Dissecting Michele Bachmann's Foreign Policy

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is a widely-known individual in America. She is popular with Tea-Party and conservative activists. She is known to be a "scholar" of the Constitution (despite the fact that she voted for the unconstitutional Patriot Act, supports our unconstitutional foreign policy of perpetual war, and has a Tea Party Caucus in Congress that has not defended the Constitution in their votes). In a recent video, Congresswoman Bachmann discusses Israel, the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. I shall attempt to dissect and challenge her views on foreign policy.

Israel: Tripwire for U.S. Foreign Policy

Congresswoman Bachmann first asserts that our alliance with Israel is "critical at all times" and that strengthening our alliance with Israel is "common sense". What Congresswoman Bachmann does not understand is that by having such an alliance with Israel (as opposed to holding the neutral position of friendship) the United States is put at risk. Israel is the biggest recipient of U.S. military and economic aid. The money and weapons the U.S. gives to Israel is used against their unfriendly neighbors. Giving the State of Israel military and economic aid, while waging constant warfare in the Middle East, puts the United States into the crosshairs of many in the Arab world. When Israel launches military strikes against their neighbors, the country being attacked by Israel will immediately be consumed with hatred for not only Israel, but for the United States as well because our government indirectly subsidises the military actions of Israel. One of the main reasons Osama Bin Laden and the members of Al Qaeda attacked the United States on 9/11 was because of the U.S. government's unconditional support for the State of Israel and its' constant quarreling with the Palestinians (on top of U.S. troops being stationed on the Arabian Peninsula, and the constant bombing of Iraq in the 1990s). Counter-terrorism and military intelligence expert Philip Giraldi elaborates on the Israeli tripwire:    "General David Petraeus has recently gone public with something that many have understood for a long time: Israel’s policies enflame Muslim opinion in the Middle East and Asia to such an extent that they are endangering American troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Admiral Mike Mullen has privately gone one step farther with the Israelis, telling them that Washington does not want war with Iran. Mullen knows that the relationship with Israel is potentially toxic in that Israeli actions, uncontrolled by the US, can lead to much bigger confrontations with more formidable adversaries. Most in Washington now accept that Israel was a key player in the run up to the war against Iraq, a role that it and its major ally in Washington AIPAC are again playing to bring about a war with Iran. Reports that Israel might be considering using its own nuclear weapons against Iran to destroy that country’s nuclear development program are disquieting to say the least. The United States forces spread out through the region would quickly find themselves in the middle of a nuclear holocaust." So, "strengthening" the US-Israeli alliance is not "common sense".

Entangling Alliances

 Congresswoman Bachmann goes on to condemn President Obama's Middle East speech back in May in which he orders the State of Israel to set up its' official border at the pre-Six Day War boundary. Bachmann accused Obama of appeasing the Palestinians. Here is another trouble with a foreign policy of interventionism. By picking sides in foreign quarrels, we inevitably create new enemies by alienating one side of a conflict. Our government gives money and weapons to Israel, and the Arab states get angry. And when our government tells Israel to do something that it doesn't want to do, Israel and its' people get angry. Said Congressman Ron Paul in a speech in 2002:

"By trying to support both sides we, in the end, will alienate both sides. We are forced, by domestic politics here at home, to support Israel at all costs, with billions of dollars of aid, sophisticated weapons, and a guarantee that America will do whatever is necessary for Israel's security. Political pressure compels us to support Israel, but it is oil that prompts us to guarantee security for the Western puppet governments of the oil rich Arab nation. Since the Israeli-Arab fight will not soon be resolved, our policy of involving ourselves in a conflict unrelated to our security guarantees that we will suffer the consequences. What a choice! We must choose between the character of Arafat versus that of Sharon." And now in 2011, Ron Paul gave the same message in response to President Obama's speech: "Israel is our close friend. While President Obama’s demand that Israel make hard concessions in her border conflicts may very well be in her long-term interest, only Israel can make that determination on her own, without pressure from the United States or coercion by the United Nations. Unlike this President, I do not believe it is our place to dictate how Israel runs her affairs. There can only be peace in the region if those sides work out their differences among one another. We should respect Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate her policy from Washington......We need to come to our senses, trade with our friends in the Middle East (both Arab and Israeli), clean up our own economic mess so we set a good example, and allow them to work out their own conflicts." It doesn't make since that we neglect defending our country (especially our borders), and then intervene to resolve other conflicts unrelated to our national defense. Congresswoman Bachmann then goes on to claim that the American people and the Israeli people have the same interest, and that our countries share the same "exceptional " mission.

Hurting Israel

Congresswoman Bachmann goes on to say that in order to "protect our national security here at home", we must strengthen Israel. But by doing so, our government is violating Israel's national sovereignty. There have been reports in both the United States and Israel that have shown that U.S. economic and military aid to Israel actually hinders their military and their economy. Because of U.S. aid, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have become heavily bureaucratized, and the Israeli economy has not developed as well as it would if Israel has a true free-market economy. So our "strengthening" of Israel has actually caused more harm than good. By interfering in their internal affairs, Israel feels no need to take proper measures to defend itself from it's neighbors. The State of Israel also feels compelled to ask the U.S. government's permission to do almost anything foreign policy related. So U.S. aid to Israel does more harm to Israel's interest than it does good.

America First

Bachmann then proudly declares, "I stand with Israel." What ever happened to "Standing with America"? What about "American First"? This statement reminds me of a quote by the famed conservative thinker Russel Kirk, in which he claimed something along the lines that many conservatives have often thought that Tel Aviv was somehow the capitol of the United States.

The Lessons learned

What can we learn from the current situation in the Middle East? How should the U.S. react to events in Israel and Palestine? We can find the answers from the Founding Fathers. President George Washington declared in his Farewell Address: "Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove, that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government ... Excessive partiality for one foreign nation, and excessive dislike of another, cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite, are liable to become suspected and odious; while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests." He went on to advise the American people to "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all." 

Thomas Jefferson best summarized a foreign policy on noninterventionism which was (and is) the only constitutional foreign policy with the following statement: "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations-entangling alliances with none." How can this be applied to the Israeli and Palestinian question? First off, the U.S. government must terminate all foreign aid to both the Arab states and the State of Israel. The U.S. government then must terminate all the wars we are currently engaged in (a total of 5 wars) and bring the troops home. The U.S. must then swear off intervening in the internal affairs and conflicts of Israel and Palestine (and the whole world while we are at it). The U.S. must also swear off having a special relationship with any country, including any Arab state and the State of Israel. If America wishes to be safe and free, and if we wish to make Israel safer and free, then we must reject foreign interventionism and empire all together and embrace noninterventionism and strategic independence.