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Pat Buchanan: Might the Arabs Have a Point?
The American Conservative ^ | 16 January 2006 | Patrick J. Buchanan

Posted on 01/16/2006 1:26:24 PM PST by Hal1950

Karen Hughes, President Bush’s newest undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and the caretaker of America’s image abroad, has her work cut out for her.

A Zogby survey of 3,900 Arabs in Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates has uncovered massive distrust of U.S. motives in the Middle East.

Unkindest cut of all, Arabs would prefer that President Chirac and France lead the world rather than us, and, rather than have us as the world’s lone superpower, they would prefer the Chinese.

While Arabs are not as rabidly anti-American as in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, still, by 77 percent to 6 percent, they believe the Iraqi people are worse off today, and by four-to-one, Arabs say the U.S. invasion has increased, not decreased, terrorism.

Designed by Arab scholar Shibley Telhami of the Brookings Institution, the survey reveals pervasive cynicism about the stated goals of George W. Bush. When asked, “When you consider American objectives in the Middle East, what factors do you think are important to the United States?” the Arab answers came as follows:

Fully 76 percent said the Americans are there for the oil, 68 percent said to protect Israel, 63 percent to dominate the region, and 59 percent to weaken the Muslim world. Only 6 percent said we were there to protect human rights and another 6 percent said to promote democracy. Asked directly if they believe President Bush when he says democracy is our goal, two of every three Arabs, 78 percent in Egypt, said that, no, they do not believe Bush.

Asked to name the two nations that present the greatest threat to regional peace, 70 percent named Israel, 63 percent the United States, and 11 percent Britain. Only 6 percent named our bête noire Iran.

Asked to name the foreign leader they disliked most, Sharon swept top honors with 45 percent. Bush took the silver with 30 percent. No one else was close. Tony Blair came in a weak third. Only 3 percent of the Arabs detest him most.

While only 6 percent agreed with al-Qaeda’s aim to establish an Islamic state and only 7 percent approve of its methods, 20 percent admire the way al-Qaeda “stood up for Muslim causes” and 36 percent admire how it “confronts the U.S.”

Favorite news source? Sixty-five percent named Al-Jazeera either as their favorite or second favorite. What Fox News is to red-state America, Al-Jazeera is to the Arab street.

America’s standing in the Arab world could hardly be worse. And the questions the survey raises are these: Do we care? And, if we do, do not the Arabs have a point? Has not U.S. behavior in the Middle East lent credence to the view that our principal interests are Israel and oil, and, under Bush II, that we launched an invasion to dominate the region?

After all, before liberating Kuwait, Secretary of State Baker said the coming war was about “o-i-l.” And while we sent half a million troops to rescue that nation of 1.5 million, we sent none to Rwanda, where perhaps that many people were massacred.

If Kuwait did not sit on an underground sea of oil, would we have gone in? Is our military presence in the Mideast unrelated to its control of two-thirds of the world’s oil reserves?

If human rights is our goal, why have we not gone into Darfur, the real hellhole of human rights? If democracy is what we are fighting for, why did we not invade Cuba, a dictatorship, 90 miles away, far more hostile to America than Saddam’s Iraq, and where human rights have been abused for half a century? Saddam never hosted nuclear missiles targeted at U.S. cities.

And is Israel not our fair-haired boy? Though Sharon & Co. have stomped on as many UN resolutions as Saddam Hussein ever did, they have pocketed $100 billion in U.S. aid and are now asking for a $2 billion bonus this year, Katrina notwithstanding. Anyone doubt they will get it?

Though per capita income in Israel is probably 20 times that of the Palestinians, Israel gets the lion’s share of economic aid. And though they have flipped off half a dozen presidents to plant half a million settlers in Arab East Jerusalem and the West Bank, have we ever imposed a single sanction on Israel? Has Bush ever raised his voice to Ariel Sharon? And when you listen to the talking heads and read the columns of the neocon press, is it unfair to conclude that, yes, they would like to dump over every regime that defies Bush or Sharon?

Empathy, a capacity for participating in another’s feelings or ideas, is indispensable to diplomacy. Carried too far, as it was by the Brits in the 1930s, it can lead to appeasement. But an absence of empathy can leave statesmen oblivious as to why their nation is hated, and with equally fateful consequences.

January 16, 2006 Issue


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Egypt; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: antiisraeli; arabworld; bitterpaleos; blameamerica; blameisrael; blamethejews; buchanan; buchananisatard; china; dhimminazi; egypt; france; israel; jewsdrankmyblood; jewsrippedmyflesh; jordan; lebanon; morocco; mullahpat; nazipat; patbuchanan; patbuchananhatesjews; patrickbuchanan; pitchforkpat; saudiarabia; unitedarabemirates; zotbuchananforever
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To: Wolfstar

Yeah, besides anti-semetism accusations, if you have anything intelligent to say, I am all ears.


141 posted on 01/16/2006 2:45:36 PM PST by The_Republican
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To: tiredoflaundry
They were mean!

Grin...I know. In my case the worst was Sister Natalie, a true tyrant. ;-)

142 posted on 01/16/2006 2:45:42 PM PST by Wolfstar ("We must...all hang together or...we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin)
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To: tiredoflaundry

I not only listened to AirAmerika...but I have turned on Chrissy Matthews....to see if he is so proud of his guy, Pat...that he will have him on...

So far, no...Chrissy HAS shown clips of Algore...and said he was in front of a mostly civil libertarian audience...


143 posted on 01/16/2006 2:46:15 PM PST by Txsleuth (Thank you to all that donated on the Freepathon...next time more monthlies!!)
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To: Hal1950

If the "Arab world" despises us, I accept that as a badge of honor. The feeling is mutual.


144 posted on 01/16/2006 2:47:07 PM PST by Malesherbes
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To: Sir Charles

What do you consider our "greed and unjustifiable self-interest"?


145 posted on 01/16/2006 2:47:24 PM PST by Txsleuth (Thank you to all that donated on the Freepathon...next time more monthlies!!)
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To: tiredoflaundry; Wolfstar; Mo1

The nuns at our school were tough, but had a good sense of humor. Same with the priests. Most of the priests had escaped from Communist Hungary, and one of them told us the stories (the ones that wouldn't scare us too badly) about what happened when the communists arrested him. They did that several times -- every time he was nearly done getting a university degree, they would arrest him.

So yes, they were tough. Pushups on concrete floors, holding a heavy book in each arm for two minutes, etc. But no hate.


146 posted on 01/16/2006 2:47:39 PM PST by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
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To: Clemenza; rmlew; Yehuda; Do not dub me shapka broham; firebrand; nutmeg; RaceBannon; PARodrig; ...

One thing old bucky has in common with the Muslies, they both hate jews. What a maroon, he grows more insane by the day. How soon before he moves to a bunker?



147 posted on 01/16/2006 2:47:48 PM PST by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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To: Sir Charles

???

So, tell me what you think is "unjustifiable" in the current war?
Welcome back to FR since your last visit on April 16th last year.


148 posted on 01/16/2006 2:48:06 PM PST by Darksheare (Tagline subverted for nefarious plans of nefariousness.)
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To: Txsleuth
I have been flamed many times on FR...for calling Pat what he is: an anti-semite...

Ooops, I had better get my flame retardent outfit out of the closet.

149 posted on 01/16/2006 2:48:24 PM PST by Bahbah (An admitted Snow Flake and a member of Sam's Club)
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To: The_Republican
Yeah, besides anti-semetism accusations, if you have anything intelligent to say, I am all ears.

Who? Me?! I have nothing "intelligent" to say -- but I'm glad you're all ears on an internet forum where the only means of communication is the written word.

150 posted on 01/16/2006 2:48:44 PM PST by Wolfstar ("We must...all hang together or...we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin)
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To: MikeinIraq

US Ambassador Joe Kennedy was a big supporter of the Nazis and he hated Republicans too.


151 posted on 01/16/2006 2:51:35 PM PST by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
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To: Bahbah

Yeah...disgusting, isn't it...

But, then again, I feel the same way when CNN and now Fox puts Bob Novak up as one for "our" side, also.


152 posted on 01/16/2006 2:52:12 PM PST by Txsleuth (Thank you to all that donated on the Freepathon...next time more monthlies!!)
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To: Wolfstar

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1559188/posts


153 posted on 01/16/2006 2:53:33 PM PST by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
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To: atomicpossum

"Not to quite this degree. "

Might I refer you to the New York Times front page department?


154 posted on 01/16/2006 2:53:53 PM PST by WoofDog123
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To: saveliberty

Yeah...but, could you guys picture Mark Levin walking around a classroom with a ruler????

LOL


155 posted on 01/16/2006 2:53:57 PM PST by Txsleuth (Thank you to all that donated on the Freepathon...next time more monthlies!!)
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To: Hal1950

Old Patrick really hates the Jews. Does he agree with the Muslims that Israel should be obliterated? What is hs secret plan?


156 posted on 01/16/2006 2:54:58 PM PST by Paulus Invictus
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To: Bahbah; Txsleuth

If gay marriage passes, I vote that Bob Novak has to marry Pat Buchanan and they have to be deported to a deserted island.


157 posted on 01/16/2006 2:54:59 PM PST by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
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To: Hal1950

The vitriol on this thread is unbelievable. Pat's opening statement is "Karen Hughes...has her work cut out for her." Then he goes on to explain why, based on the results of a survey of Arabs across the Middle East. Does anyone on this thread dispute the results of this survey? Is anyone willing to admit that the Arab world is not as happy as we thought they'd be that Iraqis are free from Saddam's rule? Most posters are talking about the poll as if the responses are Pat's own opinions. His conclusion is correct, that our "standing in the Arab world could hardly be worse." Then he asks "Do we care?" Most of you clearly do not, and somehow equate his opinions with anti-Semitism. Using a tried and true tactic of the loony left, you decide not to engage his discussion by calling him a Jew hater and Nazi sympathizer. Great. Very intelligent debating tactic. Like calling someone a racist for opposing affirmative action, or calling someone misogynist for being pro-life, people who call Pat an anti-semite for criticizing Israel and our relationship with the nation of Israel want to avoid discussing his valid points.


158 posted on 01/16/2006 2:55:04 PM PST by spoolmak
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To: Hal1950

I sware that Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson must be having a contest for the "Media Fool of the Year" award. What they don't know is that the Tally-me banana man already has it in the bag.


159 posted on 01/16/2006 2:55:16 PM PST by OB1kNOb (Those who seek to punish the truth, are the ones most convicted by it.)
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To: saveliberty

LOL


160 posted on 01/16/2006 2:56:01 PM PST by Txsleuth (Thank you to all that donated on the Freepathon...next time more monthlies!!)
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