This is not to argue that the Middle East is irrelevant or that the US should ignore it. On the contrary, it is still home to massive oil and gas reserves. It is a part of the world where terrorists are active and conflicts have been common. Iran is moving ever closer to developing nuclear weapons; if it does, others may well follow suit. And it is a region now experiencing what could prove to be historic domestic political upheavals. There is also the unique American tie to Israel.Complete article in Al Jazeera
Nevertheless, there are grounds for the US doing less in the greater Middle East than it has in recent years: The weakening of al-Qaeda; the poor prospects for peacemaking efforts; and, above all, the mounting evidence that, by any measure, massive nation-building initiatives are not yielding returns commensurate with the investments.
At the same time, there are strong arguments for greater US involvement in the Asia-Pacific region. With its large populations and fast-growing economies, it is difficult to exaggerate the region's economic importance. The US companies export more than $300bn in goods and services to countries in the region each year. Meanwhile, Asian countries are a critical source of investment for the US economy...
November 18, 2011
Re-Orienting America - CFR Style
The Pacific is self-evidently consequential to U.S. foreign policy and international relations as a whole, but CFR President Richard Haass just dropped some heavy propaganda on the Middle East:
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The Grand Chess Game is moving on.
ReplyDeleteThe Asian Pacific region is not only about economics.
It is also about the greatest choke points in the world.
The shipping lanes of the Taiwan Strait, and the whole S/China Sea.
This will be their greatest challenge for the next decade.
Shillary visiting Myanmar is not just about "human rights".
It is about more encroachment upon China.
Elections are coming up in Taiwan. The West fears another Sino shift there also.
Sending troops to Australia is a slap in the face to China.
This is the most dangerous game they have played.
S/Korea will have an election next year.
The liberal party has a good chance of winning there.
Japan will some day have to decide if they are Asian or another Western puppet.
India will play into this also.
Western strategists, and diplomats should study and learn the Asian board game of Go, instead of checkers or chess.
This is a game of accumulating, not a game of take away.
Unfortunately the West does not have the patience.