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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jcky who wrote (29390)	5/13/2002 12:10:43 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Respond to of 281500

The "strategic interest of the United States" is not a clear-cut thing. That's because the USA is not a single interest. The USA is a political entity and the interests of those in charge and those who put them in charge vary from time to time. So, actually, political expediency for re-election is the actual definition of USA interests. That's why the polls are taken. If 80% of Americans are for something [or against it] that is a good guide to what the politicians will act upon. Sometimes strong vested interests outweigh a majority because the majority doesn't care much at all but 20% might be virulently in favour of or against something, so they carry the day although they are a minority opinion. If I were Israel, I wouldn't get too comfortable with the daily dose of dollars. Israel is a good base in the midst of geopolitically vital oil and near the old USSR sphere of influence. As the importance of oil dwindles, the strategic importance of Israel will dwindle. The USSR has gone so that's irrelevant. One day, the USA will wake up and wonder why the heck they are shipping all that money to Israel and spending a fortune in the middle east. There are plenty of Jewish people exerting influence in the USA so I wouldn't discount that too much. Look at Seinfeld for example - major influence! I suppose a lot of the USA $3 billion is a subsidy to the USA armaments industry [$70 billion just approved for farmers puts it into perspective]. Israel buys USA gear using USA taxpayer money and the armaments industry supports the politicians who support them and so do the workers in those armaments industries. The USA has the best politicians money can buy and the equipment is pretty good too! Israel gives the equipment a good testing in real-time conditions. It isn't easy to test equipment back at Camp Pendleton. Live fire is the best way. Mqurice