General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLet's Use the Current Syria Dilemma to Make a Major Change.
1. Let's announce our complete failure to influence the Middle East in a good way.
2. Let's announce an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the entire region. Let's explain that, while we meant to intervene to promote democratic governments in the Middle East, we failed in achieving that goal, and failed badly. Let's use all available means to get all U.S. Military personnel out of the region. Right now, we have a number of Naval vessels in the area capable of ferrying those troops to nearby countries where they can be transported back to the U.S. by air.
3. Let's announce that all destructive armaments in U.S. hands will be destroyed or made completely non-functional as we remove U.S. troops. Capital improvements at U.S. facilities will become the property of each government once we leave.
4. Let's announce that from today forward we would apply severe economic sanctions against any nation that attacks its own citizens or prevents them from exercising their universal human rights.
5. Let's announce that the U.S. will ask the United Nations General Assembly to implement substantial sanctions against any nation that attacks its own citizens or fails to hold regularly scheduled elections to determine what its citizens want. Nations that fail to adhere to these rules will lose all voting privileges in the U.N. until they follow those rules.
6. Let's announce that, effective immediately, the U.S. will begin by freezing all assets of any nation that attacks its own citizens or prevents them from exercising universal human rights.
7. Let's announce that nations that do not support these measures will no longer have Most Favored Nation status with regard to trade, tariffs, and other benefits. Those benefits will be restored when those nations support the measures.
8. Let's announce our intentions not to participate in conflicts in that region by using any military force, military assistance, or military supplies in the future in the entire region.
9. Let's announce an embargo on the shipment of all destructive armaments and the means to manufacture them to any nation in the Middle East by any other nation. Such shipments will result in economic sanctions against nations who supply destructive armaments or the means to manufacture such armaments, including loss of trade incentives and other penalties.
10. Let's begin our withdrawal and other elements within 48 hours, and make all withdrawal actions as expeditious as humanly possible.
How does that sound?
newfie11
(8,159 posts)I nominate you for president.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)Truly.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)would never allow it.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)How's that? I'm describing the course of action I would take, if I had the capability of doing so. It's a theoretical exercise, since I clearly have no such capability.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)(should we be allowed to exercise it) is economic.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)What would we do if Israel is attacked?
Bryant
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)It can defend itself. I include Israel in my proposal, since it is a nation in that region. No nation would be exempt in what I'm proposing.
Israel is an artificial nation, created by the West. In fact, the borders of most of the Middle East were imposed on the region by the West. It was a bad idea to do that. It does not work.
Israel is a modern nation, that has the capacity to mount its own defense. Let it do so.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)Israel has it's own military and defensive capabilities. They should use those, if attacked.
The entire region is part of my proposal.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Not big on 5 or 6 and I don't agree that all assets should be withdrawn from the Middle East. The overall message from you list is very good.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)of the proposal. So, without that, there is no proposal at all.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)I am talking mainly Naval and covert assets. Not bases, boots on the ground, airfields, ext. Out of sight, out of mind.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)Leave the region to its own governance. Let them find peace. If they cannot, then that's their problem, as far as I am concerned. We have tried, and we have failed miserably. We have bungled virtually everything we have done in that region, and are not competent to participate.
Let the region determine its own fate. Perhaps it will eventually realize that peace is more useful than conflict. Or, perhaps not.
My plan is theoretical, of course. But it's my plan, so I can include whatever I want in it. It's not going to go into effect, I'm sure, but I think it would work nicely if it did.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)MineralMan
(146,338 posts)since the early 1960s. Exactly the same position. It hasn't been the position of the U.S., though, and that's a shame.
Several people have brought up Israel, and that's something I've considered, too. Israel now has its own very competent military and arms capable of mass destruction. That's enough. Let them defend their own nation. Let all nations in the Middle East deal with their own conflicts. If they're smart, they'll deal with them in a way that promotes peace. If not, then the current conflicts will continue, but without U.S. participation in any way, under my plan.
panader0
(25,816 posts)But I don't think they have a chance to be implemented.
Right now, I'd settle for a robust diplomacy campaign.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)In fact, I'm sure they won't.
As for a robust diplomacy campaign, that's a great idea, too. We haven't succeeded in that, either, because we don't understand the region and approach diplomacy from our own perspective. That trick never works (apologies to Rocky).
randome
(34,845 posts)Thousands of years of sectarian violence shows no sign of abating. What the region truly needs is a ME version of Martin Luther King. Or even Jesus.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)They'll have to work it out for themselves, I guess.