It's possible that someone (or thing) misread this to mean that I don't think the people of the middle-east are important. Not being a sociopath, I think the pe

It's possible that someone (or thing) misread this to mean that I don't think the people of the middle-east are important. Not being a sociopath, I think the people there are the most important part of the situation, by far. I am ashamed that I cannot figure out really how to stop the incursions - that list of 3 things is the best I can do. As for "really real" motivations, I don't think "free security" is inane at all. It makes simple, easy-to-understand financial sense. You just have to eliminate any empathy or compassion to see it. There is also a thick strain of (I think well-meaning) cultural imperialism expressed by neo-cons, roughly the desire to 'uplift the barbarians'. This one is both moral and financial - moral for obvious reasons, and financial because cultural hegemony gives peace which is free security. The more sinister view is that turmoil breeds profits, so if you want profits you breed turmoil. There is some of that, but it's rare, I think.