Irwin Kappes: One of the problems is the name "Israel"

I hesitate to express a view on the matter of Bush foreign policy because to do so honestly brands one as an anti-semite. But in my opinion, there is no escaping the fact that many of our problems today stem from the unwaveringly generous support of Israel by the United States. Many Americans fail to realize that the many intifadas of the Palestinians are with full
justification. They are fully as entitled to a homeland as are the Jewish settlers. But neither is entitled to dominate it. One of the problems is the name "Israel". What was wrong with the designation "Palestine"? Anytime you create a political entity
based on a religion you create inequity. And inequity breeds discontent and ultimately revolution.
    
The proper role for the only superpower left standing is to serve as an honest and neutral broker in resolving differences between warring states. It is not to intervene in internal affairs of other countries, nation-build, overthrow regimes or attempt
to install democracy where it is not wanted or understood. 

The U.S. intervened in the Persian Gulf under the elder Bush, going to the aid of the mafia family that thinks it owns Kuwait. They did this without bothering to inform themselves that Saddam had a legitimate claim on the territory of "Kuwait". Furthermore, how is it the business of the U.S. if Iraq annexes its neighbor?  It would be ridiculous to maintain that this would have enabled Saddam to get a stranglehold on the world's oil supply. And even if he had designs on Saudi Arabia (another country where a single family decided that it owned the whole country), so what?

Americans might find they would be paying a little more to feed their thirsty SUV's, and this would spur research for a cleaner fuel alternative - a potentially felicitous result. 

The fact is, Osama bin Laden has a point. Unquestioning support for "Israel" by the U.S. was wrong and immoral. And ditto for our support of the self-styled ruling family of Arabia. The problem is that Osama wants to replace it with a tyranny
infinitely worse - another theocratic state like Iran, which is despised and distrusted by its own people.

The point is 9/11 (and all the other surprises Osama has in store for the U.S.)  would never have happened had it not been for its meddlesome foreign policy. "As ye sow..."

Irwin Kappes