U.S.  in Mideast Business

How did the U.S. ever get so involved in another country’s business in the first place?  I’d say it’s because we were asked.

There was a time in history when the U.S. got criticized for not paying attention or caring about what was happening in Europe.  We were accused of being in our own world, and we were.  We had no reason to get involved in the politics and territory disputes of other countries.  We were totally solvent as a country.  What was in it for us anyway?

Eventually we did get involved in other country’s business due to pressure and the growing need to establish forging relations.  So in essence, we did get something out of it, we became established as a reliable foreign partner.

It would be naïve to believe that a country helping out another is solely doing it out of an act of kindness. It could be to promote democracy, gain diplomatic favor, protect an ally, and gain a strategic foreign base location, trading in goods and services or a host of other avenues.  The point being, we do expect to get something out of it.  No matter how much on the outside it appears we’re defending another because it’s the right thing to do, we’re still getting something out of it.  Sometimes it shows up soft as diplomatic relations and other times it’s bolds as exchange for oil.

The U. S. wasn’t committed in WWII until Pearl Harbor.  Basically the Japanese picked a fight (a bolder form of asking) and we complied.  For years the Mideast has been trying to get our attention about their conflict. While the extremists try bullying tactics by bombing our embassies and ships, the powers involved on one hand criticize us for getting involved while the other criticizes us for not helping out more. We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t.  How do you win in that scenario?  I’m still confused as to what they were trying to accomplish.  They didn’t want us involved in their business yet they’ve kept picking fights.  We’ve been dancing around this whole Mideast conflict for years but when 911 came we were thrust smack dap into it and now it is our business. 

Even though the extremists say they want us out they continue to make it our business.  It doesn’t make sense. They figure if they hurt us enough we’ll back off. On the contrary, it just pisses us off and becomes our business.  I’d venture to say that we’ll get out of the Mideast conflict when it stops becoming our business and when we’re not getting anything out of it.

Just like in human interactions and events it’s good to ask yourself if it’s any of your business, if it’s not, stay out.  The vast majority of emotional turmoil, arguments and upsets are due to someone getting into someone else’s business.

The next time you find yourself getting upset over a person, situation or event stop and ask yourself if it’s any of your business, chances are its not.  You will find yourself a whole lot happier when you stay in your business.

As far as the US is concerned, do you believe she’s staying in her business?