Two Thoughtful Articles on Gaza

What would the Israeli-Arab conflict mean if the U.S. had a non-interventionist foreign policy? Well, it would not necessarily mean much to the well-being of the United States, says Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA's Bin Laden Unit and author of Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror. In a new article at Antiwar.com, Scheuer explains how the American elite, "addicted to intervention," has put the United States in a position where Israel's actions are understandably seen as being approved by U.S. policy. Because of the special relationship between America and Israel, the Israeli invasion of Gaza has only reinforced the perception that the United States and Israel call the shots, that U.S. allies in the Arab world are puppets, and that Muslim lives are devalued by our government. The invasion has only guaranteed disruption to a potential peace process and reinvigorated Hamas, according to Scheuer.

Eric Margolis discusses the two narratives being told about the Gaza invasion in his own article at LewRockwell.com. "In the Israeli and North American press version" of the story, Israel is retaliating, fully within its rights, against Hamas terrorists for firing rockets and killing innocent Israeli civilians. Margolis agrees such terrorism is a crime, but he says "so, too, is the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which is an egregious violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions." The invasion also has important political implications, both in Israel and in America. In Isreael, the leaders of the Labour and Kadima parties are trying to prove themselves tougher than Likud. Here at home the Obama administration will take power with many Labor Party–friendly Middle East advisers and the Muslim world blaming America for the violence in Gaza. And of course, the attacks will also likely "torpedo the current Saudi-sponsored peace plan, which had been backed by all members of the Arab league."

If America had a non-interventionist foreign policy, the impact on the United States by such horrendous conflicts abroad would be minimized. We as individual Americans could disagree among each other about those conflicts, or choose not to care about them at all. As it is, even our political processes become interlinked with politics abroad, and when American treasure and diplomacy are seen behind other nations' acts of belligerence, the United States becomes a target for resentment and even terrorism. This makes it all the more important to see foreign wars with a bit of nuance and an effort at balance, but it is not always easy. It might not always be possible to be objective.

All the more reason we should return to our Founding Fathers' policy of peace, honest friendship and free trade with all nations; entangling alliances with none. ______________________________________________________________