Bribe, Divide and Conquer

[donsu]

http://counterpunch.com/amiri08042007.html


How the U.S. is Reshaping the Middle East
Bribe, Divide and Conquer


Sometimes a foreign policy gambit is anticipated to be so successful there is no need to keep it secret. In fact, it can be made public. Such was the case when the United States announced multi-billion dollar military assistance packages to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt this week. Lest anyone think the United States plan for the greater Middle East has failed, this arms deal makes it clear just how much of the region is firmly under their control. And thanks to venal Arab regimes, it has been a task made easy.
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all this power makes them smirk uncontrollably

[elehhhhna]

1. Wonder how much bakshish Bandar Bush collects on this deal.

[cliss]

2. Successful? I wonder.

It's becoming clear the US has 1 foreign policy: Bribe. Threaten. Cut off aid. Support dictators. We hold countries by the throat.

Successes
So -- how's our success rate? How about South America? There are some serious past successes, like Pinochet among others. Look at what's happening right now. Country after country is casting us off, like a deer tries to scrape off ticks on a branch.

Cost
While we GET a lot of goodies by doing this, the cost is astronomical. The cost of keeping people down, of sending troops, doling out "foreign aid" keeps going up. The issue of security has now gotten to the point where we can't afford some embassies, and we have to cut back on personnel.

So why do we keep doing it?
You would think that at this point, we would be interested in trying something different?
Answer = we HAVE no other policies. We have no idea what else to do. THAT's why we keep doing the same insane things, over and over.

[donsu]

3. no, these "insane things" make them money. that's why they do it

nt

[shance]

4. Hon, they are doing the same thing here. In fact good ole USA is their goal.

The other countries are trial and error.