IN RESPONSE TO MY POST ON ANTI-AMERICANISM AS A DISTRACTION, reader Mostafa Sabet emails:

I brought up the same thing to my father this weekend, though not using anti-Americanism as the focus. We were discussing Israel as the lynch-pin of the MidEast debate, however I think this is a state sponsored red herring. This is the one cause the oppressive regimes of the region feel safe in allowing their people protest for. As long as their people complain loudly about Israel, they remain blind or numbed to their own hopeless condition. I brought up how in Iran, which appears to be on the cusp of popular revolt, it seems like there are far fewer revolts and protests about Israel than about their own conditions. They are no less sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinian people, but have better things to worry about, their own lives. This is similar to the position of anti-Americanists, distraction instead of improvement. Blame America instead of corrupt officials and your oppressive regime.

However, we shouldn’t use the “they want us to change” excuse as a reason not to improve our policies. We are starting to see how bankrolled thugs can bite us in the ass with the Saudis. Also, our hypocrisy in foreign policy does alienate potential allies. Not to say we should roll over and die, but rather we need honestly examine and improve our MO in foreign policy. It is not appeasement, but rather appraisal and editing.

I agree. I think we should make clear that we’ll happily live in peace with people who mean us no harm, but that corrupt thugs who hate us — or pretend to — are another matter entirely.