From Civilization to Savagery and Back: Crisis and Opportunity
The Chinese word for “Crisis” and “Opportunity” is the same, and the current Israel-Hamas War provides a perfect example of the concept. The inhuman manner in which it is being conducted both a symptom and continuation of civilization’s long decline.
Innocent civilians are a main target. There has been the taking of hostages, bombing of civilians and massive destruction of private property.
The situation displays the degeneration of warfare down to a level that is less than primitive and unacceptable if a civilized solution is to be found. It is time for all sides to admit this situation cannot be allowed to continue. The situation in the Middle East has reached a crossroads, and the same is true for the entire world, particularly regarding the issue of warfare in general and between nations in particular.
The Hamas-Israel War is a microcosm of this situation.
Two Choices
One choice is for the adversaries involved in this, and many other conflicts, to continue down the path they are on. This is the path that led to the current Israel-Hamas War and to the inhuman way it is being conducted. This path leads to the destruction of civilization.
The other choice is to take a step back and create a foundation that will lead to defusing the current situation and probably lead to a lasting peace. The situation is not new. The Defense Casualty Analysis System estimates World War II deaths as 15 million military personnel and 38 million civilian casualties. It is time to choose between civilization and savagery.
Creation of a civilized framework to address outstanding issues is necessary for a proper solution. As long as a sincere effort is made to address issues of contention, the likelihood of a foundation for peace being created increases exponentially. World War III is not an option.
The past, present and future actions of the United States also will need to be addressed. The U.S. must get its own house in order.
This will start with addressing the U.S. relationship to Israel. Through its previous actions, the U.S. has acquired certain current responsibilities regarding the State of Israel. Therefore, the first step is to accept responsibility for its previous actions, and propose a foundation that can lead to a lasting peace.
However, the responsibilities the United States has acquired are not unlimited. Once these are addressed, any additional steps will be completely up to the combatants, Israel and Hamas. There are a number of related issues will create a foundation for a wider solution.
The Necessary First Step
The first step is to End the War between Israel and Hamas. This requires a Ceasefire, the Return of all Hostages, and negotiations. These negotiations will be between Israel and Hamas, and will address the issues between them.
There are a number of related issues will create a foundation for a wider solution. They will be addressed by Israel, the U.S., and the Middle East States. Once this step has been taken, many important side issues can be addressed, and move the situation in the Middle East toward lasting peace and prosperity. This will also lead to the United States returning to a constitutional, non-interventionist foreign policy.
It is time for all sides to admit the current situation cannot be allowed to continue. The Israelis and the Palestinians will also have to take responsibility for their own actions, which is the only way a Just Solution can be brought about.
A proposal to create this situation follows.
1. The Palestinian State Question
The “Arab Peace Initiative” of 2002 emphasized Palestinian Statehood as a key objective.
It must be stated that there is currently No Palestinian State in existence. This doesn’t mean that such a state will never exist, nor does it mean that there is a requirement for it to ever exist. It just means that there are other issues that must be addressed first.
2. All countries must admit the current, internationally recognized borders.
Also, Israel must drop its claim that it has a ‘right to exist’.
Denmark doesn’t have a ‘right to exist’, but it definitely exists. The Roman Empire didn’t have a ‘right to exist’, but it definitely existed.
The United States of America doesn’t have a ‘right to exist’, but it definitely exists.
The State of Israel exists. Period.
3. Address the Status of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv will remain the capital of Israel for the near future. This will allow the status of Jerusalem, a city sacred to three religions, to be addressed by the best people associated with these religions.
A likely result is that Jerusalem will be the spiritual capital of these three religions, administered by the Israelis, with equal access to all.
4. Officially End the Arab Boycott of Israel.
The Arab Boycott of Israel, in effect since 1945, is largely symbolic at this point and only sporadically enforced. It has been the target of numerous actions by the U.S. government over the years.
The boycott should be ended immediately. This would be a giant step in the right direction, and would make it more likely for related issues to be addressed.
5. Free (or Freer) Trade
The likely next step would be for Israel and its neighbors to implement either completely free trade with each other, or at least freer trade.
The Free Trade Agreement that was recently signed between the United Arab Emirates and Israel on May 31, 2023 would be the ideal solution:
DUBAI, May 31 (Reuters) – Israel signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first with an Arab state and one which eliminates most tariffs and aims to lift their annual bilateral trade to more than $10 billion.
It was signed in Dubai by Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivai and her counterpart, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, after months of negotiations.
Tariffs will be removed or reduced on 96% of goods traded between the nations. The UAE predicted the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement would boost annual bilateral trade to more than $10 billion within five years.
An also acceptable and more conservative fallback position would be for Israel and its neighbors to institute reciprocal maximum tariffs of 10% on trade with each other for the next 3 years, followed by a review of the results. This would undoubtedly lead to acceptable relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors immediately, and lead to gradual and improving prosperity for all.
The tariffs could be steadily reduced as relations improve.
6. Rebuilding Gaza.
How the Israelis and Palestinians address this issue is the key to how their relationship will develop moving forward.
The Israelis and the Palestinians will have to take responsibility for their own actions, which is the only way a Just Solution can be brought about. Once this step has been taken, many important side issues can be addressed, and move the situation in the Middle East toward lasting peace and prosperity.
As long as they make a sincere effort is made to address this and related issues, the likelihood of a foundation for Peace and prosperity being created increases exponentially.
The best way to address this issue is by relying on free markets, free trade, private charity, and acceptance of responsibility.
7. Addressing U.S. Foreign and Domestic Policies
This also leads to the need for constructive criticism of U.S. Foreign and Domestic policies.
The U.S. has acquired certain responsibilities to the state of Israel due to its intervention in the 1973 War, and subsequent interventionism and meddling in the Middle East.
However, these responsibilities are not unlimited, and are not eternal.
Since these responsibilities exist, the U.S. also has acquired responsibilities to the Palestinians living in Israel.
However, more than these acquired responsibilities, the U.S. has to fulfill its responsibilities to the American people, starting with upholding the Constitution of the United States.
Therefore, once the U.S. has addressed the responsibilities it has acquired to the Israelis and Palestinians, the U.S. must address its many violations of the U.S. Constitution as well as a foreign policy that primarily consists of violations of any acceptable standard of civilized behavior.
Most U.S. Foreign and Domestic policies are unconstitutional, and the Foreign Policy of the U.S. has been less than exemplary for quite a long time. We will start with the fact that the United States has bombed at least 32 countries without a preceding Declaration of War since the end of World War II and go on from there.
Once this issue is addressed, the U.S. responsibility to restore Constitutional Foreign Policy could then be addressed. The end of an interventionist Foreign Policy will be one result. It will also create a foundation where the end of economic interventionism will follow logically.
As long as a sincere effort is made to address this and related issues, the likelihood of a foundation for World Peace being created increases exponentially.
“The time to make your peace treaties is when you’re at your strongest”- Ed Clark, 1980 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Ed Clark was speaking about Israel at the time, and it still applies today. It also applies to the United States.