You have to look at the history of the Middle East in particular. It has been one of failure and frustration of feudalism and tribalism.
A durable long-term U.S.-China strategic relationship is even more important...
The Soviet Union did not achieve victory over the West so was my information...
There were years when I was a beer and tequila guy then I got real fat. And then I found that you could actually go on a diet and drink scotch. Then I got hooked on scotch and if you get hooked on scotch then everything else just tastes wrong.