Gypsy & Willy - The Original Libertarian Bloggers
How Can You Laugh at a Time Like This?
Gypsy & Willy
No. 380
A Naive Idea
April 29, 2002
Our recent comments about the Middle East crisis and related subjects has brought us a record amount of email. Two themes run through the mostly critical commentaries.
- We are "unbalanced" in our columns, either leaning too far toward the Palestinian positions or perhaps being anti-Israel (anti-Semitic?).
- We are naive in our admittedly radical positions suggesting "solutions."
Let us answer the first critique by repeating what we said to one person about our lack of balance. We noted that all one needs to do to get the Israeli point of view is to turn on the TV to CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC or CBS. For a half century, U.S. media have been uncritically reporting Israeli propaganda. Among the many pieces of unchallenged information are:
- Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.
- Israel has offered Palestinians everything they could possibly want, but Arafat has irrationally rejected these generous offers out of hand.
- Palestinians have little regard for human life (explaining their use of terrorism).
In fairness, the reason for much of this tilt toward Israel is due to its unwavering support for the U.S. during the Cold War. However, we, among MANY others, feel that the time has come for reporting BOTH points of view.
To the second accusation, we can only reply that throughout history, when "conventional" approaches to solving international disputes have repeatedly failed, it has ALWAYS been time for "radical" approaches. Here's another one, directly applicable to the Middle East crisis. We believe that the U.S....which continues to be the main economic force behind Israel's intransigence at the peace table...yes, we know that Arab states play the same role on a lesser scale with the Palestinians...with the same result...foot dragging...that the U.S. should offer the following deal:
- If Palestine and Israel jointly form a secular nation, with equal rights for all citizens...with freedom of speech and religion...then we will provide the new state with five billion dollars annually for at least ten years and urge all our allies to match or exceed that sum. In addition, the U.S. will continue to provide advanced military support, since the surrounding Arab nations do not really have much respect for Palestinians anyway...and may have even less if they "collaborate" with Israel.
- If they refuse, then we will withdraw ALL aid to the region and let them fight it out...winner take all...without our assistance or intervention.
This approach has several things to recommend it. It would render moot many of the objections both sides have. It would "destroy" Israel...without, of course, the loss of single additional Israeli or Palestinian...a sophisticated realization of a long time demand of the Palestinians. It would remove the settlement problem since Israelis would have as much right as Palestinians to occupy those regions...although the new state would have to stop favoring Jews over all others. It would provide economic assistance to Palestinians, who suffer in third world poverty while Israelis continue to thrive on U.S. largesse. It would reduce, if not remove, the threat of terrorism, at least on the part of Palestinians. Finally, it will rationalize the intervention of the U.S. which, at least in our mind, has no business supporting theocracy in any flavor at any time.
But, how could the U.S....locked as it is in the failed policies of the past...be prompted to adopt such a radical approach? The recent peace proposal by Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia suggests what might happen. You must have noticed that since he advanced this proposal...although nobody APPEARS to be taking it seriously...both the news media and the U.S. government have substantially altered their rhetoric vis a vis Palestinians.
Suppose Saddam Hussein were to pick up on the secular state idea? After all, we are by no means the only ones who have ever suggested that separate Palestinian and Israeli states...both theocratic "democracies"...have no chance of succeeding. In addition, one of the reasons Saddam has been poison to other Arab states is his refusal to back fundamentalist Islam in Iraq (or Iran). Furthermore, it would totally defuse U.S. plans to wipe him out, plans already foundering in the storm sea of international relations and world public opinion.
So, why don't we become the first on the block to announce that theocratic democracy has never and will never work...and use our imperial power...it won't last forever, after all...to effect REAL change, REAL peace in the world? Is this really so naive?
Talk to you later...
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