Forget sending a letter, Barack Obama has gone straight to video tape for Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This is so over the top that it smacks of desperation and therefore puts us in a weakened position. From Fox News:
President Barack Obama told Iran's people and leaders that the United States wants to engage with their country and end decades of strained relationship, but not unless their officials stop making threats.Obama on Friday released a video message with Farsi subtitles that urged the two countries to resolve their long-standing differences. His video was timed to the festival of Nowruz, which means "new day." It marks the arrival of spring and is a major holiday in Iran.
"So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's leaders," Obama said in the video. "We have serious differences that have grown over time. My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community."
Obama has signaled a willingness to speak directly with Iran about its nuclear program and hostility toward Israel, a key U.S. ally. At his inauguration last month, the president said his administration would reach out to rival states, declaring "we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."
It's been a rough start for Obama.
That is the understatement of the year.
The video places Ahmadinejad in a position of strength, allowing him the to opportunity to dismiss and downplay the video. Meanwhile, Iran continues is march toward nuclear armament. Iran should be on the defensive; instead, we are.
Permalink | Linking Blogs | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
Barack Obama, Iran
Comments (24)
"Iran should be on the d... (Below threshold)1. Posted by P. Bunyan | March 20, 2009 11:20 AM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
"Iran should be on the defensive; instead, we are.",
Well Obama voters just wanted things to change...
Personally I can't believe in it.
1. Posted by P. Bunyan | March 20, 2009 11:20 AM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:20
2. Posted by GarandFan | March 20, 2009 11:21 AM | Score: 12 (14 votes cast)
OMG! "Sub-titles"? Have they already forgotten about the last 'translation' they tried? Given the 'gang that can't do anything right', we've probably declared war on all new-born male camels.
2. Posted by GarandFan | March 20, 2009 11:21 AM |
Score: 12 (14 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:21
3. Posted by epador | March 20, 2009 11:24 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
He's pulled down his pants, bent over and thinks that mooning them will work. The mullahs are all getting hard ons. Not hard to guess what happens next.
3. Posted by epador | March 20, 2009 11:24 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:24
4. Posted by MPR | March 20, 2009 11:28 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
If he had sent this to the Iranian people supporting their desire to be free of the thug regime they are under that's one thing. This shameful, groveling plea to the leaders is another. Obamalala is worse than I thought he would be. I knew he would be absolutely pathetic. He knows less about foreign relations than he does domestic policy and economics. Not only are the Iranian leaders celebrating. There are celebrations going on in Moscow, Beijing, Caracas, Damascus, Cuba, North Korea............
4. Posted by MPR | March 20, 2009 11:28 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:28
5. Posted by Brett | March 20, 2009 11:43 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
"Oh, please, Mr. Mullah, won't you please stop saying nasty things about us? Would it help if we gave you lots of money?"
Oh, wait, sorry, I jumped the gun - that second one is *tomorrows* headline.
5. Posted by Brett | March 20, 2009 11:43 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:43
6. Posted by Socialism Sucks | March 20, 2009 11:46 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
What does he want the Iranian people to do? Rise up against Ahmadinejad only to get shot down in the streets for dissent? Maybe he can send ACORN over there and at least get rid of one of our problems.
6. Posted by Socialism Sucks | March 20, 2009 11:46 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:46
7. Posted by 914 | March 20, 2009 11:53 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Worst president ever.
Pathetic.
7. Posted by 914 | March 20, 2009 11:53 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:53
8. Posted by Franklin's Locke | March 20, 2009 11:58 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
All this does is show weakness and not strength. Neville Chamberlain tried this type of diplomacy in WWII and Hitler got Poland and Czechoslovakia and the world got screwed.
http://franklinslocke.blogspot.com/
8. Posted by Franklin's Locke | March 20, 2009 11:58 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 11:58
9. Posted by Brett | March 20, 2009 12:06 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
By the way, while this empty suit of a President grovels with the Iranians, everybody seems to be ignoring a far bigger and harder-to-solve problem - the Russians. Putin is rapidly rebuilding the USSR. So not only are we going to end up with Islamofacists, we are also pissing away all the progress made during the 80's. They recognize a pathetic weakling when they see one. Just like 1977.
9. Posted by Brett | March 20, 2009 12:06 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 12:06
10. Posted by JLawson | March 20, 2009 12:43 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
... we've probably declared war on all new-born male camels.
Um, probably not war, GarandFan. There's a reason our pants are down, after all...
You know, there's no way I'd buy a serious novel with characters this stupid.
Political/Military thrillers do require their protagonists to have SOME expertise in their subjects. You can have a comedic foil, of course, but NOT as a central character, unless you're writing something intended to be comic.
To portray the POTUS as a clueless buffoon who casually insults special needs kids, who gives gifts to the Russians that are mislabeled and DVDs to our allies that can't even be played would be appropriate in a humorous work. And if presented properly I might even BUY it.
But I'm really not at all happy with having to LIVE with a comedic President in a serious policial/military thriller. I wish he'd stop dicking around and act like he's serious about the damn job, instead of acting like Chevy Chase in a National Lampoon movie.
10. Posted by JLawson | March 20, 2009 12:43 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 12:43
11. Posted by STaylor | March 20, 2009 12:51 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
I thought the idea here was for the Iranians to change their behavior; funding terrorists, trying to destroy Isreal, building nuclear weapons. Instead we are now in a position where Iran is telling US that we have to change our behavior and make amends towards them if we want to get along. Brilliant.
Just think of it; if we only just instituted Sharia in the US, nuked Israel and and baought Iranian oil for two hundred dollars a barrel the Iranians may even like us. Why haven't we done this sooner?
The approach of selling actual allies down the river to gain nonexistent Russian support for strong arming Iran at the same time we are trying to be nice to them is especially nuanced.
11. Posted by STaylor | March 20, 2009 12:51 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 12:51
12. Posted by Frazetta_girl
| March 20, 2009 1:33 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Look on the bright side. The super bright, sear the retinas out of your head side.
Israel knows the USA is led by a weak incompetent. They have the choice of allowing Iran to nuke them without a peep of protest from the US, or they nuke Iran.
If they do, the USA will do nothing. Because it is currently led by a weak incompetent.
See? There's a bright side to everything.
12. Posted by Frazetta_girl
| March 20, 2009 1:33 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 13:33
13. Posted by Hank | March 20, 2009 1:33 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
A video message?
What's next, is he going to tweet him?
He's got time to appear on Leno but when it comes to foreign policy, a video will suffice?
13. Posted by Hank | March 20, 2009 1:33 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 13:33
14. Posted by Peter F. | March 20, 2009 1:49 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
What's next, is he going to tweet him?
Sheer awesomeness, Hank! LOL
14. Posted by Peter F. | March 20, 2009 1:49 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 13:49
15. Posted by JLawson | March 20, 2009 2:01 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
"He's got time to appear on Leno but when it comes to foreign policy, a video will suffice?"
Well, YEAH. Come on, Hank - just ask yourself - what would Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) do, with a director that's going for the most ridiculous visual outcome? Of COURSE he'd do a video.
I mean, it could be worse. He at least put it up on the internet. If he were Chevy, he'd put it on a microSD chip and send it by mail - then forget to stamp the envelope. But it wouldn't matter - because the envelope wasn't sealed and the SD card fell out and lodged in a crack at the bottom of the mailbox.
The empty envelope would arrive postage due - and the leaders of Iran would see it as a calculated and deliberate snub. Immediately, they'd send out all the ships in the Iranian navy to parallel US warships, and in a coordinated attack moon us severely.
15. Posted by JLawson | March 20, 2009 2:01 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 14:01
16. Posted by Tim | March 20, 2009 2:33 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
With any luck the video won't play in Iran's region either.
16. Posted by Tim | March 20, 2009 2:33 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 14:33
17. Posted by WildWillie | March 20, 2009 2:48 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
What you all said. ww
17. Posted by WildWillie | March 20, 2009 2:48 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 14:48
18. Posted by STaylor | March 20, 2009 4:27 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
JLawson,
Odds are good that will actually happen within four years or so.
18. Posted by STaylor | March 20, 2009 4:27 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 16:27
19. Posted by Justrand
| March 20, 2009 5:31 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
September 13, 1938 - Neville Chamberlain personally sends a telegram to Hitler urgently requesting that they both meet.
The rest, as they say, is history...
Hitler agrees and they later meet in Munich.
Hitler, overcome by the sincerity for peace that he sees in Chamberlain's damp eyes withdraws his troops to within Germany's borders and war is averted.
That's what happened...right? So Obama, wanting to meet with Ahmadinejad should meet with equal success!!! What's all the hubbub about?
19. Posted by Justrand
| March 20, 2009 5:31 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 17:31
20. Posted by 914 | March 20, 2009 7:40 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Well, He may show weakness towards Iran but You have to give Him credit for showing solidarity with Hamas.
20. Posted by 914 | March 20, 2009 7:40 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 19:40
21. Posted by JLawson | March 20, 2009 8:50 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
STaylor:
"Odds are good that will actually happen within four years or so."
A mass mooning?
Would that it be ALL that happens...
21. Posted by JLawson | March 20, 2009 8:50 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 20:50
22. Posted by retired military | March 20, 2009 10:29 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
I just thought of the President that Obama reminds me the most of.
Leslie Nielson in Scary Movie 4.
They could be twins.
22. Posted by retired military | March 20, 2009 10:29 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on March 20, 2009 22:29
23. Posted by Elmo | March 22, 2009 2:31 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
One day we'll wake up, and find out it was all just a bad dream. A percentage of the country didn't actually elect Cap'n Clueless to lead (oond me deek is two feet long).
23. Posted by Elmo | March 22, 2009 2:31 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on March 22, 2009 02:31
24. Posted by Disgusted in Jersey | March 22, 2009 8:06 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The whole Obummer Administration disgusts me!
24. Posted by Disgusted in Jersey | March 22, 2009 8:06 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on March 22, 2009 20:06