The fallacy in U.S. even-handedness

July 8, 8:39 AMNY Israel Conflict ExaminerRichard Shulman

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Israel’s Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau said that in a year, nobody will remember PM Netanyahu’s condition of demilitarization and recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.  They will remember only that he was willing for there to be another Arab state.

"’The attempt of the highly respected U.S. President Barack Obama to introduce symmetry into his attitude to the region is erroneous,’ Landau said. ‘There is no symmetry between those who observe human and civil rights, and those who hand out candies when Israelis and Americans die in horrible suicide attacks, as we have seen in September 2001.’"  (http://www.imra.org.il/ -- Independent Media Research & Analysis, 6/16).

David Wilder, head of the Jewish community in Hebron finds warns that when Netanyahu is replaced, his predecessor may accept the principle of Arab statehood but not enforce the conditions Netanyahu set for that statehood, conditions Netanyahu knows the Arabs will not honestly meet.  Wilder thought the principle betrayed the Jewish people, to carve another Arab state from the Jewish homeland  (Hebron Today, 6/16).

The State Dept. tends to ignore the conditions restricting a policy.
 
Sometimes the Obama regime goes beyond symmetry to side with the Arabs regardless of the facts and the Arabs’ misbehavior.  The Administration policy is perverse.  One wonders why this president is highly respected.  One can always respect the office, without respecting what the incumbent does in or to the office.

Kevin Phillips, in Bad Money, which I’ve recommended before, contends that President Bush brought the U.S. into disrepute.  One of the means alleged was by pressing for democracy in many countries.  I think Mr. Phillips put it unfairly.

Most of Bad Money explains that decades of U.S. government collusion in inflating the finance industry bubble weakened the economy so much, and dragged other economies down, earned legitimate disrespect.  Bush had only partial responsibility for that.  The Bush effort to increase democracy gave millions hope and helped several countries.  That should be to our credit and to his.  Remember, earlier presidents were criticized for bolstering dictatorships.    

The question is whether we helped give other countries the opportunity to become democratic or tried to force them to.  If other countries, that either are undemocratic or put commerce before freedom of other peoples, scorn U.S. encouragement of democracy, why respect them?  If Obama panders to dictators, he is no credit to America, but if, he recognizes that we no longer are a commanding power and cannot get much accomplished, then he is practical.

For more on whether the U.S. is even-handed and whether even-handedness is fair, click here: