I’ll agree with you on Pres. Ford’s mistake (and the mistake of subsequent presidents following along with that bad policy). I’ll have to agree to disagree on Dr. Paul’s analysis of cause and effect.
Unfortunately so will our leaders meaning nothing will change. That is part of what separates our good leaders from bad ones. Here's an example. Who wiped out Iraq's first attempt at making nuclear weapons and likely ended the program? Who was our POTUS that time who did not try and stop it? A wise move on his part and a different foreign policy as well.
A lot of our problems in the M.E. would be resolved in this fashion if we would stay out of a few nations business rather than try and run the Middle East. The current Iran situation could possibly have done been resolved by our ally if we had done as much. We or rather our Sec of State was too busy micromanaging that nations problems to let them get free'd up to do anything.