I think it's much simpler than that. We're in their country and they want us out.
I would certainly be upset if Iraq posted troops in New Jersey.
Heck, look how panicked we got when Russia put missles in Cuba.
But we feel we have the right to post our bases anywhere we want them. Sure, the governments for the most part accept, or at least tolerate, us, but these are not democracies, and the goverments often differ greatly from what the population wants.
Basically, back in the early part of this century, up to the formation of OPEC, we essentially raped their natural resources for our own benefit. Even now, when we are paying a more fair price for the non-renewable resources we take out of their countries, we try to impose our cultures and values on them.
If the tables were turned, if Iraq were the strong country and we were the weak, if Iraq had bases throughout the US and imposed Muslim values on us, I would l resent it bitterly, and so, I suspect, would you.
I see no reason why they should not act just as I would. |
