Previously published in the Yavapai College RoughWriter, March 2011.
We live in a dangerous world. The Islamic terrorist networks are stronger, more sophisticated (in a deadly simple sort of way) and the idea of another 9/11 looms large in all of our minds. Add the newly found concept of a terrorist state and things don’t look good for us in general.
In spite of this, Rand Paul, a U.S. Senator from Kentucky (and son of Ron Paul, from Texas), made some rather irrational, loose and down right dangerous remarks.
In late January of this year, Paul suggested that the U.S. stop funding Israel monetarily and militarily during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN.
While he has declared his sympathy and support for Israel as a sovereign nation that should defend herself, he also is in favor of severing the $2 billion package that the United States sends to Israel annually.
To his credit, he doesn’t like the idea of borrowing that much money from China, (who does?) and his reasoning is that the ChiCom debt is consuming the U.S. economy.
While these are valid reasons for concern Paul’s method, (cutting aid to Israel), is not just a terrible idea, it’s a dangerous one.
The Middle East is a veritable boiling pot of trouble looking for an excuse to explode in widespread violence and the bright spots are few.
Iran has suffered a devastating setback to its nuclear program thanks to the ambiguously funded and brilliantly designed Stuxnet worm, but the good news ends there. Iran has recently had demonstrations in it’s own parliament demanding the execution of dissenters in the country.
Additionally the racist and hateful rhetoric pouring out of the Islamic Republic it’s clear that Iran’s nuclear intentions are anything but amiable and positive.
Iraq is a country beset with founding its own identity and existence and is not even yet strong enough to defend herself yet.
Syria is another story, as the country has no interest in a long-term peaceful agreement with Israel and has an alliance with the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Syria is a country funded by Iran itself and not surprisingly echoes the violent and hate-ridden sentiments of Iran when it comes to the nation of Israel and the US.
Lebanon has destabilized in the last few months, as the Iranian-funded Hezbollah has increased it’s choke-hold on Lebanese politics and policy.
Gaza is another hotspot, as Hamas has seized power and wants to work things out with AK-47s rather than diplomacy.
Most recently and disturbingly is the nation of Egypt, which has (in the past) generally taken a peaceful stance towards Israel and the West.
However, those days are probably gone as a recent Pew poll in Egypt suggested that a vast majority of Egyptians don’t mind the idea of becoming an extreme Islamic state akin to Iran, or Syria, with 70% supporting the idea that those who leave the religion of Islam should be killed.
Additionally, 82% of Egyptians don’t like the U.S. and more than half of those surveyed felt that the suicide bombers who killed civilians could be justified.
All this to say: The Middle East is a pressure cooker without a release valve on a runaway bonfire.
To quote a famous movie, “…our list of allies grows thin.” The region of the Middle East is not stabilizing with time and the alliances that are forming and the power centers of the realm are not friendly to democracy, the U.S., or the civilized world.
Save for Israel. The nation is one of the few democracies in the region and that doesn’t have “terrorism” as one of its main exports. It is directly in our best interests to keep Israel as strong and stable as possible in a region where stability and strength are becoming rarer with each passing year.
Throwing Israel under the bus is unlikely to inspire other nations of the world to trust us as allies.
At some point the difficult decision must be made to stick with our friends through thick and thin. When the going gets tough, do we hang tough, or do we get going?
If we want to have any chance at stabilizing the Middle East and suppressing terrorism, then Rand Paul’s advice has got to go.
Instead how about we track down the “missing” money from our budget? In 2003 alone the Financial Report of the United States Government reported, “unreconciled expenses” $24 billion dollars. That’s a heck of a lot of money—especially if it’s missing.
I suggest that rather than take money from our international allies, that our senate and congressional leaders exercise a little—no, a lot of discipline, gouge the pork from the budget and find the money that their sloppy book keeping has lost. Someone ought to head that up. Hey, Rand, you busy?
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