Member-only story
Citizens of prosperous wealthy countries with good stable governments may be insulated from the realities underlying events in the world, realities that may be unpleasant, confusing, or counterintuitive. We lament and worry about why the world is unfair, about why there’s so much conflict, and why we can’t just resolve our differences more graciously and nicely. Aspirations for a better world and inevitable disappointment range across political ideology as adherents try to neatly fit the world into their preconceived notions of morality and understanding of the world, since political ideology is based on effectively arbitrary axioms that may not be tied to reality or human nature.
Absent in all the emotion is an appreciation for the practical realities of geography and outright raw violent force. In fact, even despite the best intentions or explicit desires of the leaders and the populations of these countries, they may have limited or even no choices and may be forced to act in a certain way to protect their own interests. Certain actions and positions may not stem from malice but are required for the sustainability of the state and…
