In a recent panel at the Brookings Institution, Dr. Kenneth Pollack proposed a new strategy for dealings between the United States and the Middle East. “The United States cannot run away from the problems in the Middle East. We must reach a balanced long-term relationship,” stated Dr. Pollack, a Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings.
Greatly simplifying the ideas in his new book, A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East, Dr. Pollack argued that the current U.S. strategy for dealings with the Middle East is “misguided. We are trying to cure a symptom and not the problem. The Middle East wants change, even, if it is through violence and just to change the status quo. The United States must embark on a strategy of massive economic and social reform. Although there can be no concrete formula, a strategy is necessary, the change must be feasible, and participation must be abundant.”
Dr. Pollack’s strategy is “to deal with each specific region specifically. Each policy must be individually-crafted to fit each separate region.” The United States must “make regimes partners, though they might have to ‘push’ them. The regimes in the Middle East are too powerful to bully.” By incorporating regimes, the region will become open and capable of change, and the change will “be indigenously driven, not imperialistically-imposed.”
The first, and most important, changes must take place in the economy and education systems. “Unemployment is in the double digits, and in many countries it ranges between twenty and thirty percent. The high demand for oil is causing inflation, causing the middle and lower class to suffer,” stated Dr. Pollack. However, economic reforms will only take place after improvements have been made in education.
As explained by Dr. Marwan Muasher, another panelist and Middle East policy expert, “Education reforms are particularly important in the Middle East because sixty percent of the Arab population is youth.” Because of its high youth population, Dr. Marwan Muasher believes that education is “the biggest problem facing the Middle East. We must emphasize improving the quality of education.” Only when the majority of the population is properly educated will the Middle East be capable of making the needed economical changes, he argues.
Additionally, education reform would help the United States fight the War on Terror. “History has shown that in societies with a youth population over forty percent experience a revolution or war. And terrorism comes from failed revolutions,” stated Dr. Pollack. “Terrorists are the remaining extremist from previous revolutions. They want to overthrow local governments and replace them with their own.” By educating the youth, revolutions will not occur, and terrorism will diminish, he argues.
Changes in the economy and education system are not the only reforms that need to take place, but they are somewhere to start. Political and institutional changes will follow after social change, he argues.. This strategy is opposite of the current U.S. strategy. As David Brooks—an op-ed columnist for the New York Times and the final panelist—explained, “Our current belief is that ‘if we change the institution, we change the culture’ . . . this is a liberal belief. We need to adopt a more conservative belief, ‘if we change the culture, we change the institution,’ for our plans to work.” Changing a culture takes time, though, and Brooks believes most Americans are not willing to spend the time.
Brooks explained, “As I followed the conventions in Denver and St. Paul, there was an implication in both parties’ plans for dealing with the Middle East. ‘If we end our reliance on foreign oil, we don’t have to deal with them [the Middle East] anymore.’” However, “The Middle East will emerge as the single greatest problem facing America in the coming years if reforms are not made,” stated Dr. Pollack. “This is not going to be easy. There is a need for gradualism and patience. Speed kills reforms. This will require dedication not only from this generation, but from the ones to come.”
Lance Nation is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.
