Re: Bush mideast policy

On Tue, 27 Mar 2001, Peter Grimes wrote:

> An alternative materialist explanation for Bush's mid-east policy lies
> with the US desire to maintain secure control over oil.  

>       However, I also believe that these ambitions are grossly
> inappropriate and doomed to bloody failure because of the depth of passion
> on the arab street and the broad support for the palestinian cause
> internationally.

I was with you when you were countering a psychological explanation for
Bush's policy, but then you went idealist yourself with this last point,
Peter.  Passion is not enough to defeat concerted armed might.  As long
as the Palestinian/Arab side of the equation consists of incoherent
protests and reactionary states, I don't see how U.S. ambition is doomed,
in fact it looks to be in quite good shape.  But this would certainly be a
good moment for the emergence of a strong European pole of opposition,
which could be a step toward realizing the Boswell/Chase-Dunn scenario for
a progressive world state.

RH