"It does, however, put a lot of money in the coffers of the multinationals who want to do business in these regions unimpeded by labor and environmental laws." So sayeth the anonymous guest regarding United States foreign policy! Ah yes, the Middle East is well known for its progressive labor and environmental laws -- as well as for its constitutional safeguards protecting the rights of women, children, ethnic and religious minorities, political dissidents, conscientious objectors, homosexuals, and people accused of crimes. That stands in stark contrast to the USA where women are routinely stoned to death for alleged sexual improprieties, where children are treated as chattle, where ethnic and religious minorities are either expelled or repressed, where political dissent is brutally crushed, where conscientious objectors are beheaded, where homosexuals are crushed to death under bulldozed brick walls, and where criminal defendants aren't even afforded the trappings of due process. Long live Saddam Hussein!