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From: aouriri@ittvax.ATC.ITT.UUCP (Chedley Aouriri)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Middle East, Oil and the costs of Militarism
Message-ID: <516@ittvax.ATC.ITT.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Nov-85 17:19:00 EST
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Posted: Wed Nov  6 17:19:00 1985
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> in the region is even close.  If you believe the US should support
> the existence and spread of these freedoms, either for reasons of
> morality or of self-interest, then of course the US should support Israel.

I can see the US supporting Israel for reasons of "morality"
(Democracy, freedom of press,...) but certainly not for reasons
of self interest. 
IF the sel-interest reason was predominant, the US would have
dumped Israel a long time ago, in favor of the Arabs and other
oil producers. After all we support dictatorial regimes much 
worse than any Arab regime, precisely for sel-interest reasons.
The dispersion and divergence of the Arab states, their constant
bickering at each other and their dis-union is the main reason
why the US can afford a strong support to Israel for moral reasons
with negligible cost for its self-interest reasons. 
However, one should remember that "Nations do not have permanent 
allies; they only have interests."