strengthen the International Community it built to foster stability, peace, and freedom for all.
 
Finally, our addiction to crude might be easing and the need for intervention will not always outweigh the high cost of war, but fully disengaging from the Middle East will never be a viable option.  As the region struggle through this phase of transition, which might last for quite some time and be characterized by periods of failed, as well as successful, attempts at democracy, dealing with governments we might, or might not, find favorable to achieve what common goals we can muster is essential to global stability.  A failure to successfully engage all nations of the region on some front will translate into a total lack of influence as well as a far greater disadvantage in global affairs as other global powers, such as China, will engage these leaders.  We must, however, shift away from high cost policies that create dangerous long-term liabilities.
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      • Retooling the Grand Strategy of the International Community >
        • Recalibrating Our Foreign Policy Vision for a New Middle East
        • How the US Should Engage Political Revolt in the Middle East
      • The Fundamentals of Proper Government in the Middle East and North Africa
      • Implementation of Public Policy: Issues of Theory and Practice >
        • What Are Commonsense Regulations?
        • Should Public Health Be a Priority to the Governments of the World?
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      • The Sequestered US Government Needs a Therapist
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      • An Essay on the Role of Government: Why Each Generation Must Define Democracy for Itself
      • Democracy and the Narrowing Power Elite
      • Assessing the Limits of Democracy
      • Do Americans value freedom?
      • Belittling Our Political Leaders
      • Defining "Liberal" and "Conservative"
      • Framing Issues Properly is an Important Political Tool >
        • Assessing US Elections Part I: Framing Issues Properly is an Important Political Tool
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        • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
      • How the People Are Lost in the Extremes of 'Right' and 'Left' in Politics
      • Should One's Faith Influence a Citizen's Vote?
      • Should the U.S. Government Help Fund Election Campaigns?
      • On Defunding Political Science Research
    • Worldview >
      • Justice for All: The Case for Legal, Social, Economic, and Personal Justice
      • Why Hardliner Thinking in the NSA and CIA is Doing Damage
      • On the Baby Boomer’s Self-Centeredness
      • The Case for Personal Responsibility
      • What Modern Day Revolutionaries Need to Learn from Leader's like Mandela
      • Rising Western Acceptance of LGBT Primes Culture Clash
      • The Need for Wisdom Beyond the Numbers
      • Perceptions of the United States
      • How Honesty Relates to the Great Recession
      • Why the Middle Class and Rich Need to Support Their Long-term Interests
      • The Aristocratic Republic of the United States of America
      • Discussing the Need for Community Support
      • Why New Forms of Capitalism and Socialism Will Compliment Each Other
      • The Reason We Need to Understand What it is to Be Poor in America
      • Why the World Needs to Reinvest in America
      • Why Are We Against Terrorism?
      • Why Does Terrorism Exist?
      • US Influence: The Value of American Citizenship Around the World
      • Responding to "the Soldier as Sacrficial Victim"
    • Human Nature >
      • How comfort defines us as people >
        • Is Suicide a Cowardly Way Out?
      • Defense Against the Dark Arts of Manipulators
      • Defining Abuse >
        • On the Willing Victim of Abuse
        • How to Understand Abuse Victims
        • Recognizing Abuse
      • The Role of Substitution in Decision Making
      • Trying to Understand PTSD and Other Trauma-induced Mental Health Issues
      • Exploring Human Emotion >
        • Mental Illness is Not the Cause of Anger and Violence >
          • Trying to Understand the Boston Marathon Bombing and Other Violent Crimes
          • Getting into the Twisted Mind of the Tucson Murder
      • Describing the Mind as Modes of Thought >
        • It’s Just Sex?
      • Relationships, or Arrangement
      • Understanding the Effects of Groupthink in the Workplace
      • Relating Circular, Inductive, and Deductive Reasoning to the Scientific Method and Religion
      • What is a Redneck? Understanding Different Cultures and Thinking
    • Economics >
      • The Need for Greater Economic Leverage >
        • Evaluating NAFTA and TPP
        • Undercutting Logistics with the Underpaid Independent Contractor
        • Unions: Hindrance or Essential to Free Markets
        • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
        • Haitians Sue the UN for Failure to Help With Cholera
        • Looking at How Corn-based Ethanol and Other Alternative Energy Subsidies Stack Up
      • Empowering the Sovereign Nation-State by Rethinking Trade Policy >
        • Irish Sovereignty Lost Before Bailout
        • Why Sudan's Greatest Long-Term Hurdle is Our Lowest-bidder Economy
        • Reduce US Imports by Buying American Made Products
      • Ending the need for government support and tackling poverty
      • Income inequality: understanding the limitations and psychology of disadvantage
      • Looking at the Future of American Jobs >
        • On Questioning the Need to Address Economic Disparity
        • Minimum Wage is Not the Problem
        • Responding to the "Blip"
        • Why Education Is Not The Civil Rights Issue Of The Twenty-First Century
      • Considering the Impact of the Capital Gains Tax Deduction
      • Embracing a Capitalist Mindset >
        • Capitalism Versus Socialism
        • The Negatives of Socialism
      • Stealing Intellectual Property
      • Changing Business Models: From Enduring Entities to Cash Cows
      • Consumer and Investor Evolution in the Great Recession of 2008-09
      • Dealing with the Issues Surrounding the Patenting of Self-replicating Technologies
      • Is Technology Threatening Jobs?
    • Education >
      • The Role of Education in Creating a More Dynamic Workforce
      • Primary Education in America and the Changing Needs of Society
      • The Greatness of the American Education System
      • Ideas for Improving the United States Education System
      • Are Teachers Treated as Professionals?
      • Is Engaging Parents in Their Children's Education a Major Factor in Turning Around Low-performing Schools?
      • Should Grants Be Awarded to School Districts that Try Innovative Methods to Improve Student Achievement?
    • US Constitution >
      • On Reading the US Constitution
      • The Senate should not do more to limit the powers of the Judicial Branch
      • On the DOJ Justifying the “targeted Killings” of US Citizens
      • Corporations Do Not Have the Same Rights as US Citizens >
        • Corporate America Pleads the First
      • Discussing the Constitutionality of Per Capita Taxes
      • Was the California Supreme Court Right in Legalizing Gay Marriage?
      • Should the Bible Continue to Be Used for Swearing-in Ceremonies and in Courtrooms?
      • Should Religious Student Clubs Be Allowed in Public Schools?
      • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
      • The Second Amendment: Not Outdated >
        • Are We Losing Our Second Amendment Rights
      • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
      • Should a Woman Have the Right to Choose Abortion? >
        • Should Fathers Be Able to Opt Out of Parenthood?
      • Should Smoking Be Allowed in Public Places?
      • Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
      • Should US Companies Be Required to Provide Equal Pay to Women and Men?
      • Is eighteen too young to vote?
      • First Amendment Rights: The Priviledge of The Press
      • Do Mandatory Seat Belt Laws Violate Individual Rights?
      • Should cell phone use be banned while driving?
      • Dealing with the link between video game violence and children's behavior
      • Should police have to submit to routine drug and alcohol testing?
      • Public schools should not impose mandatory drug testing on students
      • Are High Taxes on Cigarettes Proper?
      • Should pharmacists be required to violate their religious beliefs and dispense the "Morning After Pill?"
      • Should school counselors uphold patient privacy or report students who become unstable?
  • For the record
    • Ongoing Issues >
      • Red Dawn in Ukraine: Understanding the Actions of Russia >
        • On Russia’s Coercion of Ukraine
        • The Russian Annexation of Crimea in the Eyes of the World
        • Putin Has Overplayed His Hand With Crimea
        • Ukraine in Terms of Resovereignization
        • Avoiding a Conflict Between America and Russia Over Ukraine
        • What Drives the World’s Interest in Russia’s Actions in Ukraine
      • China’s Aggressive Pursuit of Interests Demands a Global Response
      • Iran Makes a Deal: A Start to a Long-term Diplomatic Effort to Denuclearize Iran >
        • On the Future of a Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
      • America's Sphere of Influence: Retaking South-East Asia >
        • Power in Asia: Looking at the Power Shift in Japan
        • The China Paradox: Why America is Worried About China
      • Assessing US Support of Israel >
        • Tread Softly Israel for a Heavy Step May Be Your Undoing
      • Understanding the Dysfunctional Nature of the US-Pakistani Relationship
      • Recognizing the True Threat Behind the Current Unrest in the Middle East >
        • Reacting to the Escalating Crackdown in Syria
      • Assessing the Threat of North Korea >
        • Answering North Korea's Call for Food Aid: Breaking the Vicious Cycle Forced Upon Us by a Warring Nation
        • Dealing with the Restarting of the Korean War
        • North Korea Attacks South Korea
      • Dealing with the Ill-effects of Climate Change
      • Racial Inequality and Oppression Do Truly Exist in Today's Society
      • Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?
      • An overview of world wide Human Rights violations
      • Nuclear Threat from Pakistan
      • Return of The Cold War?
    • World >
      • Coverage of FIFA World Cup is a Chance to Focus on Poverty >
        • The FIFA World Cup Offers Benefits for More Than Brazilian Soccer Fans
        • FIFA Can Bring Brazilians Together as a Nation
      • Being Prepared for Any Potential Dangers at the FIFA World Cup Games
      • Treading Softly on the Politicizing of the 2014 Sochi Olympics Over Gay Rights
      • Why NATO Operations in Libya Lack a Well-defined Mission
      • China Hijacks the Web
      • Lessons from the Great Japanese Earthquake of 2011
      • A Modernizing Cuba Offers an Opportunity for Capitalists
      • The Seeds of Democracy Take Root in the Middle East
      • The Rebirth of Democracy in Tunisia
      • What May Come from the Hurt Revolution in Libya
      • Responding to the Violence of Qaddafi and Other Besieged Leaders
      • Embracing the Rise of a Democratic Egypt
      • Protests in Afghanistan Turn Deadly for Coalition Forces and UN Personnel
      • Haiti: Another Failing Humanitarian Investment
      • What Karzai Can Learn from Calderon
      • START II: A Necessary, Easy Success that Nearly Failed
      • Why Does the U.S. Government Support Independence for the Breakaway Serb Territory of Kosovo but Oppose Independence for the Breakaway Georgian Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
      • Iraq's Electric Issues: When Human Wants Trump Economic Sense
      • The International Community Reacts to Wikileaks: We May Be Moving Toward a Third World War in Cyberspace
      • On Climate Gate
      • Assessing Obama's Afghanistan War strategy
      • 2009 Iranian Presidential Election: The Fallout
      • Resolving Sri Lankan Conflict through Free Media
      • What are the Global Consequences of Russia's Invasion of Georgia
      • The War in Iraq: an assessment of President Bush's surge strategy
      • Drug War: Actions of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador in terms of Resovereignization
      • Is the Iraq Refugee Crisis America's Responsibility?
      • US support for a united Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: why?
      • Should the US withdraw from Iraq?
      • Setting a Timetable for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq is a Terrible Mistake
      • War on Terrorism is needed
    • Law and Order >
      • Rape in the US Military
      • Ethics of Force-feeding Guantanamo Bay Detainees
      • Reacting to the Aftermath of the Tucson Massacre
    • Economy >
      • Affordability Drives Fear of Obamacare and the Individual Mandate
      • Is the Economy Built for a Job's Recovery?
      • Gutting Healthcare Reform of the Individual Mandate
      • Arizona Budget Cuts Lead to Lethal Healthcare Rationing:
      • Shameful Collection Practices of American Banks
      • The Fed Reveals it Actually Undertook an International Bailout
      • Thoughts on French Budgetary Reforms
      • Seniors Start Businesses
      • The Case for Slimming Down the US Military to Make it Better
      • Looking at the Obama Administration's New Approach to Economic Policy
      • Should the Government Regulate the Credit Card Industry?
      • The Big Three's Big Chance
      • The Unhealthy Tone of the Healthcare Reform Debate
      • Should the federal government offer a bailout for home owners?
      • Environmentalists: Do They Do More Good Than More Harm?
      • Responding to Scott Walker's Contribution to the War on Unions
    • US Government >
      • America Needs to Focus on the Impending Fiscal Crisis
      • Reacting to the Bush Era-tax Cut Extension Deal
      • Quitting the Obama Revolution: The Fickle Nature of American Politics
      • John Boehner's Circus
      • Is the Fed Putting Itself in Jeopardy?
      • Wikileaks Goes After the US State Department
      • Discussing the Political Environment Surrounding the 2011 Budget Debate
      • What the Democrats Can Do to Ensure a GOP Year in 2012
      • What the 2010 Midterm Actually Said
      • Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper
      • Democrats Minus Nancy Pelosi Equals Opportunity
      • Terrorists Go Postal: The Terrorism Threat Reexamined
      • Victory in the 2008 Election: Reaction to Barack Obama'a Win >
        • Expectations for Barack Obama
      • President Obama's first one hundred days
      • John McCain's Negative Campaign
      • Reasons People did not Elect John Mccain
      • History judges the George W. Bush Administration
      • Should the next US President focus on domestic issues?
      • President Bush, should he resign or be impeached
      • Should the Ban on Government Sponsored Assassinations be Repealed
    • Off Topic >
      • A Face of America’s Greatest Generation
      • A Story About a Man Who Made the World a Better Place
      • Making the World a Better Place
      • The Bipolar Ethical Nature of Google
      • Learning Computer Plays Jeopardy
      • Verifying Medicine is the Real Thing
      • Taking a Practical Step Forward in Optical Computing Using Slow Light
      • Scientists Take a Closer Look at How Lithium Batteries Work
      • Remarking on the First Blizzard of the 2010-2011 Winter Season
      • Driving in the Snow: Acceleration is the Key
      • How People in Northwest PA Are Coping with the Increasing Cost of Oil
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