Geopolitical-Economic Tensions & Alliances

"Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Looked at objectively, it is clear that the overwhelming majority of civilian deaths resulting from political violence are produced by what should be understood as "state terror." Terrorism also serves as an excuse to avoid diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflict." ~ Richard A. Falk

"We usually speak of the Jewish-Christian civilization - perhaps, the time has come, especially with regard to the Middle East conflict, to talk about the Jewish-Muslim civilization as an axis." ~ Slavoj Žižek

Geopolitical tensions and alliances provide certain countries with political, military, and economic support. As we can see in the Middle East, Israel has such support, especially from the United States and the UK. No matter what Israel does, the United States and the UK continue to give them unconditional, unequivocal support in these areas, even if genocide and ethnic cleansing are committed by Israel. In many respects, many political and economic analysts suggest that these two powerful countries’ foreign policies are using Israel as their puppet or extended imperialistic military arm to coerce and brutalize many countries in the Middle East. In other words, these two powerful Anglo-Saxon nations are supplying Israel with hundreds of billions of dollars in military technology as their imperialistic proxy in the Middle East.

At the same time, the United States and the UK have a multitude of military bases throughout the Middle East, almost to a degree that it seems as if Iran is surrounded by these two Anglo-Saxon nations.

For several decades, Russia and China have been sharing and supporting Iran and Syria with political, economic, and military information and technology as a foreign policy counterbalance to the Anglo-Saxon influence in the Middle Eastern oil resource-rich area.

For over 70 years, there continues to be a humanitarian impact and displacement of millions of Palestinians in refugee camps across Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Such displacement of massive populations caused by Israel and its North American and European allies creates economic and social pressures on these fragile host countries and contributes to regional instability.

It is not unusual for extreme radicalism to grow in such fragile countries due to a lack of economic, political, and social resources for such large populations. Most of these people have been pushed out of their homes and land in Palestine, which is now called Israel, and many are stuck in limbo and unable to have life goals or a successful future. Extreme, horrible life situations—economically, politically, and socially—can breed extremism as people try to work out of their difficult circumstances.

These dire conditions continue with the support of North American and European foreign policies working with Israel, while extreme groups that grow out of extreme poverty and lack of resources—such as Hezbollah, Hamas, or Islamic Jihad—lead to massive, indiscriminate collective bombing that causes high civilian deaths, infrastructure destruction, and long-term psychological trauma.

In fact, beyond Palestine—the West Bank and the Gaza Strip—countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria heavily rely on international aid. All these countries are economically fragile and close to collapsing into failed states. Without any external economic, political, or military support from Europe or North America, these nations and extreme groups will, of course, seek support elsewhere. Such harsh living conditions and the never-ending cycle of extreme military violence placed upon them create fertile ground for radical ideologies and economic, political, and social ways of crawling out of such socioeconomic and political depression.

Energy security for Europe and North American economies in the Middle East remains extremely important to their societies. Well over 65% of global oil supply comes from the Middle East, and instability and war can lead to fluctuations in oil prices, causing a reduction in oil supplies, which, in turn, leads to economic recession and, even worse, economic depression worldwide.

A foreign policy lacking diplomacy and leaning more towards imperialism, as seen in this day and age from Europe and North America, enforces an imperialistic “big stick” foreign policy by militarizing Israel with unlimited military armaments—F-35 warplanes, short-range to long-range missiles, and drones. This continues to create tensions in the Middle East, creating a high-risk environment for investors and reducing economic development opportunities, leading to a continued downward economic spiral.

This imperialistic foreign policy, dictated by North America and Europe with its proxy Israel, only creates a never-ending, extreme feedback loop of violence against Arab and Persian Muslims, Christians, and Jewish peoples in these societies.

Israeli politicians continue to compare their military actions against Palestinians with those of North American Indigenous peoples. The Israeli government and its politicians, despite an educated society, show ignorance of historical context.

Some Israeli politicians truly don't understand the vastly different historical eras.

In this information age and with the flow of goods and services at extremely fast rates, as well as the instant sharing of knowledge via the internet, any extreme mistreatment against Indigenous populations anywhere in the world could radicalize Indigenous peoples, not only in the Middle East but elsewhere.

Such inhumane treatment, shown by and supported by European and North American governments’ funding of the militarization of Israel, creates fertile ground for extreme ideologies and extremism in the Middle East.

If people are treated like sub-humans, brutalized, discriminated against, and faced with mass killings from a proxy military, they will radicalize.

No people on this planet want to be exterminated.

When so-called trade restrictions and sanctions are imposed by European and North American countries on Iran and many Middle Eastern countries, including Russia and its allies, these targeted, sanctioned, demoralized countries will seek unconventional economic partnerships to reduce the negative impacts of sanctions, leading to detours in global trade and possibly military partnerships to protect their societies from further damage.

In many respects, the world is noticing European and North American support for an extreme, ultra-nationalistic Israel and its use of a distorted form of Zionism to promote a Jewish-only identity nation-state, imposing apartheid racial discrimination rules and bypassing laws within that nation-state due to not having a modern liberal democratic constitution. At the same time, the Israeli legislative governing body, the Knesset, and its ruling government do not acknowledge any Israeli nation-state borders. By doing so, this opens the door to expand into internationally recognized Palestinian lands—the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Moreover, by not having an internationally defined Israeli border, Europe and North America are likely to support an expansion of a greater Israel into Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Syria. What would be the rationale? To stabilize oil production in the Middle East for Europe and North America and monopolize the world oil supply.

Now we're at a turning point; there are so many barriers to peace, distrust, and power imbalances in the Middle East. For over 50 years, there have been failed negotiations that foster deep distrust of European and North American diplomats who support the Israeli government. Due to lopsided diplomacy and favouritism toward a Neo-Zionist, apartheid Israeli government, such unconditional support polarizes local Arab, Christian, and Muslim populations. Lopsided diplomacy and favouritism divide the local population against the Israeli government, reducing the possibility of peaceful coexistence with its neighbours.

Rethinking European and North American foreign interventions in the Middle East is essential if we are to see any stabilization and commitment to peaceful coexistence, regional sociopolitical and economic integration, and much-improved wealth and success for all Middle Eastern nation-states.

If there is leadership from the most powerful countries, a true commitment to fair resource distribution, and a locally and collaboratively developed Truth and Reconciliation process led by elders from all religious and cultural communities, university intellectuals, and women to understand historical grievances on all sides, such a region could greatly reduce violence and extreme trauma, and the majority of its people would become more successful in their goals and aspirations.