Survival in the post-American world

It is generally assumed that the prospects for Israel’s survival are highly unlikely at best. Gloomy predictions promising Israel’s imminent demise through demographic melt-down, nuclear war, terrorism, isolation, sanctions or acts of God are commonplace. It’s depressing, but at least it offers the prospect of instant relief for aging members of the Waffen SS and the restless Islamic masses eager to follow in their footsteps.

So it appears reasonable to expect the worst. Our American ally has abandoned us, Egypt is quickly turning Islamist and Iran is steadily advancing its nuclear project. Meanwhile Europe seems eager to sink back into the madness. The government of Israel really only has one good option and that is to build a giant spacecraft to get us all the heck out of here. Who knows, maybe we will find a planet somewhere that does have intelligent life.

Yet, while all of this may be true, I can’t escape the impression that because of all these threats, and mixed with a bit of luck, Israel is actually the most likely of all Western countries to survive this century. Which is confusing to me, because I am a pessimist.

Obama’s recent betrayal (pick any) is a case in point. While there is no doubt that his administration eventually will be replaced by a more friendly government. It is a sign that it’s time for Israel to diversify. What a few years ago seemed like a most unlikely threat is now becoming reality: America is turning into Europe. I salute the valiant efforts of the Tea Party and constitutional conservatives to avert this fate. Unfortunately, it seems that cultures with Christian European roots cannot avoid but to dissolve into multicultural politically correct oblivion.

Since it’s not a good idea to be the junior partner of a superpower on the path to self-dismantlement, Israel should start to look elsewhere. With America shedding its military and economic powers and Europe descending into blabbering irrelevance, Asia appears as an interesting alternative. Well, actually the only alternative. Asia is not only economically interesting. What makes its people appealing is that anti-Semitism is alien to them; also, they don’t suffer from Christian guilt. Lacking monotheistic envy, they are respectful to Jews as an ancient civilization and interested in Israel’s technological prowess. Of course Israel won’t have the same relationship with China as it had with the US. But in the future it will cozy up to nations that do believe there are interests worth defending. Countries that tend to support their allies instead of betraying them, while being a bit more than just a friendly nuisance toward their enemies. Those countries most likely are to be found in Asia.

Israel’s dependency on American power was supposed to be our Achilles’ heel. For example, it is not an accident that the pro-Palestinian “flytillas” and flotillas appeared after Obama was elected. Israel is perceived to be extremely vulnerable now that Obama resides in the White House. There was real euphoria among the pro-Palestinian crowd after his election and the flotillas were born out of a sense of impending victory: finally they could put the squeeze on us. But wouldn’t you know it, just when America elects the first post-American president — and our goose seems to be really cooked — the Middle East blows up. Oh, and to top it off, huge quantities of gas and shale oil are found in Israels territory. WTF?!

Instead of going down, Israel will very soon have an excellent replacement for American aid by exporting energy. Once nuclear weapons proliferate — and they will, regardless of Iran — Israel will also be one of the few countries with the technology and the expertise to set up defensive missile shields. This technology is going to be in high demand, especially to formerly affluent Western nations that will still be regarded by radical Islamist regimes as the enemy. Is there anywhere I can buy stock?

Israel’s position is even more robust when you consider that it’s running budget surpluses year after year while the entire West is drowning in debt. In the not-so-distant future, Israel may still be offering its citizens something that most Western countries will no longer be able afford: pensions and healthcare. Expect waves of Jewish immigrants from Western countries already feeling the heat of Islamic immigration arriving in Israel as Western prosperity declines. Demographic problems solved.

Of course we will always have the Palestinians. But what the Arab storm should have taught us by now is that Israel’s neighbors are mostly artificial states doomed to collapse. Syria; Iraq; Jordan; and in a way, Lebanon too — all are countries where a majority is dominated by a minority. Call Israel an apartheid state all you want — at least it’s ruled by the majority. What’s Jordan without a Hashemite ruler but a Palestinian state with a different name? Why should there be a Palestine in Gaza as well as on both sides of the Jordan River? How much longer can the Kurds be denied their own state? What’s going to happen to an energy-rich Israel in a Middle East where it’s not longer the only non-Arab state, while Western influence to strong-arm Israel into suicidal concessions has melted away?

There is a new word that should become part of the Israeli lexicon: “Victory.”

Get used to it.