Thursday, May 20, 2010

Obama Does Not Understand the Middle East

President Obama just does not get it. The Middle East, dominated by the Islamic religion, thinks differently than we do. It is not because we are bad or because we have been in the past. It is because they have an entirely different culture and background. The president seems to think we can accomplish great things in the Middle East and bring them to our way of thinking if we are just nice to them and use diplomacy to talk them into behaving the way we want them too. That approach just ain’t going to work.

For the most part countries in the Middle East already like the American people and admire many of our ideals. There many in the Middle East who would like to be more like us and more “western” in general, but that means changing some very basic and very ingrained cultural practices and ways of thinking. That takes time and patience. In the meanwhile, they look to the United States as
a super power whom they can turn too in time of need. When the President runs around apologizing and telling everyone we are putting down our nuclear arsenal and big guns, it undermines one of the the most important American traits, that status as a super power. Simply put, Middle Eastern cultures do not like weakness and have contempt for things they perceive to be weak. Every time the President gives a speech apologizing for American misbehavior and every time he gives a country in the Middle East money without getting anything back for it, he makes us look weak and effeminate –something that Arab and Middle Eastern cultures have contempt for.

In another example of his misunderstanding, with our unemployment rate hitting about 10% the President decided to hold a “Summit on Entrepreneurship” in Washington. It was a good idea but it turns out that it was not for us. It was an effort to boost economic development in Muslim nations! The President appears to be more worried
about the unemployment in the Middle East then he is about it here. What is worse, he thinks more U.S. investment in Muslim countries and the creation of exchange programs bringing Muslim women to America so they can work as interns will somehow enhance U.S. prosperity and, thus, change Muslim attitudes about the United States. He is delusional.

We have been more than generous to Arab and Muslim nations with our foreign aid and military assistance. Egypt receives about $2 billion of American taxpayer dollars every year, yet it still votes against us at the U.N. 79 percent of the time. Jordan receives nearly $200 million annually in U.S. foreign aid, but votes against us at the U.N. 71 percent of the time. Pakistan (our good buddies) votes 75 percent of the time against the U.S. at the U.N. while pocketing nearly $7 million annually in foreign aid (in addition to the money it gets to supposedly fight al-Qaida).

Another example of the complete disconnect between American assistance and a changed Muslim attitude toward the U.S. is the Palestinian Authority. Just since 2007 U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority and to PA-controlled (nongovernmental organizations) reached nearly $2 billion, in addition to $3.7 billion contributed by the U.S. to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East since 1950. This aid has not resulted in changing the rhetoric or the objectives of the Palestinian Authority. It has not led to both sides in the Middle East conflict mounting a "sustained effort to respect one another and seek common ground," as President Obama called for in his Cairo speech last year. No. Instead the Palestinian Authority is naming streets and schools after terrorists who have murdered and in some cases massacred thousands of innocent civilians and children while holding out their upturned palm to the United States asking for more assistance and promising to “think about changing”.

The President thinks he can get Iran to behave and set aside its nuclear ambitions by using sanctions, diplomacy and giving a lot of good speeches. Pigs will fly first. The Iranians laugh at us and go merrily and defiantly on developing their capabilities and sponsoring terror around the world. They supply arms and training to the Taliban in Afghanistan and we, in our political correctness, do absolutely nothing about it. The Iranians know that when they achieve nuclear capability they, like North Korea before them, will be able to bully and blackmail the entire world into lifting sanctions and letting them have their way. The main difference between North Korea and Iran is that Iran is determined to spread it’s influence and it’s radical brand is Islamic doctrine by whatever means necessary (including the use of those weapons).

President Obama thinks he can change the Middle East by applying moral equivalence and even-handedness. That is just wishful thinking and rewarding terrorism which adds fuel to the fire of terrorism and Middle East turbulence at the expense of peace and vital U.S. interests.



Download:
FLVMP43GP
Download:
FLVMP43GP
Download:
FLVMP43GP
Download:
FLVMP43GP
Download:
FLVMP43GP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPECIAL COMMENTS:
There have been 2 developments in situations which I have been following and have commented on in the past. They were both notably enough that I felt it important to mention them here. I will follow up in more detail in coming days.

The first is the release of the investigation which concluded that North Korea was indeed responsible for the sinking of the S. Korean warship. Amoung other pieces of evidence they have an actual piece of the torpedo bearing a serial number which can be directly traced to the North Korean government. The North has again denied responsibility and warned against any retaliatory action saying that it could lead to "all out war". I do not know how South Korea and the U.S. will react but there has been talk about them going to the UN to ask for a resolution. If that becomes their only response they should save their time and trouble and just turn the keys to the South Korean Capital over the the North right now. No resolution with any effect will get through the UN with China there to veto it- and they know it. North Korea is like spoiled child behaving badly and unless they are swatted and swatted hard they will continue to misbehave until it is too late. The attack on the ship was a cold and calculated test of our reaction - if that reaction is weak the danger will actually grow even worse!

The other thing that happened was the Mexican President, Felipe Calderon, addressing our Congress and criticizing the Arizona immigration law. The hypocrisy of a Mexican official talking about racial profiling can not be ignored but it is nothing new. I just wanted to mention that I think they all seem to be missing the point. Securing the border, which is the actual purpose of the law, would stop the flow of drugs and drug trafficking into the U.S. while. at the same time it would also help stop the flow of drug money and guns into Mexico. That is a win-win situation for everybody. So, Mr. Calderon, let's just shut up and help us build the damned fence!
Download:
FLVMP43GP

No comments: