I keep seeing this sentiment. Exactly WHAT would you have Obama DO right now?
Five Things Obama Can to Promote Freedom in Iran http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274744/posts
How about you tell us.
I want Obama to write a letter stating he is “gravely concerned.” That will end the violence and reverse the election results.
Here’s an article describing what Regan did when the Poles rebelled against the USSR:
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/06/18/obama-is-no-reagan-the-polish
I don’t want him to do anything. He’ll screw it up.
Make a speech. Make ten speeches. then make some more speeches. Send people to the UN to put pressure on iran to knock it off. Meet with other presidents to make a group condemnation of the crackdowns. declare iran a “no fly zone” and get the UN to back it up. Send food and medical assistance. send UN observers. send sat phones and battery power to the protesters. Make it clear that no government dignitaries will be allowed to flee iran or be given assylum in any western nation.
There’s a lot he could do.
I agree, as much as I detest Obama this is a lose lose situation for the US. If anything he has said too much already. No matter which side wins in Iran they are still going to hate our guts and chant DEATH TO AMERICAN every chance they get. Leave the savages alone and let them purge themselves. It will be fewer that we will have to kill after they nuke us someday. And they will no doubt nuke us someday.
Gee I thought the Lamebrain Fraud had ALL the answers?? What is up now?
You are coming in late ont this story. It is not a question of what Obama should do "now". It was what he should'be done, like past presidents, when this whole Iranian thing started. The Europeans spoke out long ago while Obama remained silent. Not exactly the leadership position of the US.
“I keep seeing this sentiment. Exactly WHAT would you have Obama DO right now?”
Simple, Obama should state that the United States will not support any regime who use violence against their own citizens. Then look directly at Hamas in Gaza and say, “any regime.”
Duh,.... I dunno,.... maybe at least act Presidential". Maybe stand up and exercise those famous, brilliant oratorical skills of his at something like this perhaps?:
One cause of instability is the extremists supported and embodied by the regime that sits in Tehran. Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror. It sends hundreds of millions of dollars to extremists around the world -- while its own people face repression and economic hardship at home. It undermines Lebanese hopes for peace by arming and aiding the terrorist group Hezbollah. It subverts the hopes for peace in other parts of the region by funding terrorist groups like Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad. It sends arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Shia militants in Iraq. It seeks to intimidate its neighbors with ballistic missiles and bellicose rhetoric. And finally, it defies the United Nations and destabilizes the region by refusing to be open and transparent about its nuclear programs and ambitions. Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf -- and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late.
Or maybe something like this?:
"Unfortunately, amid some steps forward in this region we've also seen some setbacks. You cannot build trust when you hold an election where opposition candidates find themselves harassed or in prison. You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government. And you cannot stand up a modern and confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms.
The United States appreciates that democratic progress requires tough choices. Our own history teaches us that the road to freedom is not always even, and democracy does not come overnight. Yet we also know that for all the difficulties, a society based on liberty is worth the sacrifice. We know that democracy is the only form of government that treats individuals with the dignity and equality that is their right. We know from experience that democracy is the only system of government that yields lasting peace and stability. In a democracy, leaders depend on their people -- and most people do not want war and bloodshed and violence. Most people want lives of peace and opportunity. So it is the declared policy of the United States to support these peoples as they claim their freedom -- as a matter of natural right and national interest.
I recognize that some people -- including some in my own country -- believe it is a mistake to support democratic freedom in the Middle East. They say that the Arab people are not "ready" for democracy. Of course, that is exactly what people said about the Japanese after World War II. Some said that having an Emperor was incompatible with democracy. Some said that the Japanese religion was incompatible with democracy. Some said that advancing freedom in Japan and the Pacific was unwise, because our interests lay in supporting pro-American leaders no matter how they ruled their people.
Fortunately, America rejected this advice, kept our faith in freedom, and stood with the people of Asia. The results are now in. Today the people of Japan have both a working democracy and a hereditary emperor. They have preserved their traditional religious practices while tolerating the faiths of others. They are surrounded by many democracies that reflect the full diversity of the region. Some of these democracies have constitutional monarchies, some have parliaments, and some have presidents. Some of these democracies have Christian majorities, some have Muslim majorities, some have Hindu or Buddhist majorities. Yet for all the differences, the free nations of Asia all derive their authority from the consent of the governed -- and all know the lasting stability that only freedom can bring.
This transformation would not have been possible without America's presence and perseverance over many decades. And just as our commitment to Asia helped people there secure their freedom and prosperity, our commitment to the Middle East will help you achieve yours. And you can know from our record in Asia that our commitment is real, it is strong, and it is lasting".
Hmmmm wonder who said that???? That "dumb Cowboy" President we just "got rid of"? You know the one who was told this week that the Democrats kept score in November, and his ideas lost, so just stay out Obama's way. It'll be pretty easy to stay out of Acting President's Apprentice, (OJT) Barry Hussein Soetero-Obama's way when he doesn't (won't??) do shit!!! The candy-assed punk would rather safely fight talk-show hosts where we live, than fight terrorists and dictators where they live.
Sorry, pal. Standing around doing nothing is not what America and our principles of liberty are all about (I'll bet they had something about that in USMC boot camp your son just attended. Maybe you should ask him. I'll bet he could school you).
By your line of reasoning, I can hear it now: "Well, what would you have Roosevelt do? That's a German problem. It's between Germany and England. Let them sort it out".
Sure, it's just words, but it's still orders of magnitude more than Obama's done in the last week (unless of course, a Bobby Flay BBQ and turning the White House into a skate park count as "being Presidential"). Maybe those words led some young people in Iran to mistakenly believe that this is still a nation that actually stands up for those sorts of ideals, and helps those who seek liberty from tyranny. But hey, they're probably already mostly dead by now anyways, so who cares, right? I mean really, what can our poor beleaguered Dear Leader (peace be upon his name) possibly do?
Duh,.... I dunno,.... maybe at least act Presidential". Maybe stand up and exercise those famous, brilliant oratorical skills of his at something like this perhaps?:
One cause of instability is the extremists supported and embodied by the regime that sits in Tehran. Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror. It sends hundreds of millions of dollars to extremists around the world -- while its own people face repression and economic hardship at home. It undermines Lebanese hopes for peace by arming and aiding the terrorist group Hezbollah. It subverts the hopes for peace in other parts of the region by funding terrorist groups like Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad. It sends arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Shia militants in Iraq. It seeks to intimidate its neighbors with ballistic missiles and bellicose rhetoric. And finally, it defies the United Nations and destabilizes the region by refusing to be open and transparent about its nuclear programs and ambitions. Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf -- and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late.
Or maybe something like this?:
"Unfortunately, amid some steps forward in this region we've also seen some setbacks. You cannot build trust when you hold an election where opposition candidates find themselves harassed or in prison. You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government. And you cannot stand up a modern and confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms.
The United States appreciates that democratic progress requires tough choices. Our own history teaches us that the road to freedom is not always even, and democracy does not come overnight. Yet we also know that for all the difficulties, a society based on liberty is worth the sacrifice. We know that democracy is the only form of government that treats individuals with the dignity and equality that is their right. We know from experience that democracy is the only system of government that yields lasting peace and stability. In a democracy, leaders depend on their people -- and most people do not want war and bloodshed and violence. Most people want lives of peace and opportunity. So it is the declared policy of the United States to support these peoples as they claim their freedom -- as a matter of natural right and national interest.
I recognize that some people -- including some in my own country -- believe it is a mistake to support democratic freedom in the Middle East. They say that the Arab people are not "ready" for democracy. Of course, that is exactly what people said about the Japanese after World War II. Some said that having an Emperor was incompatible with democracy. Some said that the Japanese religion was incompatible with democracy. Some said that advancing freedom in Japan and the Pacific was unwise, because our interests lay in supporting pro-American leaders no matter how they ruled their people.
Fortunately, America rejected this advice, kept our faith in freedom, and stood with the people of Asia. The results are now in. Today the people of Japan have both a working democracy and a hereditary emperor. They have preserved their traditional religious practices while tolerating the faiths of others. They are surrounded by many democracies that reflect the full diversity of the region. Some of these democracies have constitutional monarchies, some have parliaments, and some have presidents. Some of these democracies have Christian majorities, some have Muslim majorities, some have Hindu or Buddhist majorities. Yet for all the differences, the free nations of Asia all derive their authority from the consent of the governed -- and all know the lasting stability that only freedom can bring.
This transformation would not have been possible without America's presence and perseverance over many decades. And just as our commitment to Asia helped people there secure their freedom and prosperity, our commitment to the Middle East will help you achieve yours. And you can know from our record in Asia that our commitment is real, it is strong, and it is lasting".
Hmmmm wonder who said that???? That "dumb Cowboy" President we just "got rid of"? You know the one who was told this week that the Democrats kept score in November, and his ideas lost, so just stay out Obama's way. It'll be pretty easy to stay out of Acting President's Apprentice, (OJT) Barry Hussein Soetero-Obama's way when he doesn't (won't??) do shit!!! The candy-assed punk would rather safely fight talk-show hosts where we live, than fight terrorists and dictators where they live.
Sorry, pal. Standing around doing nothing is not what America and our principles of liberty are all about (I'll bet they had something about that in USMC boot camp your son just attended. Maybe you should ask him. I'll bet he could school you).
By your line of reasoning, I can hear it now: "Well, what would you have Roosevelt do? That's a German problem. It's between Germany and England. Let them sort it out".
Sure, it's just words, but it's still orders of magnitude more than Obama's done in the last week (unless of course, a Bobby Flay BBQ and turning the White House into a skate park count as "being Presidential"). Maybe those words led some young people in Iran to mistakenly believe that this is still a nation that actually stands up for those sorts of ideals, and helps those who seek liberty from tyranny. But hey, they're probably already mostly dead by now anyways, so who cares, right? I mean really, what can our poor beleaguered Dear Leader (peace be upon his name) possibly do?