So. Looks like this thing in Iran is escalating pretty quickly, no?Indeed, this it is. It's got people wearing the already-environmentally-trademarked color green in support of those rioting in Tehran here in the states. The Iranian media has been ordered to blackout the biggest news story in the country, namely, the riots and the election that caused them.
The only word is coming from amateur sources. Twitpics, camera-phones, and facebook are playing an integral role in telling the world what's happening over there. 'Neda,' a young protester who was allegedly shot in the chest and died on camera, is being used as a martyr for their cause.
All of this compelling turmoil going on in the world, and the world wants to hear from the most compelling man in that world right now: President Barack "Check my $tats" Obama.
Yet the gregarious chief executive has remained vigilantly silent.
Oh, the irony.
The man whose rhetoric can sweep men, women, babies, and some mammals off their feet suddenly has a case of feline-mandibular-seizure. The cat seems to have his tongue, that is.I think it's showing his intelligence, personally. Thoughtfulness, if not intelligence.
People are clamoring for him to say something, anything about it. Joe "WHOOOOOO's Gotta Microphone?!" Biden has already voiced his unsolicited opinion, saying there are real concerns about the legitimacy of the election. Well, duh, Joe. Someone who many call a dictator calls the election —for him, of course— only two hours after the polls close?
The other day I was speaking with Sen. Mark Pryor, interviewing him for something other than this post. Pryor commended Obama for his silence. In our conversation, he related this issue to a similar one Reagan faced early in his presidency, namely, the oft-forgotten situation in Dec. 1981 in Poland, in which their government declared marshal law, which P.O.ed the Soviets, which got the Pope in a fuss, and so on and so forth. Like I said, it's oft-forgotten, but Reagan, for the most part, bit his tongue on the matter.
Pryor says that showed Reagan's political savvy to reserve plight-shifting judgment and says that Obama is showing the same. I tend to agree; Obama's opinion on the matter might not solve anything, as odd as that might seem. It could in fact have adverse effects on the situation,
like strengthening the resolve of the man who is unwilling to open himself to the possibility of being ousted from office or pushing someone who is just about to go on a violent tirade instead of a peaceful rant just over the edge.The fact is we don't have all the facts. Time Magazine's Howard Chua-Eoan (hat tip to Blake Rutherford) asked what aren't we seeing in Tehran. The answer is undetermined at this point. And as my associate John Brummett advises me, if you don't have anything worth contributing, you ought not contribute at all.
I guess that's what Obama's doing. Despite criticisms being levied for his omission, I'm willing to give him a pass.
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Watch the youtube video of Neda as she lay dying in the steet. Then tell me if you are still willing to give Obama another free pass on his silence. There is a time for words and there is a time to act. The good people of Iran are no less worthy of liberation than were the countries of Eastern Europe under the brutality of the Nazi dictatorship during WWII. Also, there is a strategic opportunity here to stabilize the middle east and to remove a nuclear threat from the region once and for all.
ReplyDeleteThe removal of this threat is reason enough to at least launch a covert operation to coordinate and assist in the overthrow of the Iranian dictatorship.
Eloquent words are not sufficient to stop an aggressor, they never are. Eloquent words could not save Neda, and they will not help her brave countrymen in their fight for freedom.
Perhaps president Obama will eventually act in a meaningful way, but for now, no, i cannot give Mr. Obama a free pass.
And oh by the way, i am a registered Democrat that voted for Obama in 2008, so it causes me pain not pleasure to criticize my president.
Daniel. South Florida.
Good comments Daniel. Wish I had more like them.
ReplyDelete1.) I did write this after watching the "Neda" video.
2.) The good people of Iran are indeed worthy of living a free life.
3.) He still gets a pass from me today.
All of this is contingent on getting good a solid information, which it can't be said we are getting from amateur, shaky cameras on social media sites,who are also biased sources, by the way. It's hard to take this to an objective vs. unobjective media question, but it is certainly the case that only one side of the argument is putting out any information, to the detriment of the credibility of the other side, no doubt.
We just need more information — and more time to get that information — and until then, I'm willing to let him float. For now.
As for covert ops, how would we know about them if they were already there?