From Thinking Outside the Boxe’s London Correspondent

The U.S. has valued its influence in the Middle East for many decades. A region filled with oil and dictatorships, the Middle East captivates U.S. foreign policy makers on both ideological and economic levels. Yet the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 have dramatically changed the political landscape in the region, and the U.S. must now learn to deal with the developing situation that will eventually lead to a new status quo in the Middle East. Considering that one of the U.S.’s main foreign policy goals is encouraging democracy abroad, have these revolutions been a good thing for America’s standing in the region? Unfortunately for U.S. policy makers, if not for citizens of Middle Eastern countries themselves, these revolutions have not only overthrown old dictatorships, but also the U.S.’s ability to influence politics within the region. Continue reading →