My country built an Empire it was purely for economic reasons, but we sold it as we were bringing freedom, enlightenment, democracy to the then ignorant savages.
Well the empire got too much it cost an absolute fortune, after the last war while Japan, and Germany were building up there economy and America was racing ahead, Britain and France were squandering scarce resources fighting colonial wars all over the globe.
I see that empire building attitude on this site sometimes, just as grandly described.
The Middle East is vital because of Oil, none of the Oil producers are democracies, most are built on very shaky foundations. The Current Palestine Israeli problem just makes it worse.
While America is in the region I cant see the problem being sorted out at all.
All this diplomatic back and forth does is to stop the problems from getting to bad, meanwhile Israelis and Plantains continue to die, and both blame America, either publicly or privately.
Tony