Once again, the ASSUMPTION that it’s America’s job to save these people.

At this point, its amazing that people still think that way.

I think we should just say, “Our hands are full. The Germans and the French, along with Egypt and Saudi Arabia will be happy to help you against the Iranians.”

Of course, that’s laughable, but it shouldn’t be.

Snippet,

America’s Job is not to SAVE anybody. It’s to secure cheap energy for its people.

If you think OPEC is making your gas prices high at the pump, wait till you see what a nuclear Iran who is in control of this region plots with its buddies in Russia and Venezuela.

I can guarantee that every last dime in your pocket will be spent at the pump.

The axis of World World III is being developed! In WWII, it was Italy, Japan and Germany!

In WWIII, it will be Iran, Venezuala and either Russia or China!

Another issue I have to mention, during the Soviet Ubnion era, one country after the other was falling in the hands of its allies. Where is the Soviet Union now?

[...] in Lebanon and reached similar conclusions” - that Iran is smart and the US is dumb - writes Beirut Spring from Lebanon. Posted by Amira Al Hussaini Share [...]

Mustapha,

A perfectly fine point, up to a point.

Preventing Iran (or any other power whose intentions are hostile - like Hussein, or the former Soviet Untion) from basically taking control of Mideast oil, so that it can be weilded as a weapon is a worthy goal.

But - and this is extremely important - WE CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONES DOING IT!

Sorry for the all caps. Ahem. I just get very very very tired of this dynamic where half the world expects America to pull the fat out of the frier at the last minute, and gets mad at us when we either do NOT pull the fat out, or laugh when our fingers get burned.

By the way, I don’t care how much oil costs, as long as the cost reflects market reality, rather than market manipulation by a hostile power.

I will NOT spend every last dime at the pump. Cheap oil has created the illusion that we need the stuff.

Once the price of oil goes up high enough, that illusion will be shattered, and alternatives will be developed faster than you can say, “Nookyular.”

Also, one or two Americans still remember how to ride a bike, take a bus (or a train!).

Mustapha,

When you M14ers get slaughtered without any support from the people or army, remember that it was because you are a proxy for George Bush and Jews.

How many times are you going to quote some Jew neocon for support? You are a traitor pure and simple.

This Friedman comment bothers me to no end (as does the man with his wise-aleck analyses).. what.. is describing a game of chess? “weak” and “divided” and “feckless” and “dumb” are much much better than “warmongering”! I hope the Lebanese sit down at a table somewhere again and work out a solution even if that’s going to be another Taef. Many are disappointed with the fact that in a second, a hizb who prided itself for decades on not using weapons internally has had no qualms turning it on fellow Lebanese… but that shouldn’t mean starting a war or allowing one to happen. well i guess, it’s ok to “lose a round.” After all, this is Lebanon and things are constantly changing and alas staying the same!

Clearly, the Arabs want Iran, and don’t want Am’rica.
Accept it Mus, you and your kind are an endangered species (unfortunately).

The problem with you (your kind, I mean) is that you’re not willing to fight for your beliefs. You are mentally weak, and you don’t have a guiding leadership, and a source of inspiration.

Your opponents are ready to die for their cause. You are not ready.
.

I stand corrected: he is describing “Telematch.”

I would say that the majority of the American people want to spend the minimum amount of blood and treasure dealing with the various pathologies of the middle east (at least the ones that are most threatening to our and our allies interests). Most Americans wish to avoid another war. Iran knows this so it will push harder figuring it can get away with more since the threshold for incuring any significant response is higher.

There is a value in letting Iran and it’s allies overplay their hand. The rest of the world will be forced to choose which future looks more appealing to them.

I wonder what kind of world Abdul and his buddies want to create - I think their self identity depends so much on conflict with others that their world would end up pretty radioactive - kind of like a global vitrification project.

Definitely US-centric thinking… but I think the objections have been covered so I won’t add much. Just that America may not be ruthless, but they are certainly not weak. There is a difference.

Abdul, you must think the US is obsessed with Lebanon. Makes you feel important?

I dunno if I buy into the narrative of Mr. Friedman a whole lot these days.

While there are some valid points on the surface, about apparently advances by the Iranian axis, none of it has really amounted to much.

And one has to wonder, on the other hand, if America is so dumb, and the Iranians so damn smart, then howcome Arabs keep blaming everything on some omnipotent “American project” for the region.
I mean, those “dumb Americans” can barely tie their shoes, let alone put together some kind of masterplan for the region. With such stupidity, it’s amazing Israel hasn’t been wiped off the planet already, but these uber-smart Iranians, right?

(That was sarcasm btw)

Mustapha:

Prices can only go so high before alternatives to oil become economically attractive on a commercial scale. Canada is already experiencing an “oil sands” boom. See http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9231894 . This because there is a perception that long term price over time will remain high enough (above $40 per barrel) to make the expensive process of mining and refining it profitable. The U.S. is likely to follow suit with oil shale projects, if prices remain elevated for an extended period.

From an economic perspective, oil producing countries best strategy is to keep average oil prices over time just below the level at which oil sands (about $45 dolars per barrel) and oil shale (about $60-70 per barrel) become commercially viable. This is because the U.S. and Canadian reserves of those hydrocarbon sources are massive, that is, they vastly exceed the oil reserves of the middle east countries.

I think America is notoriously bad at this sort of game.

We’re not very wily. We deal with the local dictator until he makes us regret it, and then we go ballistic and decide it’s democracy time.

Sometimes it works beautifully.

Other times….

Iran smart??? With eyes on the small Lebanese population and current conditions, perhaps. One may suppose nothing more important to Lebanese than Lebanon, yet the population fails to act as a unified independent nation, repeatedly manages to destroy or bring about the destruction of all that leads to some semblance of economic independence and thereby make themselves beggars dependent on other nations. Projecting stupidity elsewhere is a Lebanese habit. Stupid is as stupid does. Dependence on other nations does not favor independence. Iranian benevolence for a limited few will eventually dry up, then what?

Lebanon has no oil. Lebanon imprts most of its food and most of its technology. Realy what does Lebanon have to sell? Tourism? Lebanon will pay the highest price in the world for oil, the highest price for food, the highest price for inported technology. What did the Hizb. contribute to the conomic future of Lebanon? The other day a person was telling you on this blog that his computer was made not in USA or Europe but in Asia, yes it has INTEL parts which were made in Israel and Israel is in Asia. Look at the economy of Jordan and Leb. in 1970 and now and cry. The people of Leb. were and are no less than any body in Israel and Jordan, probably better. It is the time for Lebanon to declare, like Switzerland, total nutrality in this nightmare world of Iran versus the USA and stop fighting the wars of others. What good have ever come to Lebanon or the Arab people from forcing Lebanon to play this game that is far above its capabilities?
Could not the people of Lebanon unite in this call?

Abdul
once again you figured it all out. you’ve cracked the Zionist code!! it wont be long now until you find out how we Americans and Jew’s are secretly hunting down Lebanese children and grinding their bones into bread.
Gimme a break, your rhetoric is tired and is a obvious reflection of your 6th century way of thought. I feel that the Lebanese are finally growing weary of this way of thinking.
Bad vilbel:
I agree! the liberals can’t seem to decide wether bush is some evil genious or dumb as a sack of hammers, so they play both sides of that argument whenever it serves their argument.

More like “Friedman shallow, Ignatius, dumb?”

And for the record. If there is anyone who is “dumb” in all this, it’s got to be the Lebanese people as a whole.

Iran w/ nukes seems dangerous to me, Iran with hezbollah and hamas and syria seems only modestly dangerous to people who aren’t me. I still hate saudi arabia more than Iran in terms of detrimental international influence if you discount nukes.

JAS (May 15) -

“Iranian benevolence for a limited few will eventually dry up, then what?”

Payback time, that’s what. The “owner” wanting to recoup his investment. People better start to think about what’s waiting over the horizon after Hezbullah completes a total infiltration of the political scene. You can get a feel for it just by seeing how Iran is run. And you can add to the mix Lebanon acting as a springboard for military adventures with Israel. That’s what “buffer states” are used for.

“yet the population fails to act as a unified independent nation”

Amen! That’s the key. It’s the “how” that’s constantly out of grasp.

I am not sure I share this view. If you look at what America is doing and the way it is being done, it is something that is probably designed to unfold over decades rather than to be a reactionary response to any specific event.

I would say that within the next 5 to 10 years, the Shiites will have alternatives to Iran for leadership. If Najaf can remain independent of Qom, there could be some interesting possibilities. But none of this is going to play out over the course of days or weeks or even months.