In my opinion, when all is said and done,:
1) You've to tow a certain line set by the US if you want to survive properly in the world in this point in time, as simple as that.
2) You can survive and be resilient but you'll exist miserably if you don't play along...Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia
3) Once you're appropriately weak you will be
taken care of....you can count on that...Iraq and Libya
At this point in time....that's how things are...that's just the way it is...those are the options (I am not gonna get into Morality of things). Mid-East countries have to be extra careful.
PS: China is perhaps a bit of an exception to some extent.