Why Do People Hate The West for Trying to Control the Middle East?

It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

Also, it's possible those nations would be just as hated if circumstances were switched. People often react negatively to imperialism.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

because they are upset with the consequences of America's geopolitical choices?

like, you aren't arguing that the West doesn't try to control the middle east, or that the outcome is beneficial to either side, are you?

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

What does that statement even mean?

If the Middle East were trying to control the West then the Middle East would be trying to control the West.

Stepping away from any argument of morality on a pragmatic level the American policy on the Middle East has been a failure.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

Originally posted by inimalist
because they are upset with the consequences of America's geopolitical choices?

like, you aren't arguing that the West doesn't try to control the middle east, or that the outcome is beneficial to either side, are you?

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Stepping away from any argument of morality on a pragmatic level the American policy on the Middle East has been a failure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours

Originally posted by King Kandy
That's an idiotic argument. So because someone else would do a really stupid, ineffective policy, we should do it too? This is the blind leading the blind.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
Nope. Fully aware of our douchebaggery. I don't think the douchebaggery is exclusive to the western nations, though.

then why are you surprised that people dislike the actions of a douche?

should people on the receiving end of American imperial power really say something like, "well, they feel it is their right to own all the resources of our land and control our government, and that is their pragmatic policy decision, and I can understand that, so I'm not angry!"?

Originally posted by inimalist
[B]then why are you surprised that people dislike the actions of a douche?

should people on the receiving end of American imperial power really say something like, "well, they feel it is their right to own all the resources of our land and control our government, and that is their pragmatic policy decision, and I can understand that, so I'm not angry!"?

Martin Luther King Jr had an interesting theory that one should fix oneself before going to others to try and fix them.

I agree with him. Maybe people around the world agree with his theory too.

Reminds me of Jesus' saying about removing the straw from your eye before pointing out the straw in others; that's probably where Martin Luther King got it from. It's one of my favorite scriptures, personally.

Do you think that's a realistic expectation of the world, though?

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
Of course not. As someone who isn't on the receiving end of Western* Imperial power, though, how do you feel about the West's goal to **** the rest of the world in an attempt to remain the dominant force on the planet?

conceptually: I think we should work for the survival of our societies and people, of course, and that involves securing certain types of trade and resources.

in practice: I don't think the way the west goes about it, in terms of propping up dictators and the use of covert/conventional military power, is the best way specifically because it breeds the type of resentment you talk about. America doesn't have to prop up a dictator to trade with Canada, or invade Mexico. Obviously there are massive differences between Canada and, say, Columbia or Bahrain, I just think the way we in the West approach other nations in these douchebag ways generally undermines our interests in the long run, though it might be exceedingly profitable in terms of immediate gains.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

I've never understood the notion of "there's the West, and there's the rest". We're all petty, simple creatures trying to grab as much pie for ourselves as we can, and as it happens, one collective is in a much better position to reach more of it than the others. We're winning for now, one day that may change. No biggie.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

Some trolls in this thread :-) Not good ones though.

Because no other country should control any others but there own.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
It's not as if the Middle Eastern nations wouldn't try to do the exact same thing to the West if circumstances were switched. ermm

That's just Geopolitics, for you...

West is hypocritical, and that's why it's hated a bit more.

Anglo-American empire has spilt a lot of blood in history, given, many other have too, yet they're the ones that are constantly preaching about some kind of human rights, international law and democracy, YET, they're the ones constantly breaking international law, human rights and installing dictators around the world that would benefit Euro-American empire.

can I just throw out there that those in the Middle East do a TERRIBLE job of controlling the middle east? They should be thankful that someone is trying to control them instead....

the US is just pissed off that they have family values

Because we're spending trillions of dollars devaluing our currency for Israel, that's ****ing why.