The contagion could be stopped if overwhelming force was employed simultaneously in all of the infected countries, especially if that force was used on the side of existing regimes. (Not saying that would be the best solution morally, but existing regimes by their very nature will be more stable than revolutionary governments.) But as long as even one country continues to be unstable, it will be a contagion risk to all the others. (The contagion effect of civil war, by the way, has been empirically demonstrated. It's a very robust effect.)
That's possible, but it's actually quite difficult to draw a causal line between the Iraq War and the Arab Spring. The Iraq War may have had a destabilizing effect, but on the other hand, the Arab Spring began in faraway Tunisia.
What definitely *has* had a destabilizing effect is the support that the US, the Arabs, and the Turks have provided to rebels in Libya, Egypt, and Syria. The Syrian case is especially problematic for two reasons: 1) the rebels are extremists, and 2) the rebels have been given only enough support to prolong the war, not enough to decisively win it. But the Libyan civil war was nearly as destabilizing. The political outcome there was more favorable than anywhere else in the region, but the unintended consequence has been the destabilization of Syria and Mali by fighters and weapons from Libya. The country's just too big and the new government too weak to stop this, and now a backflow of fighters from Mali is making the situation in Libya even worse. The sad fact is that both Bush and Obama helped light fires all over the region, and instead of a controlled burn it has become a wildfire that can't be put out.
You forgot that it's also an indictment of the Syrian civil war and everyone who has contributed to prolonging it. The destabilization of Iraq is in large part the result of a contagion effect from Syria.
I think the willful ignorance of Americans about the colonial policies of the Israeli regime is inexcusable. However, part of the reason Americans continue to double down on blind support for Israel is because they see Israel as the US's only friend in a hostile region. It's my hope that if Americans see some friendliness from the Muslim/Arab world, then maybe they'll start to show some friendliness in return.
Concerning #1, you forgot when he declared Russia the US's number one enemy, thereby giving Putin a talking point in his opposition to the missile defense shield.
© 2026 All Rights Reserved
The contagion could be stopped if overwhelming force was employed simultaneously in all of the infected countries, especially if that force was used on the side of existing regimes. (Not saying that would be the best solution morally, but existing regimes by their very nature will be more stable than revolutionary governments.) But as long as even one country continues to be unstable, it will be a contagion risk to all the others. (The contagion effect of civil war, by the way, has been empirically demonstrated. It's a very robust effect.)
That's possible, but it's actually quite difficult to draw a causal line between the Iraq War and the Arab Spring. The Iraq War may have had a destabilizing effect, but on the other hand, the Arab Spring began in faraway Tunisia.
What definitely *has* had a destabilizing effect is the support that the US, the Arabs, and the Turks have provided to rebels in Libya, Egypt, and Syria. The Syrian case is especially problematic for two reasons: 1) the rebels are extremists, and 2) the rebels have been given only enough support to prolong the war, not enough to decisively win it. But the Libyan civil war was nearly as destabilizing. The political outcome there was more favorable than anywhere else in the region, but the unintended consequence has been the destabilization of Syria and Mali by fighters and weapons from Libya. The country's just too big and the new government too weak to stop this, and now a backflow of fighters from Mali is making the situation in Libya even worse. The sad fact is that both Bush and Obama helped light fires all over the region, and instead of a controlled burn it has become a wildfire that can't be put out.
You forgot that it's also an indictment of the Syrian civil war and everyone who has contributed to prolonging it. The destabilization of Iraq is in large part the result of a contagion effect from Syria.
I think the willful ignorance of Americans about the colonial policies of the Israeli regime is inexcusable. However, part of the reason Americans continue to double down on blind support for Israel is because they see Israel as the US's only friend in a hostile region. It's my hope that if Americans see some friendliness from the Muslim/Arab world, then maybe they'll start to show some friendliness in return.
Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. 🙂
Concerning #1, you forgot when he declared Russia the US's number one enemy, thereby giving Putin a talking point in his opposition to the missile defense shield.