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That conflict is, and has been for decades, used by the ruling tyrants in the Middle East to keep the masses attention focused elsewhere. Israel has been the whipping boy and fall guy for the region.

That's a good point, but we continue to prop up BOTH sides of the conflict for reasons I don't understand. If peace is the ultimate goal, propping up either side would seem to me a mistake. Better to throw the two of them in the same hole and make them work together to get out, instead of giving them both a pile of cash and telling them to settle between themselves who gets the dough. Our foreign policy as regards the PA/Israeli conflict has no stick, and you can take that in either of two ways.

You will never have true security in this country unless stability is found in that region. Thus, our security is very much dependent upon how stable that region is. The relations between Israel and the PA is just a reflection or barometer of that security...IMHO

Actually, here we part ways. I don't think our security is dependent at all on how stable that region is. I think our security is dependent upon how strong our defense is, and how self-sufficient we are as a country. The more intertwined and reliant our country is on these others, the less likely we are to EVER get real national security. We will instead have the security of a slave, as we do now, confident that we'll get our next barrel of crude if only we keep the right distance from the master.

"We will instead have the security of a slave, as we do now, confident that we'll get our next barrel of crude if only we keep the right distance from the master...."

On this point I agree. Our dependency, and the west in general's dependency, will always temper any of our responses to those countries having such resources.

It is something that most don't understand when they start demanding that we "bomb Saudi Arabia" or "bomb Iran". Such an act would cause crude to shoot up to $80 to $90 a barrel at the very least...it would cause chaos in the world economies.

That is why I believe we will not, unless left with no other choice, invade or lash out at Iran or Saudi Arabia. We instead will work hard to covertly undermine the sitting tyrants who rule those two countries. That is why it is important to have other surrounding countries become more free in their abilities to choose their leaders. It will put a great strain upon their (Iran and the Saudi's) leaders to change.

We shouldn't lose perspective here; although the winds of change are in the air, regional change will take years, if not decades to complete. We are only seeing the beginning, many unforeseen setbacks will occur, but in the end they will not be able to stem the tide that is rising....Amazing and historical times are upon us, the next 10 years will shape the 100 there after....