There is much to extol from Western civilization, Thanks to its rooting in Judeo-Christian values (and its Christian values are themselves rooted in Jewish ones), there is an implicit respect for human life. Respect for the intrinsic dignity of each person (all created in God's image) and the recognition that civilization reaches its apex by according sovereignty to the People, as they choose to exercise it.
However, the great weakness and vulnerability of the West is the flip side of what elevates it to greatness: accountability.
Western civilization functions best in dealing with different sovereign realms which are themselves rooted in the ethos of the West, including their own needs for accountability.
Ironically though, it is accountability to one’s own citizenry that renders Western societies very vulnerable against autocratic and theocratic regimes. These regimes are not concerned about accounting to their own, except if they feel threatened for usurpation,
But when a regime has no regard for its own, it can not only do things that a Western sovereignty would not do to its own people, but also it can manipulate that accountability to defeat its Western adversary,
Accountability inevitably places guard rails on the autonomy of Western leadership. There are divisions of power, with oversight from legislators and courts, media analysts, activists, and ultimately elections that constrain the actions of Western rulers.
Autocratic and theocratic adversaries have become adept at exploiting Western accountability by appealing either directly or through psy ops to those westerners who see themselves opposed to their leaders. They can take advantage of a free and open press, skeptical academics and any number of NGOs that might reflect their agenda.
Meanwhile, autocratic and theocratic regimes show no concern for the sentiments of their own. Not only are they willing to repress and punish those who disagree with them, but they are adept at blocking access to the outside world to their own people,
Accountability is simply a non-factor to these regimes.
The current war against Iran and its proxies by the United States and Israel provides a great case in point as to Western vulnerability.
There are several self-imposed constraints on US and Israeli leaders: an unwillingness to be indiscriminate in attacking the enemy because of an underlying respect for enemy non-combatants; a civilizational proclivity for finding a solution that can eliminate warfare; and a recognition that there is only so much US and Israeli leaders can do without the support of their own citizenries.
This last factor seems to be looming large in the decision making of both US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. In both cases, elections loom later this year. In the US, if the Congressional midterm elections in November result in the Republicans losing their thin majorities in either or both Houses, there is likely to be tremendous push back on whatever Trump would be seeking to do, in any global theater, but especially in the Middle East.
Trump and the Iranians know this, and the Iranians are using the pretext of negotiations to create a scenario that is least disposed to American demands and aims.
The Iranians know that time is a factor that they can exploit. Yes, time is working against them while the US naval blockade is in effect. This painful economic squeeze is however mitigated by the lack of accountability Iran feels towards its own.
In addition, the Iranians know that using delays and digging in their heels with demands that they know that the US cannot and will not accede to, or demands that the US will accede to that make the it dependent on Iran's trustworthiness, increase the impatience of the accountable US citizenry, and also put Trump in a position that sounds like increasing desperation for a deal.
Why? Because of impending elections, where an increasingly unpopular war will likely be the dominant issue. If Trump can point to an agreement that ends the fighting and opens up the Strait of Hormuz and appears to somehow significantly constrain Iran’s nuclear appetite, he will hail it as a great victory.
Netanyahu also needs to point to something that validates both the Israeli war effort and his leadership of it. He has the advantage over Trump of having to be accountable to a citizenry that is seeking more not less decisive military action, a citizenry that almost quite literally is “shooting to the right" of its leadership. And they too are seeking victory, as they would define it.
The Iranians of course will also be declaring victory and will point to the inability of the US to “defeat" them as proof of the victory. Victory of course means that there is still a theocratic regime, period end of story. The diminution and disintegration of their armed forces, defenses, missiles, factories - what in Western parlance would translate into defeat - does not register.
Destroyed assets can be replaced. But the mission of the theocratic regime to oppose and to defeat the Infidels continues unabated. This is the enduring victory, and it is a victory greatly facilitated by not having to be accountable to its own people, Quite the opposite, dissenting Iranians can be, have been and will be eliminated without the slightest compunction.
The bottom line is that the Western Marquis of Queensbury rules are no match for the "anything goes" steel cage match dispositionof the Iranians. What the West has assumed would be dispositive in bringing the Iranian regime to heel is having only a limited impact.
This is not said in praise nor appreciation of the Iranians. None of us would ever want to live under such a repressive anti-human regime. But the Iranians have proved to be highly adept at using the magnificence of Western values and sensibilities to expose its vulnerabilities and weaknesses, while protecting their own.
Douglas Altabef is the Chairman of the Board of Im Tirtzu and a Director of the Israel Independence Fund