Our support for other nations around the world, especially
military aid, is associated with us. This is a straight-forward concept: If I give someone guns and they shoot people with them (and I keep giving they guns) it's only natural that others assume that I support the killings.
It doesn't stop there, of course. If I give someone money and they use that money to unfairly control the lives and freedoms of those they are responsible for (and I keep giving them money) it's only natural that others assume that I support their tyranny.
But if I give someone guns or money and they kill or oppress with those tools (and I kept giving them guns and/or money)
but pretended that I really didn't have any part in the killing or oppression, is a reasonably-articulate and thoughtful citizen of the world to believe my protests of non-involvement as a genuine belief or as a charade?
This is not just limited to Israel, of course, but to
all countries (but more specifically
governments within those countries) which we supply military or financial aid. Israel just happens to be the country in which this charade, as I feel it is, is most visible- to United States citizens and to the rest of the world.
In America it is a fairly revolutionary to be even able to grasp this concept willingly. It is not the root of all our troubles, but very close to it.
This is also not a new concept. President Washington, in his farewell address, gave us all an important gift in the form of a warning:
As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils! Such an attachment of a small or weak toward a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter. Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government, but that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial, else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people to surrender their interests.
The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.
When someone says George Washington was a great man, btw, this is one of the reasons: He had incredible forethought to what perils our young nation would face
and he warned us of them. Whether we heed those wise thoughts or ignore them at our peril is both our burden and luxury. For the moment.
PB
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