|
The Middle East: The Lost Front
by Political_Man
The Cold War was unlike any seen in human history. For the first, and perhaps the last time, two countries did battle not with weapons or with men but with economic systems. More than that, every aspect of both societies was at work against the other. The Cold War was a battle of propaganda, technology, and even culture, with each side pitching to the world that theirs was better. Of course the military was involved as an expression of power and might, but the build up of armaments on both sides was more of an economic factor than anything else. When battles were fought they were proxy wars. Rarely did either side fire a shot directly at the other.
Under these rules the United States and the Soviet Union did battle, with each side having a unique advantage. The United States, with it's popular culture and openness, appealed more to regular citizen, especially in countries with no state owned media to taint information. The Soviet Union attracted governments, where American ideals of democracy and freedom would have meant a certain end to the local power structure. For example, certainly Castro no doubt understood that an alliance with the United States and his dictatorship were mutually exclusive. Populations were suppressed in these dictatorships with a heavy dose of Anti-Americanism.
The Middle East was of critical importance to both sides. With large deposits of oil, the Middle Eastern states could fuel the economic and industrial juggernaut of the United States. The Soviet Union with such close proximity to the Middle East couldn't afford to have Western Influence so close to its borders.
And the War was on. Billions and billions of dollars of equipment, manpower, and resources poured in to the Middle East from both sides. A group of societies as old as time itself suddenly was the focus of a war they didn't ask for, a war they couldn't handle. And clearly where American influence triumphed in other areas of the world, it failed in the face of a culture not ready for modernization. Where Anti-American propaganda had bowed to the realities of the day in other parts of the world, it was embraced by a religion that didn't understand American culture. And Anti-Americanism was reinforced by backwards, oppressive governments that knew American Freedom meant the demise of their own power.
After the fall of the Soviet Union we basked in the glory of our victory, satisfied in the notion that peace had been brought to the world and that American concepts of freedom and independence had won the day, in idea and in practice. We focused our time on problems from within and ignored our responsibilities abroad living our lives carelessly. As Democratic adviser James Carville was fond of saying during the 1992 Presidential Election for Bill Clinton; “It's the economy stupid.” And we squandered our time as trouble brewed.
Long after President Ronald Reagan's prediction of the Soviet Union has been fulfilled and communism has been “dismissed as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history” we fight the “War on Terror”, remnants of a war long since won, obligations of the 90's long since ignored.
Regardless of the difficulty and the sins of the past, America must go back and win the lost front of the Cold War. Our civilization depends on it.
Thank you for reading and come back every few days for the commentary and advertures of POLITICAL MAN!
|
