The Middle East has had foreign soldiers on their soil since 1914, when British soldiers landed at Basra, in southern Iraq, to protect oil supplies from neighboring Persia. Since that time, there has been a continued struggle for control of Mideast oil supplies and it continues to this day.
I believe the only reason that Russia and China support the Mullahs who run Iran is because they want to control the flow of oil. The Iranians have perpetrated a good deal of unrest throughout the Middle East and have been terrorizing anyone who crosses their path for years. Their fingerprints are not only on the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut where 63 died but also on the bombing of the Beirut barracks, which killed 241 American soldiers and 57 French paratroopers.
The continued fighting that takes place in the Middle East is almost always about oil and that is never going to change as long as the world is dependent on it to keep the lights on and the wheels of industry turning. To be sure, the economic sanctions that President Trump has placed on the Iranians have squeezed them until they are hurting, and the people of Iran are getting restless with their leaders. This foray into Saudi Arabia and the bombing of their oil fields is once again about economics.
The fact that if there is a tightening of supplies, that would leave a much larger black market for Iranian oil, their number one export and one of the only products keeping their economy alive. The Iranians are no fools when it comes to understanding that the U.S. could crush them and their military in a matter of days, should we choose to engage them. They realize they are taking a big chance with the bombing of Saudi Arabia and that it could backfire on them.
It is very doubtful that either Russia or China would get involved in any conflict between the U.S. and Iran. China, because their economy has been faltering for the past few years in spite of what they report and in fact they still need to finalize a trade deal with us. Russia will talk a lot and might supply more arms to the Iranians but they don’t want to get involved in an armed conflict with the U.S. They also do not have the funds to sustain a war and in fact might actually enjoy the economic boast they get from selling arms and any appreciation of oil prices if Iranian oil exports are shut down during a war. After all oil is Russia’s number one export is oil.
I doubt that there will ever be real peace in the Middle East. If we continue to allow the Iranians to run roughshod over their neighbors, other conflicts will ensue, as they will attempt to destabilize surrounding countries that might be ripe for a takeover. While they shout out their threats to destroy Israel (one of our staunchest allies) and threaten us with military action, it may be time to rethink our strategy from peaceful economic pressure to possible military action, preferably action that does not include ground forces.
If we continue to allow their aggressive actions, things will inevitably go from bad to worse. Iran is currently the bully of the Middle East and responsible for arming just about every terrorist group you can imagine. While we would all like to see the economic sanctions work, if we find they aren’t, then we will have no alternative but to change policies and confront them with military force. It would also be preferable to fight them on their own soil rather than allow them to activate more terrorist activities in the U.S. Unfortunately sometimes the only way to stop a bully is to punch him in the nose and make him bleed.
For those who are against getting involved in another war with Iran, I can understand why you would not want us to be involved with our military on the ground. By the same token, someone has to stand up to the bullies of the world and we have been designated the world’s policeman for many years because of our military might. So, if not us, who will stand up to these aggressors? We all would like peace, but sometimes we can only obtain it through a show of strength and whether we like it or not, America is the leader of the free world.
When I enlisted in the Navy at age 17, I was still in high school. It was the beginning of the Vietnam War and I certainly didn’t understand what the war was about at that time. My point is that when you join voluntarily to serve your country, it is your job to do what your leaders tell you to do, like it or not. I sure wasn’t happy with the way the Vietnam War was run or its outcome, but as an American, I was doing what I could do to serve my country. For those who don’t want war because they have lost a loved one, I say to them that it has been a matter of choice since January 27, 1973 (the end of the draft) to serve in the military. No one is forced to serve anymore as they did during the Vietnam War, and the draft was still in effect.
We now have an all-volunteer military who are paid to protect us and anyone else our leaders should designate. While we regret and mourn the many brave men and women who died in the service of our country, they were all volunteers who were well aware that they might have to make the ultimate sacrifice. I, for one, thank God every day that we have those volunteers because without them, we wouldn’t have a country. There’s a time to fight and there is a time not to fight, which is why we have elected leaders to make those decisions, be they right or wrong.
If you don’t like the system find another place to live; no one is forcing you to stay here. If you don’t like our leaders, you have an opportunity every time we have an election to change them. If you don’t vote, don’t complain.
“We Get the Government We Deserve”
