The Obama Administration is now willing to take a pro-active stance in the affairs of other countries, particularly in the Middle East. Until now, we used to take pains to say that we were not going to meddle in the affairs of other countries. Or if we did meddle, we tried to do it secretly, perhaps with the help of the CIA or some other cloak-and-dagger operation.
Now, however, we are willing to tell foreign leaders when it is time to pack it in and yield to revolutionaries. "Regime change" was first invented by President Bush as a sort of public service that the United States was willing to perform on behalf of Iraqis seeking a better government.
This policy has continued in the Obama administration.
Mubarak, out! Gaddafi, out! We've also ordered Assad out of Syria, and we are in different stages of supporting opposition movements in Iran, Yemen and other countries.
Somehow, it has become the national interest of the United States to support tribal factions in Islamic countries, based on the mistaken belief that one tribe or the other will become the ally of the United States. So far however, the only "allies" we have our our commerical trading partners like Saudi Arabia. No one in that region of the world likes us or looks up to us, although for the moment they like selling oil to us.
Our investment in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is approaching several hundred billion dollars if not more. Now we are seeking additional involvements in Libya, Syria, Iran and othe countries.
So, is this a bargain? Are we really suited for refereeing tribal politics in these regions? Apparently, the American people are willing support these policies by re-electing the advocates of interventionist policies.
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