Requirements of Peace: Democracy and Market Economy

By: Charles Jalkh  (Lebanese Freedom Fighter )

All Middle Eastern peace efforts have so far failed miserably in bringing true and warm peace among the nations and people of our region. A US policy reassessment is long overdue. The current view of peace in the ME has been one of tranquility and protection of shortsighted national interest and not long-term peace. The true national interest of the US requires a true genuine peace among the people of the Middle East. But how can the people befriend each others when most of the combatants are ruled by dictatorships who control the media and brainwash their people into hatred, terrorism, and rejection of peace. Peace is the result of a humane justice for people and nations. There is no justice under dictatorships.

No peace can be achieved in the Middle East as long as the Syrian Dictatorship is standing. Can you recall any peace treaty between a democracy and a dictatorship, or, between dictatorships, that resulted in a lasting peace? This century is full of historical examples. How long was Hitler appeased after the occupation of Chekslovakia? How long did peace between him and Stalin last after the occupation of Poland? How long did the North Vietnamese wait after the Paris peace accord before they invaded South Vietnam again? Have we forgotten the war making policies of the USSR under Leonid Bregnev when it kept expanding its influence and instigating "liberation wars" directly or through client states in Angola, Chad, Korea, Latin America, and Afghanistan?

The fall of the "Evil Empire" (USSR - prison of nations and its client states) did not disband all the troops. Children of the Evil Empire, rogue states, still exist in North Korea, Cuba, Libya, Iraq, and Syria. Most of these states are classified as terrorist regimes by the US State Department. North Korea and Iraq are facing starvation as well as isolation. Libya and Cuba are in deep economic crisis but many nations are doing business with them. Only Syria is successful in avoiding isolation and is reaping huge economic benefits from its occupation of Lebanon. What is the secret of the Syrian Dictatorship? How could it pursue a policy of aggression, tyranny, and terrorism, against its people, Lebanon, Israel, Arab neighbors, and the people of the world and get away with it. Why does the US tolerate Syria’s Dictator Hafez Assad, and continues to do business with him?

The US Chinese policy is called engagement. In the Iraq/Iran case, it is called dual containment. For Cuba it is the ongoing economic and diplomatic boycott. With North Korea it is food help. What is the US policy towards Syria called? What is its rationale? If the US is truly interested in bringing Peace to the Middle East, then can it describe the logic of its Syrian policy?

Assad has played a crucial role in undermining Arab causes, solidarity, and interests during the 30 years of his dictatorial rule. His tyrannical and bloody regime has chased peace away from the ME and true economic prosperity never materialized. If you want your enemy to remain weak, then wish a dictatorship upon them. Democracy and freedom bring progress and economic advancements. Dictatorships bring human pain, stifling of creativity, command economies, poverty, the rule of political and economic mafias, and the misallocation of economic resources. We have seen the example in many nations throughout the world from the former USSR to Indonesia. By imposing the Syrian dictatorship on Lebanon, the area has been further retarded and its economic health poisoned. Is this the goal of the US policy in the Middle East? Is it acceptable to turn us into another Indonesia with our own little Suhartos (Assad, and Hariri) while dismantling such systems elsewhere in the world?

Let us follow the logic of the current US diplomatic path in the Middle East. Let us assume that Syria and Israel do sign a peace treaty acceptable to both and establish some sort of "permanent" peace on their border. Will that be the end of the suffering in the Middle East? What about the Syrian occupation of Lebanon? What about the human rights of Syrian citizens? What kind of economic prosperity can result under the Syrian dictatorship? How can you be forward looking, promote progress, encourage economic activity and individual effort, all necessary components of a warm peace when you continue to have a 30 years old dictatorship ruling its people and neighboring Lebanon with an iron fist?

It is in the interest of the US to graduate the region into democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Only then will the creative social forces be unleashed and true economic partnerships between Israel and its neighbors can be formed. Cooperative projects involving industry, banking and finance, tourism, natural resources, and cultural exchanges can be executed. A democratic Middle East with a market economy will bring prosperity to the region, spread wealth, and strengthen peace. The purchasing power of millions will improve and new markets for products and services will be formed. Economic exchanges between Israel and Arab countries will explode. True peace among the people will then take hold, because of the similarities in the political systems (democracy), economic models (Free enterprise-market economies), values (respect for human rights and the will of the people), and joint economic stakes.

Peace with a dictatorship is only appeasement of a tyranny and is never permanent. The Syrian dictatorship is built on a coup d’etat and a Police state. It lacks both legitimacy and the legal foundation to sign peace treaties. How can you trust Assad’s signature when he violates the Taef Accord, International law, and human rights. How can you trust the Syrian intentions towards the security of the Israeli people when they oppress their own people rights and attack, bombard, occupy, and pillage neighboring Lebanon. The world powers must condemn the Syrian dictatorship and establish an economic blockade (like the one against Iraq) for its violations of International law and its refusal to implement UN resolution 520. The current path of attempting to lure the Syrian dictatorship into peace is only appeasement.

The Syrian dictatorship must die and be replaced by a democratic regime. True peace can only be achieved between democratic nations. Only then will True Peace have a chance in the Middle East. Only when Syrian occupation troops withdraw from Lebanon can peace come. Only when the Palestinian people achieve their right to self-determination can peace come. Only when Israel is guaranteed security and its right to live in peace and safety under the sun can peace come. Only when democracy and human rights are established everywhere in the ME can peace come. Anything short of that, any further deals with Syria’s dictator, are self-delusion and a waste of time, resources, and human lives. It is the perpetuation of evil and enslavement or people.

Long Live Free Lebanon