
The recent news coverage of turmoil in the Middle East has produced the normal montage of outrage and counter outrage. This is somewhat understandable. It is hard to justify the killing of an ambassador or the senseless provocation of an entire region without falling into a cycle of cynicism and weariness. Here are some overlooked points in Middle East foreign policy that are important to keep in mind when assessing the region.



A common trope among independent-minded voters is that our political discussions revolve around a Democratic or Republican frame of reference that goes un questioned. As a consequence, our political discourse reduces the complex issues we face into two-sided partisan talking points.
I’m usually very choosy about my information sources, but a walk through an airport yesterday assaulted me with headlines on newsstands and monitors. One caption stopped me in my tracks : "Can government create jobs?"