Realism vs. Idealism: The Impossibility of Peace in the Middle East
If one simply read media accounts, President Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and his subsequent decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement one would incorrectly conclude that the President is being reckless and is encouraging future violence. The reality is far different. For one, both Clintons have taken the position that the U.S. should recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. It isn’t a new idea. Trump is simply the first President to act on such rhetoric. Also, by withdrawing from am agreement with a nation that has never given us any reason to trust them, the U.S. looks a lot less gullible to the rest of the world.
MSM makes very little sense. On the one hand, each and every mass shooting incident in the U.S. is depicted as a threat to our individual security and justification for overturning the 2nd Amendment. On the other hand Trump is depicted as a monster for enforcing U.S./Mexican border security. These two stances do not align with one another. Do we want security or not?
First, the entire issue with maniacs going on rampage shootings is very disconcerting. However, it is treated as though it is a solvable problem. How do we eradicate evil? That’s the real question. The answer is we can’t….only God can do that. There are guns in existence in the United States and people have ammo for them. Even if gun sales were banned, nothing is going to change the fact that guns are out there. The only way to change that would be for the government to search everyone’s home and property.
Call me crazy, but we could hardly call the U.S. a free country if that took place. In fact, such search and seizure activities would only validate the wisdom behind the 2nd Amendment. Guns make killing easier but they are hardly the only means available to a person so consumed with evil that they feel a rampage is in order. What about vehicles crashing into crowds? I haven’t heard any calls for a ban on motor vehicles.
The way MSM covers shootings is highly politicized. I think one rule they should follow is to never name the perpetrator. It grants fame to someone who doesn’t deserve to be remembered. Politicizing it allows an evil person to have a disproportionate effect on the gun debate as well as social issues and does no service to the victims.
Second, how does the concept of open borders fit in with the call for a ban on guns? Forget issues associated with stereotyping immigrants crossing the border…the real concern is assessing the intentions of said individuals. Doesn’t it make sense to scrutinize potential immigrants? Are all of them even Mexican? We are less than two decades removed from 9/11. How can we forget so easily? If you owned a house that had been looted or robbed less than two decades ago and you saw a crowd of people walking around aimlessly, would you invite all of them to come in and enjoy your hospitality?
The vast majority of people are not homicidal maniacs but that doesn’t mean you should trust everyone. There are people who don’t think rationally and don’t value human life. Pretending the world is full of people who yearn to understand and be at peace with everyone else is ludicrous. There are plenty of people who can’t be reasoned with and there is nothing that can be done to win their friendship. It isn’t paranoia, it’s survival instinct. The world at large is dangerous. Only a fool would go to bed at night with the doors unlocked.
If any group of people knows about how evil the world can be it is the world Jewish population. I don’t know how I’d feel if I belonged to a group that was singled out for extermination in World War II. Over 6 million European Jews were murdered. This served to bring about the restoration of Israel. I seriously doubt they returned to their homeland just so the Arab nations surrounding them could easily wipe them out. That wasn’t the case at all and they have proven quite resilient in staying alive. They aren’t going down without a fight.
The entire issue of how so many Palestinians came to be displaced is almost never explored in MSM. It isn’t a simple matter of the Israeli government throwing them out with no good reason. Some Palestinians left voluntarily to avoid being in the crossfire when surrounding Arab nations attacked in an effort to destroy Israel.
It’s also always ignored that Arab nations have done very little if anything to resolve the Palestinian situation or welcome them into their countries. I’m sure there are also innocent Palestinians who have suffered as well. The fact is that it is a very complex situation that goes all the way back to antiquity. It also comes down to a matter of survival. War is never pleasant because it is at its core diplomacy by force. Even the United States had to fight a war for independence.
Wars often determine borders. From a military perspective, Israel gained full control over Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and other key locations in the Six-Day War of 1967. In every war, there are always innocent victims. War by its very nature is not about humanitarianism. If you are a combatant, your goal is survival as well as the future. By no means does this excuse war crimes carried out against civilians. The deliberate murder, rape, and torture of civilians destroys the legitimacy of any country. At the same time, why would you allow the populations of conquered areas…especially populations highly hostile and willing to wage guerrilla warfare against you remain?
Israel has a militarily sound reason for occupying disputed areas. They need a buffer zone. If we went to war with Canada, where would you feel safer: North Dakota or Kansas? Assuming you know geography you wouldn’t want to be in North Dakota because it borders Canada. If you live in southern Kansas, there is far less likelihood you would be overrun by the Canadian army. If constant hostilities existed between Canada and the United States and we were constantly seeing images of Canadian mobs chanting something along the lines of ‘death to America’ and ‘let’s kill all Americans’ you’d really be glad you lived in southern Kansas.
Israel isn’t about to mess around when it comes to defense. In June of 1981, Israeli aircraft destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor. The world owes them a big thank you for that but at the time the U.N. and even the U.S. condemned the air strikes. Imagine what would have happened if we had confronted an Iraq that actually possessed nukes in the first Gulf War? While other countries were actually contributing to Iraqi nuclear technology, Israel stepped in and stopped it and history proves their decision correct.
So, what has the world learned since then? Nothing. The Iran nuclear deal of last year made no sense and still makes no sense. What has Iran ever done to earn the trust of the U.S.? Nothing. The countries that signed the agreement seem incredibly naïve. We are supposed to believe Iran wouldn’t use nukes for evil purposes? Didn’t Israel launch air strikes this month against Iranian positions in Syria in retaliation for taking potshots at Israel? Who is most threatened if Iran develops nukes? Israel. Was Israel right about Iraq? Yes. If Israel calls the Iran nuclear deal nonsense, I’m inclined to believe them…no one else seems to be exercising good judgment.
We live in an age of international foolishness. Either Israel is sovereign or it isn’t. If they are sovereign and they say their capital is Jerusalem and their government is located in Jerusalem, then their capital is Jerusalem. How would Americans feel if we were told by the rest of the world our capital is NewYork, not D.C.?
The U.S. Embassy should be in Jerusalem. Only a fool or an egomaniac would believe that peace can ever be accomplished in regards Jerusalem. The disputes involve religion and when it comes to those matters there is no compromise. Nothing has changed. The region has always been in upheaval and always will. It’s the reality and it’s nasty. MSM would have us believe that the Israelis massacred a bunch of innocent Palestinian protestors. This wasn’t a well-organized peaceful demonstration. If you are a member of the Palace guard and an angry mob approaches the Castle and demands the head of the King, the last thing you are going to do is open the gates and welcome them in with open arms. Likewise, if people are approaching your borders calling for the death of not only your country but also all of your countrymen, you do what you have to do for self preservation.
If Arab nations are hostile against Israel, it stands to reason they will feel the same about the United States (for a variety of reasons…including the fact a large portion of the world Jewish population lives here). Americans can put heir hope in a piece of paper, but when push comes to shove, treaties mean nothing. In the end our interests and Israel’s interests will ultimately align.
