If you are expecting yet another analysis of why the US and the West act as they do toward Arabs and Muslims, how the Zionist lobby is to blame and how we can beat them at their game and turn things around, then read NO more.

There are over 50 years worth of countless books, articles and paid for analysis that just do that and split a million hairs in the process, get one and read it.

It is in my humble opinion, that the only worthwhile intellectual pursuit in regard to this topic at this moment in our history is to occupy our collective mind with the questions of, why do WE let them control our life and destiny with such contempt? and how can we put a stop to it? In doing so, we need to examine the roles of the main players, namely the Americans and the west; the western established and maintained Zionist entity, "Israel"; the Arab regimes and last but definitely not least the Arab masses and intellectuals.

Since we are always condemning the west and the Americans for our problems then let us start with them. Successive American administrations have demonstrated times and again their "animosity" to Arab and Muslim masses, countries and liberation movements. Their conduct towards Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Egypt till the Camp David agreement- are good examples. The motives and reasons for their unbridled contempt for our dignity and our rights are beyond the scope of this article. Except for the most important reason of all, the fact that WE let them; It is really that simple and that complex. They repeatedly declare their unshaken commitment to the military superiority of an occupying power, Israel, over all the Arab countries combined. Their governmental and education systems and media vilify Arabs and Muslims in every which way possible. Only Arabs and Muslims are exempted from the freedom and civil liberties bestowed on all citizens of the land. Hence Arabs and Muslims can be stopped and detained at any US airport or crossing point without any reason or justification what so ever, other than looking like an Arab or a Muslim. In return, western and American expatriates receive the royal treatment at Arab and Muslim airports;  Arab and Muslim markets are wide open for Western and American products; they practically control the flow of Arab oil; Arab countries continue to serve as military bases for their fleets; Arab and Muslim money continue to flood their investment houses while Arab and Muslim financial markets are starving for capitals. So ask yourself, why would they change this formula, so long as they can have their cake and eat it too.

To describe western and American conduct as biased as many Arab regimes, media and intellectuals do, is a gross understatement. Utter contempt, racist and insulting is more accurate description. Speaking of American contempt, I am reminded by the first visit of the American foreign secretary's, Mr. Powell, to the Arab world few months ago. On the eve of his visit to the Arab world, and while Israeli tanks were bounding defenseless men, women and children in Palestine, American and British bombers were sent to kill more ill and malnourished Iraqi civilians, compliments of US sanctions.  Can there be a more humiliating introduction! Despite it all, Mr. Powell was very well received by his subservient hosts, the Arab-regimes, and was very vocal about his "concern" about Iraq's FUTURE threat to Arab children while shamelessly ignoring the fact that as he spoke, Israeli tanks were maiming and killing Arab CHILDREN in Palestine by the dozens. One has come to expect this excessive moral elasticity from American and Western officials and policy makers, but how can one forgive their Arab hosts for allowing them to display such utter and total contempt for our blood, dignity and intelligence.  How can one forgive them for allowing them to do so right in our faces, in our home and while the slaughter continued using American made tanks, missiles and Apache helicopters and all the while protected by American UN veto.

My point is not about hypocrisy, double standards or the moral corruption of American Administrations; that has been established with their conduct in Vietnam, Hiroshima and Iraq when they unnecessarily and in cold blood massacred over 100,000 fleeing Iraqis on the highway to Baghdad. Rather, my point is that the Arab regimes and we, the Arab masses and intellectuals allow them to do so with impunity and without even a serious protest. Not even a decent demonstration was organized to protest the humiliating and vulgar Arab-Iraqi's blood letting introduction, he chose for himself. The blame is not only on the Arab regimes but also on the Arab masses and the often absent well fed and fattened Arab intellectuals. But the masses are ultimately responsible; The tragic situation we live from the gulf to the ocean is every individual's responsibility, silence and inaction to avoid risk do NOT absolve anyone from his/her moral obligation and national duty.

Powell's visit was part of a simple US strategy that has successfully served successive American Administrations for decades. Once things heat up in the Arab world, they start sending reps to the area to put an air of expectation and false hope without any real concrete steps or plans to resolve anything. They even get the Europeans and now the Russians to join in the game. To hide their failure, effected Arab regimes play these empty, vague and worthless sentiments and words to the fullest in their carefully controlled media. Unfortunately, many so called Arab intellectuals join in the game and spend weeks and months analyzing and dissecting worthless American and western envoys statements and notions till the next tour, summit or meeting and the theatrics go on. The cycle is repeated as needed and this has been going on for decades. And it will go on for many more decades to come till WE put a stop to it. The West and the US  have been insulting our intelligence with this policy for decades and it is time WE all, intellectual, activist and masses tell them in words and in deeds enough is enough. Otherwise, as Powell's visit and absurd logic "Iraq is more of a threat to Arab Children than Israel" has shown, the Americans and the west will continue to use us, abuse us with this attitude for as long as we let them.

Madness is often defined as "doing the same thing again and again and yet expect a different outcome".  continuously and repeatedly keep analyzing western and American motives, actions and hostile policies against Arabs and Muslims as we have been doing for the last 100 years, when the conclusion is always the same is not only pointless, it is madness itself. Blaming them, as they unfortunately take on the role of the enemy, for their conduct our weakness and sorry state is not going to change anything. To the contrary, it will prolong our miseries and our suffering by externalizing our will-power - through having us accept our role as powerless and passive objects at the whim of western and Zionist strategists. It distract us from addressing the root and complex causes of our problems and it maintains this deafest attitude of helplessness, hopelessness and weakness. When you lose your will-power, hope and self empowerment your are defeated. It is the most effective and least costly way to defeat an opponent. Israel and the west have so far excelled at defeating us before even the fight starts.

Having said that and since the Arab regimes and most Arab intellectuals seem to have abrogated their role of safeguarding the interest, dignity and future of our people; the Arab and Muslim masses and not the Americans nor the west are ultimately responsible for their own fate.

In simple terms, if we let other nations and people use and abuse us it is our doing first and foremost. To address the problem we focus on why are we this defenseless when we have this massive expanse of land, population, resources, potential brain power and the greatest Arab and Muslim civilization to draw from. We focus on how we can rectify the cause of our weakness and how we can become strong enough to be the masters of our own destiny. Not only to repel aggression regardless of its source, but to establish and preserve our independence, free will and dignified human existence. To live up to our entrusted responsibility of charting a brighter future for our children. To be true to our forefathers who are probably cursing us from the graves for shaming their proud, enlightened and dignified history, for squandering their hard won achievements and for sullying their memories and their legacy. Could we truly be the heirs and children of Omar Bin El- khatab, Haroon Al Rahseed, Al Muatasem, Jaber Bin Hayan, Al Razy, Tariq bin Ziyad, Salah Al-deen..... could we?

What are we afraid of? Is life worth living, without dignity?