After a Deal: Regional Cooperation, Convergence Best Option to Resolve Middle East Problems

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Mohssen Massarrat
Retired Professor of Economics and Political Science
University of Osnabrück, Germany

The future outlook of the nuclear challenge between Iran and the West is not determined yet. Despite this ambiguity, serious discussions about the future orientation of Iran's foreign policy are necessary and, fortunately, underway. As much as it is clear, two major tendencies, which are opposed to each other, can be observed in this regard. The first is a tendency toward alignment with the United States, with the second tendency being oriented toward regional convergence. These two tendencies exist both inside and outside the country. There is no doubt that alignment of Iran's foreign policy with the United States will have many considerable advantages for the country. Firstly, Iran will get rid of the current international pressure, and mass communication media, which are under heavy influence of the United States, will cease their anti-Iran propaganda. Secondly, the doors of international economic institutions under the influence of the United States, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will be opened to Iran's economy, and prejudicial treatment, which has so far caused great problems for Iranian investors and investment in Iran, will also end. Thirdly, mutual exchanges with the United States and other Western countries would be made simpler and less costly. Fourthly, by eliminating the cost of international isolation of Iran, the country’s economy would move toward prosperity and Iranian capitalism will find a better position in the system of international division and power and international markets.

Therefore, it follows that in addition to human facilities for Iranian citizens, the alignment of Iran with the United States will help the growth of investment in the country and do away with the existing monopolistic situation. However, it is not clear whether this change would also increase the purchasing power of the middle classes and spread the social justice as well. At any rate, a capitalistic system aligned with the American political system, in the best case, cannot be a better form of the neoliberal capitalism, which is ruling the United States. Therefore, one may claim that alignment with the United States, most probably, would lead to nothing more than replacing a monopolistic economic system with a neoliberal economic system, which will be accompanied with new advantages for the affluent classes.

Despite this problem, the question that exist is “can we basically trust the United States, which has always used all its power to maintain its own hegemonic state, and use that trust as a means of bringing about better and more stable conditions in the region?”

To answer this question, it is necessary to first accept the reality that Iran and the world deal with two basically different versions of the United States. One version is the United States that is dependent on its military and industrial complex, oil industries and huge financial capital of the country. Following the World War II and regardless of whether the elected president has been a Republican or Democrat, this version of the United States has been represented by the neocons. As a result, this political current has been in control of almost all powerful news and mass communication media of the United States and the West and has been successful in determining the orientation and depth of the United States’ long-term political relations with the rest of the world. The second version is an America which encompasses major creative economic sectors of the country, including automobile industries, other industries producing consumer goods, as well as electronic and agricultural industries, which are facing scathing and direct competition in the global market. Barack Obama is the best president that this version of the United States has been able to bring to power and as the world has seen so far, since coming to office, he has been in a position of retreat. As a result, he has not succeeded in realizing any of the ideals for which he was elected and for which he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize one year after his election.

Therefore, we are actually dealing with that America, whose existence has been tied to hegemony, stoking animosity, continuous export of arms and establishment of military bases, fostering division and chaos, and finally warmongering under various excuses in all parts of the world. Subsequently, it is using all its power for the purpose of maintaining its hegemonic position and plunder natural and financial resources of the world for some more time. For example, the criminal developments that have taken place in the Middle East during the past 60 years, have been result of the performance of the neocons America, which has been purposively seeking to strengthen its full control over the world’s natural resources such as oil and gas in order to use oil and the US dollar, which dominates the world oil market, as leverage to impose its hegemonic policies on the entire world.

The past experience, in view of these undeniable developments, shows that regional cooperation and pursuing joint efforts to maintain security of the region constitute the sole rational option available to Iran and the entire region. In addition, both previous experience of economic cooperation among European countries, and the existing capacities of the Middle East, confirm the soundness of this strategy. Europe is a good example in this regard. The history of this region from the Middle Ages up to the 20^th century has been based in war and bloodletting. It has been the cradle of two world wars which left behind over 30 million dead and millions of people injured, and its nations were previously involved in blood feuds against one another. However, their current state shows that it is possible despite such profound adversity to change the course of history toward peaceful coexistence and economic prosperity, or at least, eradicate the possibility of war and conflict among the member states of the European Union by encouraging economic and cultural cooperation.

Therefore, there is no reason why such a trend should not lead to peaceful coexistence in the Middle East region. Delineating an outlook of economic, cultural, social, and especially security cooperation is the best step that can pave the way for natural resources and huge human capacities of the Middle East region to be used for economic development and prosperity, and also for the propagation of social justice. Although most countries in the region are among undeveloped countries, when together, they form a big and powerful market, which is unique in the Third World from various viewpoints, including in terms of huge financial capital, very strong human capacities, and powerful development-seeking motivations among its people, especially the young generation. The surplus financial capital of the sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf region can be considered a suitable supplement for the massive human workforce in this region. In the meantime, relatively powerful agricultural capacities of Turkey and Iran can be used to meet the demand of other countries with weak agriculture sectors. The regional market, which is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, can help Turkey and Iran to boost their industries to be on a par with South Korean industries in a short period of time.

Under conditions of peaceful coexistence, there would be no ground to wage war between Sunnis and Shias and create such extremist groups as ISIS. In that case, the issue of Kurdistan can be resolved peacefully by Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and the Kurdish people through a fair solution. On the other hand, instead of wasting their forces in pursuit of separation, or to encourage nationalistic sentiments and subsequent bloody conflicts, all ethnic groups and regional minorities can use their energy and capacities for the promotion of development drive and welfare in the region. In this way, they will also for good and ever avoid the possibility of turning into a tool in the hands of the global hegemonic powers. A Middle East moving toward understanding as well as economic, cultural and regional security cooperation can deal drastic blows to criminal strategies of American neocons and boost the usefulness of future-building forces both in the United States and other parts of the world. Perhaps, the current chaotic situation is not promising for the realization of this option. However, thinking about and providing grounds for the realization of this option cannot, and should not, be deferred to the future. Even if only half of these promising outcomes could be realized, it would be so attractive, in view of the vast possibilities that it offers the region and the world, that no peace-loving political and social current could remain indifferent to it.

Key Words: Iran, US, Nuclear Deal, Regional Cooperation, Convergence, Middle East, Problems, Neocons, Natural Resources, Hegemonic Powers, Massarrat

Source: Shargh Daily
http://www.sharghdaily.ir/
Translated By: Iran Review.Org