Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site ittvax.ATC.ITT.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!ittvax!aouriri 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 Article-I.D.: ittvax.516 Posted: Wed Nov 6 17:19:00 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Nov-85 08:45:14 EST References: <460@mhuxm.UUCP> <740@whuxl.UUCP> <10822@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <232@cornell.UUCP> <4156@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Organization: ITT-ATC, Shelton Ct. Lines: 17 Xref: lsuc net.politics:1870 net.religion.jewish:1509 > 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."