Oust the US from the Middle East by Tod Zankert Sunday July 07, 2002 at 08:33 AM |
tod@wideworldwebs.com 118 E. Tarpon Ave. , Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 USA |
By siding with Israel, the US has not only disqualified itself as a peace broker, but as a Democracy. Time for the Arab states to place an embargo against the US, and feed us our own medicine.
No one, least of all an American, wants to
admit their government is a totalitarian state. I was
raised to believe in the rights of free men and women to
determine their own destiny, whether it is as a citizen
capable of changing unjust legislation through voting, or
collectively, as a nation.
By going along with Sharon's government in
calling Arafat irrelevant, the US administration has lost
its own legitimacy as a peace broker, and as an arm of
democracy. President Bush, while calling for democratic
elections in Palestine, has refused to accept their probable
outcome.
By arbitrating a totalitarian wish against
the will of an entire people, the US has not only denied the
Palestinian people due process, but compromised the
principles of democracy. We have in essence, shown that we
do not believe in democracy for anyone else but ourselves.
The US has now extended its view of
terrorists to include anyone protecting their homes from a
brutal occupying force. No doubt we will soon find that an
entire generation of young, angry Arab men will attack any
and all US interests both in the Middle East, and the
states.
My feeling? At gut level, I too, am angry,
seeing my country arrogantly preempting hostilities, often
in places where none existed before. Or, worse, watching
the US junta exasperating the anger of people who might
otherwise have changed their views had they seen the
Americans fight back against terrorism, in a just manner.
After the attack against America, Iranians
responded with words of sympathy, and spontaneously observed
candlelight vigils for the fallen Americans. But does anyone
honestly think they were with us after Bush lumped them all
into his Axis of Evil equation?
Now by attempting to force our will on the
Palestinian people, we have lost their respect. My view?
The Arab heads of state, having enough of US hypocrisy in
the region, should place an embargo against US, and give us
a bit of our own medicine.
But wait a minute, such leaders in the Arab
world are the most anti-democratic bunch on earth. They
could set the US straight, but they're too invested in
American banks, and arms to care about their own people, let
alone their Palestinian brothers.
What was I thinking?