Eye On America |Playground lessons on an international scale

Ross Weingarten Opinions Editor

From an early age, boys and girls are told by parents and teachers to act with good ethics and good morals. But what does this mean? What are ethics? And why are they so important? To me, ethics are the code of conduct that we use to interact with the world around us. To treat people fairly, with respect, and with dignity is using what we call “good ethical conduct.” We are taught to respect our elders, look people in the eye when we talk to them, and treat others as we would wish to be treated. All of these actions contribute to good ethics. Lying, cheating and derogating are, of course, acting badly.

So why write this in a column about American politics and foreign policy? Ethics are extremely important at a personal level, but perhaps even more crucial on an international playing field. Without the principles of fairness and equality that we use in our daily interactions with other individuals, the conflicts that plague the Middle East will never end.

Take, for example, the United States’ treatment of Hamas, the party elected by the Palestinian people to run their government. President Bush’s problem with the group is that they do not recognize Israel’s right to exist, and have, directly and indirectly, committed acts of terrorism against their neighbor. To be sure, I do not condone Hamas’ actions, nor do I think it is acceptable to wish for the obliteration of another country. However, Bush and other world leaders cannot continue to block aid to Palestine. Hamas was elected in a fair and transparent election. America preaches democracy around the world, yet when it arrives and we don’t like the outcome, we seek to crush it. The old adage that beggars can’t be choosers rings true here. The Bush administration hopes for dictatorial regimes to end worldwide, yet cringes when elections don’t go as they desire. And what does our government do when this happens? The U.S. tries to reverse course and undo popular will. This is not ethical.

Another example of American unfairness is our relationship with Iran, and our views on their very public desire to acquire nuclear capabilities. It is certainly true that the possibility of a militant Iran with a nuclear weapon is a scary thought. Their president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has said publicly that he desires the destruction of Israel, and a nuclear bomb in his hands could make this a reality.

However, there is also an element of irrationality to America’s fears about Iran’s nuclear goals. First of all, most experts agree that Iran is years away from actually possessing the capability to detonate a bomb. Secondly, other than Ahmadinejad’s rhetoric, there is no evidence that Iran would actually attack Israel, the U.S., or any other country. Finally, other than the deep-seeded fears of Iran that stretch back over decades, there is no solid proof that Iran wants anything other than nuclear energy to power their ever-growing country.

The most important reason to resist either economic or military action against Iran is that it simply is not fair. Israel, Iran’s neighbor and enemy, has a nuclear fleet comparable to almost any in the world. If hostilities ever reached that level, Israel’s military resources would be virtually endless. Presently, there is no equality in the Middle East. Arab nations feel threatened by Israel due to its military might and backing from the United States. A nuclear Iran would do a lot to quell these fears, and might even provide some stability in the region. I know this may sound crazy, but Iran possessing nuclear capabilities might contribute to long-term, lasting peace in the Middle East. As it stands, the situation can’t get much worse

So why do we have such a problem with this thought? The answer, of course, is that Iran is our enemy. Israel, on the other hand, is one of our most trusted allies. Due to this fact alone, can we question Iran’s motives for attempting to aqcquire nuclear capabilities while Israel has dozens of bombs?

There is no doubt that Ahmadinejad should tone down his rhetoric, accept Israel, and allow an international body to monitor his nuclear testing facilities. But the United States must also understand that simply being one of our allies does not give a country rights that another is not entitled to. Nuclear weapons are horrible by nature, but if some countries have them, the only way to prevent violence on the largest scale is to even the playing field. This lesson of fairness is learned on the playground; it’s a simple question of ethics.