THE MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL, AND THE FUTURE…

The intent of this blog was to never get too serious or too political. However, lately too much shit has been going on in the world and its been driving me nuts. It all centers on what’s happening over there. I am talking about the Middle East and Israel. It is so hard for us as Americans to even comprehend the deep, deep roots of this problem, yet we are tied so close to it. If we don’t begin to understand, we all could be in a world of hurt. I am just so sick of it. You can’t escape it in the news, on the web, or on TV. We just choose to hear it or block it out in hopes it will be resolved. I hate to say it…it will never be resolved.

I have always been an optimist by nature, choosing to look at things half full and that good comes out of everything. Over the past several years, that changed. I became much more cynical, more negative, but I really don’t know why. In the recent years, my optimism has been restored to some degree through the experiences of my children. I worry myself sick sometimes, because there are so many dangers out there, but I can choose to stay optimistic wit thhe belief that some of those dangers can be controlled. Something so far away, with such a history, however, makes me feel totally out of control.

If you ask me, we ought to divide everything in half, and build a giant wall. Arabs on one side, Jews on the other. That won’t work, and I know it, but it is a good start. Maybe we could give up part of Utah or a place like New Mexico and call it New Israel??? I don’t know about that, but I do know that one side won’t be happy until the other is gone. I just can’t see how you can hate something or someone so deeply.

If you truly look at this thing in the big picture, WWIII is not that far off. More escalation, Syria and Iran step in. That happens, we then take our forces in Iraq and move in to Iran. One unhappy side feels too desperate, then you have chemical weapons or even worse, nukes, flying all over the area. On the other side, you have North Korea stirring the pot as the potential unknown threat. Other wars have escalated for far less than where we are with this conflict.

On the bright side, we could end up fighting a “cold war” with countries like Syria and Iran through small conflicts like what we are seeing right now. Root out Hezbollah and Hamas, and gain public support for what we are doing. No, I don’t think the general public in those Arab countries will ever fall in love with Israel, but I do know that public sentiment generally does not want hard line Arab dictatorships taking away their liberties.

A key to this second scenario happening is Iran. About 70% of Iran’s population are currently under the age of 30. Like most young people, they are curious and want to experience life. The do not want to be told what to do. Just compare this with what the Soviet Union experienced in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. There were strong Communist regimes in place, but also a strong desire by the citizens of those countries to “Westernize”. Right now, the same thing is happening in Iran and possibly Syria. Underground nightclubs, concerts, and gatherings are prevalent throughout Iran. Young women defy what they can by choosing to wear Western styles and to forego wearing headscarves. Many that do wear the traditional styles choose to do so by finding clothing with decorative stylish designs. This is another subtle move that shows defiance to the now existent Islamic regime.

Think about it…the power that this young group has to not only change their generation and their country, but the future of the Middle East and the world. Imagine the POSITIVE affect that America can have by promoting the brand of freedom, choice, and the individual. This worked in the case of the USSR, with whom we were on the brink of war many times, so why not again in Iran? Use of the internet is booming in these countries and provides a huge conduit for growth of ideas and communication. It is this area, the young people, where I can rest my hopes and optimism.

So I come back to my own children and realize that I cannot give them an explanation for what may or may not happen. I can only explain to them what has happened in the past and “TRY” to influence them to be open minded and optimistic as I once was. With 9-11 and all the other crap…its damn hard. I can only occupy myself with it for so long. For now, I need to find more of my own optimism in them, educate them on what a great country AMERICA truly is, and teach them to look for the good in everything.