How does U.S. foreign policy in the middle east benefit Americans?

Question

Has America's historic alliance with Israel and support of middle-eastern regimes worked to its citizens' benefit? If so, how?

Answer 1

I think the answer would be moderate benefit now potentially huge benefit in the future. The geo-political significance of the Middle East is all about oil and the Suez Canal - ie transportation routes for the oil. Though the significance of Suez is declining in the age of super tankers. Without mid east oil the US is brought to its knees very very rapidly. It is like the sword of damocles hanging over our heads. Unless there is some scientific breakthrough in the medium term there will be intense global competition for dwindling natural resources - and the first to reach 'critical' condition will undoubtedly be oil. Whoever controls the bulk of oil reserves will most likely effectively control the world. It had better be 'us' rather than 'them' so the reasoning goes. So our goal has always been to maintain a client states in the Mid East which allows us to project power into the region and thus influence what happens there. Israel and the Saudi's the Emirates have and still are to a great extent our client states. Who when it suits them will act as our proxies when we need to apply pressure. However both the Saudi's and the Israel have been unreliable clients, we cannot depend on them. The Saudi's are vulnerable to internal insurrection in the long term and their oil reserves are dwindling, and additionally have a nasty habit of looking out for their own self interest. Israel is not perfectly suited to projecting power in the region. With Iran cosying up to Asian countries - the only major oil reserve left 'up for grabs' was Iraq. Certainly this kind of reasoning was one major factor if not the predominant one in the US decision to go to war. We were giving ourselves an insurance policy in the form of another more directly controlled client state which had some serious oil, in addition to providing ourselves with 'forward operating base' from which we could project power into the region militarily and implicitly threaten uncooperative regimes.

This reasoning has ALOT of merit IF you can ignore the fundamental immorality of essentially subjugating nations for the purposes of securing their natural resources and also ignore the possibility of using alternative strategies.

We are seeing the consequences of this geo-political strategy gamble now.

The sad thing is that if we had spent the half a trillion dollars so far that we have tossed into the sink hole called Iraq into a Manhattan Project type of research project focussed on the gamut of alternative type fuel sources (which we are going to need ultimately anyway) it is very possible that we may have so minimized the importance of oil as a strategically significant resource that the geo political significance of the middle east would become far less important if not negligable. However this strategy is as much a gamble as the one that the current administration took action on. But it is certainly a more morally defensible one and potentially less costly. But of course the decison makers were oil men not scientists and to pursue the alternative strategy would be biting the hand that has fed them.

What a delicious irony would it have been if we had focussed on 'defeating' the radical muslims by driving them into relative poverty and insignificance by making their only wealth lose significant value.

Answer 2

Yes. By supporting Israel with military aid we keep it alive. Thus money is funneled from Middle-Eastern dictatorships againt Israel as opposed against America or Europe. Also the support to middle-eastern regimes, while not always ethical, has been prudent in regards to the cold war. By allying ourselves with the Royal Saudi's we were able to gaurantee Europe an alternative to Russian oil. This lack of capital from Western Europe resulted and less technological and food transfers from Western Europe to the Soviet Union and its sattelites, thus the Soviet Union collapsed in on itself. Is it good now? Well if its between Islamic Iran or Corrupt Royal family of Saudi Arabia, I'll take the hedonists over psychopaths!

Answer 3

I would personally ally myself with Israel before any of the other countries just because of sheer might. They fought off 8 Middle Eastern Countries in 11 days. And that was when they were a fairly new country.

If I was getting beat up on a regular basis, like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, I sure wouldn't mind having a bit of might on my side.

Answer 4

The U.S. foreign policy in the middle east does not benefit non-Jewish people. The congress is filled with Israeli sympathizers,
that have helped Israel become number 6 in the world for their arsenal of nuclear weapons.

Answer 5

hard to say if we get a thing. We are kept so in the dark by the government. I am sure that is on a need to know basis. I do have one answer we all need to know... what we have seen is nothing but death destruction and no resolution.
Oh I almost forgot ..some Americans do benefit HALABURTON and other friends of the administration who get the no bid contracts.

Answer 6

I see a thumbs-down to the question. I think it's a good one!

The only benefit I could imagine is the tie that many Americans have with that country and the religious ties. Economically, politically I can't see the benefit. I don't think it's given us any advantages for oil, but I'd love a political analyst to explain that one to me.

Answer 7

Everyone Has Known About This For Years Old News

Answer 8

For the general public, there has not been a huge benefit. To corporations that have services and products to sell, huge benefit.

I think the idea is that it trickles down to everyone, but it's not the rich guy's kids serving in the military supporting the agenda.

Answer 9

Israel has provided us with fortunes in intel & is the only outpost of democracy in the region.
Support for dictators because they opposed comunism was, IMHO, a big mistake.

Answer 10

Well, it teaches each American that they are generous philanthropists by forcing them to donate a good part of their salaries to support the Israeli killing machine through YOUR taxpayer money.