Introduction
The Middle East currently has some notable features and issues that are rather concerning. Some of these problems are the droughts, climate change, and the humanitarian disaster in Syria. Meanwhile, other countries, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are known for being provided with weaponry by the US. However, Kuwait is not an active purchaser of American weapons and is more considerate of the spending of the country.
Discussion
The issues in Syria have reached a rather devastating level. Its climate is becoming drier and hotter, leading to the shrinkage of the Euphrates and complications for farmers willing to grow their crops. This creates a rather unsuitable environment for the latter, causing an active migration from the country. Clean water is no longer easily accessible, and the only liquids being purchased are contaminated. Besides that, there are severe cases of poverty and malnourishment in Syria, with children not attending school (Zawahri, n. d.). Neda offers such ideas as providing resources for free and recommending the country to cooperate with Turkey, which handled its drought successfully (Zawahri, n.d d.). These ideas, albeit too optimistic, could lead to an insightful dialogue on how to take measures besides raising awareness.
The militarization of most Middle Eastern countries is a rather complex topic, which is rooted in historical and political contexts. After attempting to take resources from their colonies, the British gave their military base to the Americans, leading to the latter taking over said bases (Moore, n.d.) The Nixon and the Carter doctrine provide extra context to militarization in the Middle East, with the former stating that the Allies and the South need to pay for their own defense and the latter promising to protect the locations in case of an invasion.
Conclusion
It is important to mention that the countries do not pay for the weapons, the US taxpayers do. Although the Americans’ main objective is to avoid selling weapons to the wrong people, it focuses on the safety of the ruling family. Kuwait is notable for not purchasing weaponry since the late 90s, as it has a competitive government where people question where the country’s money goes. This leads to the theory that this location could be a more self-aware democracy than the US, as well as questioning the morality of further weaponizing the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as they invaded Yemen. In conclusion, these facts make the discussions surrounding the Middle East extremely complicated and nuanced.
References
Moore, P. (n.d.). The politics of weapons and Sales and the Militarization in the Middle East: The Curious Case of Kuwait.
Zawahri, N. (n.d.). Climate Change, Drought and a Humanitarian Disaster in Syria.