The Middle East Needs a NATO
Speculation on a safe, prosperous Middle East by Gregg Glory [Gregg G. Brown]
This is just a short, exploratory note to look into the notion of the United States becoming more, rather than less, involved in Middle Eastern affairs. Just as the United States maintained a huge garrison in Europe after WWII, and with the connivance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization put continuing muscle behind the idea of the death of fascism and dictatorships for Western Europe (excepting Spain, of course), so we should enter into a long-term series of entangling obligations in the Middle East.
Perhaps starting with the Saudis and Kuwaitis, but eventually embracing all the states that wish to avoid undue Iranian influence or attackfrom the terrorist hordes of Hezbollah (the so-called "Party of God"). An American presence in such an organization (let's call it METO) would guarantee that member states wouldn't attack each other without drawing a super power into the fray. Our continuing interaction with all of these states would encourage, and eventually demand, democratic reforms within the member states themselves. An expanding tradition of democracy, or at least a deeper familiarity with democracy, would inevitably arise from our being there--proudly sharing by example the virtues of the American Way of Life. It is a way of life that values individual responsibility and freedom. Such freedom is infectious.
The only trip-up I can see is Americans abroad genuflecting to the hide-bound social customs of the states that they are visiting. With member states of METO dependent on American goodwill and cooperation to keep them from each others' throats, a vigorous defense of Americans abroad, like Teddy Roosevelt's, would be a helpful foriegn policy attitude for us to adopt and express. For those who'd prefer to see American exceptionalism live within the bounds of our borders and not have an outward, international, or essentially revolutionary character, I'll leave you with a quote from TR to consider: "The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us."
03/28/07
