This is a wildly revisionist view of US influence on the Middle East.
For starters, you're assuming that the US government and it's intelligence agencies always understand the actual consequences of their actions and are always successful, which is hilariously false. So instability is a frequently unintended result of meddling in foreign affairs, despite our intentions.
And the idea that all these nations would be "thriving" if only they'd "bootstrap" themselves is extremely naive. Iran is a great example of using "ample oil surpluses to found basic progress", when they attempted to nationalize the oil industry. But that would've hurt Western oil profits / consumer wallets, so we overthrew that administration.
I'm no ME expert but your understanding of the history of these nations is incredibly shallow. The powerless are not the cause of the world's problems.
"For starters, you're assuming that the US government and it's intelligence agencies always understand the actual consequences of their actions and are always successful"
I didn't assume that at all.
In fact, I'd agree with that assessment.
But the purpose of US involvement in the M/E is not to 'destabilize' - it's the opposite.
Even out of pure self-interest - the US gains from a stable M/E not a 'unstable one'.
If you were Exxon - would you rather a stable political regime with which you do business? Or one that is changing all the time - wherein it's so dangerous oil deals are impossible?
Do you know how many deals US Oil companies got in Iraq?
ZERO. Nada.
100% of Iraqi Oil is extracted, and exported by local entities - and European, Russian and Chinese companies.
The US got nothing out of it - granted - some Oil 'services' companies got some decent contracts.
It's contrarian and unjustified to indicate that the US wants to engender instability in the region.
"I'm no ME expert but your understanding of the history of these nations is incredibly shallow. "
Save your ad hominem for Huffpo :)
"The powerless are not the cause of the world's problems."
The US is not the creator of terrorists.
Terrorists (and their ideologies) are the cause of terrorism. Some of them are powerless, some of them are not.
The Middle East is rife with natural resources, it's 100% their own fault, collectively, that the ME is mostly a craphole (despite some pretty nice things) and so many of them want to leave for Europe and North America.
Yes, the US would prefer a stable Middle East, but only a stable Middle East that serves US interests sufficiently. And they'll destabilize states that don't play into this. Notice how Saudi Arabia, the example you pointed out, is a horrible place to live?
(Also, how is pointing out your ignorance of the subject at hand ad hominem?)
Your posts reek of libertarian sentiment, which is based on looking at issues as simply as possible. Terrorists commit terror because they chose to in that specific moment, ignoring the X years of history and events shaped that moment. Everyone is 100% responsible for their own situation, no matter what.
You obviously had no interest in looking seriously at the ME or approaching the subject in anything resembling good faith. I knew that when I first commented, but your first post hit a certain nerve. Only the powerful thrive in the simple, just-world position you're promoting, and it's becoming more apparent how bleak a future that is.
For starters, you're assuming that the US government and it's intelligence agencies always understand the actual consequences of their actions and are always successful, which is hilariously false. So instability is a frequently unintended result of meddling in foreign affairs, despite our intentions.
And the idea that all these nations would be "thriving" if only they'd "bootstrap" themselves is extremely naive. Iran is a great example of using "ample oil surpluses to found basic progress", when they attempted to nationalize the oil industry. But that would've hurt Western oil profits / consumer wallets, so we overthrew that administration.
I'm no ME expert but your understanding of the history of these nations is incredibly shallow. The powerless are not the cause of the world's problems.