Going Green -- Support Iranian democracy

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
This is not about the United States and the West; this is about the people of Iran, and the future that they – and only they – will choose."

Exactly.

Ultimately, this is going to come down to the Iranian military. If they are told to shoot their own people and don't it's all over for the regime. If they are told to shoot their own people and do, it's all over for the opposition. I hope many of those Iranian diplomats receiving invitations to celebrate America's independence will be military attaches who -- outside the listening Iranian regime ears -- will be reminded of the importance of their choice.

[Anonymous]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/world/02diplo.html

This invitation may have made sense a month ago; the facts on the ground have changed. It does not make sense now. I do not condemn Obama's soft diplomacy. Engagement made sense to me a month ago. But there is no legitimate government to 'engage' in Tehran right now. Fine. Wait and see "how it all plays out"--but rescind the hot dog invite for those who are shooting people in the heart. I do not understand why Obama is going forward with a game plan from a month ago, when ALL the facts on the ground have changed. It worries me that his foreign policy is that married to a vision and not to the reality of what is actually happening. AGAIN, I did not say send in the troops. But HOT DOGS? Absolutely not. Something about it says "Nero fiddled while Rome burned". This invitation degrades both the Iranians and Americans who believe in basic human rights.

[Anonymous]

Even Juan Williams is saying the invite is 'ridiculous'

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Even Juan Williams is saying the invite is 'ridiculous'

"Even"? You mean Fox News Juan took time off from attacking Michelle Obama to criticize Barack Obama? What next? You are you going to tell us that "even" John McCain thinks it's a bad idea. Maybe "even" Rush Limbaugh thinks it's a bad idea?

When people who have been wrong about everything think somethings a bad idea, I tend to think that makes it a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Juan Williams is a reasonable and erudite person. Your true colors just popped out.

[Anonymous]

He attended Haverford, Quaker School--my alma mater as well I can't believe you find him so distortionist. Really, you clearly hear what you wish to hear if you just threw him in the dreaded Rush Limbaugh DC Urban Mom Bogeyman dustbin.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:He attended Haverford, Quaker School--my alma mater as well I can't believe you find him so distortionist. Really, you clearly hear what you wish to hear if you just threw him in the dreaded Rush Limbaugh DC Urban Mom Bogeyman dustbin.

Is this the sort of thing they teach you to say in Quaker School:

“If you think about liabilities for President Obama that are close to him … Michelle Obama's right there.”

"[S]he's got this Stokely Carmichael-in-a-designer-dress thing going. If she starts talking … her instinct is to start with this 'blame America,' you know, 'I'm the victim.' If that stuff starts to come out, people will go bananas. …”

http://www.bet.com/News/Decision08/beheard_news_JuanWilliamsBlastMichelleObama.htm

The irony of him combining "designer dress" and "blame America" slams is that Michelle Obama is known to champion American designers for her clothes.

BTW, Williams said the above on Bill O’Reilly's show. So, I believe Juan has put himself in the Rush Limbaugh dustbin.

[Anonymous]

Do the people of Iran want Obama tossing hot dogs to the people shooting at them from roof tops? How bout' you add that up for me and THINK.

I will state this once more. You have no idea what the people of Iran want, nor do you seem to care. You have a bone to pick with Obama, and are cynically using this "hotdog-gate" to attack him under the guise of giving a damn about Iran.

That's all I have to say to you, and won't respond to any of your other arguments.

Please read what the president has said, please read what the Iranian people you profess to care so much for have said.

I care about my family and my friends, and don't appreciate you using them to further your political agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Vis Obama's Cairo speech--sorry he DOES NOT get credit for going to Egypt and telling everyone how great tolerance is, and then waiting for it to 'all play out' in the West Wing while protesters are brutally slain. And as I have made clear---I do not wish for armed intervention; just using the diplomatic and sanctionary tools at our command--certainly NO hot dogs! He either is for tolerance, or isn't. He doesn't get credit when he is only when it's convenient. No Credit for him til' he follows through on his speeches. Most hilarious line of his press conference? We don't know how this will all play out. That is how he decides his foreign policy? Seriously? Did the Allies know how it would 'all play out'? Ridiculous.

Okay, this has really gotten to a bizarre level.
Okay, NO HOT DOGS for Iranian government representatives. I'm sure they'll fold immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do the people of Iran want Obama tossing hot dogs to the people shooting at them from roof tops? How bout' you add that up for me and THINK.

And the people of Iran clearly don't want him interfering any more than he is. I guarantee you -- if Obama comes on as strong as you would like him to, that will give the regime cover for attacking the protesters and it will make it easy for them to convince many average Iranians that they had to respond brutally because it was a US plot.

Obama coming down harder on Iran will make you feel better but it will make things much harder on the protesters. This is not about you and your hysterical need to find things wrong with the Obama government and bash people over the head with them. This is about the best way to help the Iranian protesters. With statements like the one above, you have made it clear that you're not really thinking about their best interests.

[Anonymous]

No. All I have asked him to do is rescind invites to hot dog fests at embassies, make a strong statement condemning violence against peaceful protestors, investigate the possibility of UN statements and sanctions. To the person who has their family members in Iran, my heart goes out to you. I do believe that a soft approach is good. However, not this soft. This has nothing to do with a vendetta against Obama, but hope for the people of Iran. This is not to 'make me feel good'. It is the fact that opportunities like this present themselves very rarely, as in Burma. There are fissures at the very top of the power structure. Reasonable Iranian leadership knows America is here to work with them with an 'open hand'. However, many many protestors have stated that they are tired of living as pariahs and in isolation. These are the people who will eventually topple this regime. Providing comfort to this regime is not what is needed right now.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He attended Haverford, Quaker School--my alma mater as well I can't believe you find him so distortionist. Really, you clearly hear what you wish to hear if you just threw him in the dreaded Rush Limbaugh DC Urban Mom Bogeyman dustbin.

Is this the sort of thing they teach you to say in Quaker School:

“If you think about liabilities for President Obama that are close to him … Michelle Obama's right there.”

"[S]he's got this Stokely Carmichael-in-a-designer-dress thing going. If she starts talking … her instinct is to start with this 'blame America,' you know, 'I'm the victim.' If that stuff starts to come out, people will go bananas. …”

http://www.bet.com/News/Decision08/beheard_news_JuanWilliamsBlastMichelleObama.htm

The irony of him combining "designer dress" and "blame America" slams is that Michelle Obama is known to champion American designers for her clothes.

BTW, Williams said the above on Bill O’Reilly's show. So, I believe Juan has put himself in the Rush Limbaugh dustbin.


And your point is that if a thinker who happens to be black breaks from support for all things Obama and lavish identity politics he must be a right wing Rush Limbaughite?

Wh

[Anonymous]

make a strong statement condemning violence against peaceful protestors

Please read 9:35, above.

What else would you have him say, or do, concretely, that he hasn't said, or done, yet?

Providing comfort to this regime is not what is needed right now.

And in what way is Obama doing this? Please provide concrete examples

opportunities like this present themselves very rarely

Opportunities for what?

[Anonymous]

What REAL Iranian Americans are saying about hotdogs (NIAC is the National Iranian American Council)

http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/iran-updates-june-24/

Diplomatic malpractice? Inviting bureaucrats to a barbecue that they probably won’t even show up to? What’s going on in Iran these days is extremely troubling, and watching all of this unfold is incredibly dramatic. But the folks slamming the President over this are making mountains out of mole-hills. With the President’s deft handling of the situation for nearly two weeks now, Rubin is really scraping the bottom of the barrel…

[Anonymous]

Why would canceling the July 4th picnics in the embassy lead to war? Really? The security position is precarious right now - reason enough to cancel the event. No name calling, no inflamatory rhetoric - just a simple security precaution.