After decades of cynical and often secret interventions by the US, Britain, France, Russia, and other outside powers, the region’s political institutions are based largely on corruption, sectarian politics, and brute force. Yet whenever a new Middle East crisis erupts, the latest being triggered by the Islamic State’s recent gains, the US intervenes again, perhaps to change a government (as it has just orchestrated in Iraq) or to launch a new bombing assault.
在经历了几十年来自美国、英国、法国、俄罗斯和其他外部势力自私并且通常是秘密的干预后，该地区的政治制度可以说是建立在腐败、宗派政治和野蛮武力的基础上。但每当新的中东危机爆发时&mdash;&mdash;最新的例子是伊斯兰国的狂飙突进&mdash;&mdash;美国就会再次干预，或者是改变政府（如刚刚在伊拉克所导演的），或者是发动新一轮轰炸袭击。幕后交易和暴力仍是日常规则。