Bernard Finel and I are debating the following proposition
Resolved:Â the United States should withdraw from the Middle East
at Outside the Beltway. Dr. Finel is taking the affirmative and I’m taking the negative.   The introduction is here and the affirmative case is stated here.  Here’s a sample from Dr. Finel’s affirmative case:
I have argued for a the United States to maintain a dramatically smaller “footprint†on the ground in the Middle East while actively seeking to reduce our “fingerprints†on policy developments in the region. The U.S. military is too active and too visible. American Embassies are too large. And in general, our role in region is too overwhelming. Poll after poll shows the same thing — The United States is blamed for many of the misfortunes of the region and is considered an aggressive, hostile, imperialist power. At this point, our active involvement is self-defeating.
I, on the other hand, think that a thorough disengagement from the region would be an error. Simply stated, there’s more at stake there for the United States there than terrorists, oil, and Israel, those things will still be at stake however much we disengage, and by disengaging we’ll cede any ability to guide how those matters are resolved.
Debating is a format that’s fairly rare in the blogosphere and I’m looking forward to debating this important topic with Dr. Finel.
{ 2 comments }
I havent yet read Dr Finels piece, but the excerpt you quoted is just hand waving. We have "too large" a footprint? by what metric? with what consequence?
I dunno what your main thrust will be but if you have time, do bring up the unpleasant truth that geopolitics abhors a vacuum. If not us, then probably China.
I plan in cheering you on from the sidelines since I doubt I could make this case as effectively as you will.
You’re already outlined three of the key components of my negative case: the difficulty in drawing the line, lack of evidence, and the perils of ceding the initiative (which his plan most definitely would do). He’s making a comparative benefits case which is darned hard to do if you don’t quantify any of the costs or benefits.
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