Eli5: how did America actually destabilize the Middle East in the Iraq war? What was done specifically that caused all of the chaos in the countries we were involved in?
In: 185
Nature adores a vacuum.
The Middle East was ruled by a strong man who smashed things in his way in ugly ways. The timid people just stepped out of his way. The strong stood up and either became more strong or where killed.
That strong man was removed and all of those other strong want to step in to stand in the vacuum of power where those shoes once where.
Put another way: You have a thing that is so bad that if you try to fix it – that thing will crumble. But it is held together by sheer will and personal power. Then that power that held it together is gone – and the system crumbles.
Syria, Libia, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey all of these places are lead by strong men who hold power by invalid means. When they go – everyone who was oppressed comes out because there is a vacuum where that power hold was.
What will be interesting is when Russia(Putin) or China(Xi), or perhaps NorthKorea(Jong) goes – what happens then?
In the west we have a “deep [political] bench” we have plenty of backup with skilled people and a well educated population that will not put up with that nonsense. Our system accepts that there is and will be a change of government every 4 to 6 or at most 10 years.
Libia how long was Kadafi in power?
Mubarak in Egypt?
Erduan – in Turkey?
Sadam in Iraq
The SHAW in Iran
I could go on with others – when these power centers collapse bad things happen because there is nothing to fill the vacuum.
History is full of these examples and history repeats often
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