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Sorta Sums It All Up. Ahmadinejad Reacting to Obama's comment. [Victor Davis Hanson]
NRO Corner ^ | June 25, 2009 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 06/25/2009 11:17:00 AM PDT by Tolik

From today's news: "Reacting to Obama's comment Tuesday that he is 'appalled and outraged' by crackdowns in Iran, Ahmadinejad said, 'Mr Obama made a mistake to say those things . . . our question is why he fell into this trap and said things that previously Bush used to say.'"

This revelation of theocratic hurt, surprise, and hubris actually explains a lot: Iran — given the six months (or longer?) of Obama's both backdoor and overt efforts to normalize relations — believes

(a) that it has an understanding now with the Obama administration that normal relations with the U.S. trump all other American concerns, and more or less gives the regime a green light to do what it wishes — hence Ahmadinejad's shock at Obama's belated and unexpected criticism;

(b) this was quite different from the past administration, which made it clear the U.S. was nauseated by Iran's nefarious activities and didn't care much to normalize unless and until it reentered the family of nations and ceased being a terrorist state (at home and abroad);

(c) Iran doesn't much care what the U.S. has said, now or in the past, and apparently assumes that Obama acted out of his accustomed character ("a mistake") and will soon "express . . . regret."

I suppose all our videos, apologies, and global addresses to the Muslim world at least achieved an Iranian admission that America now has acted out its new character and is beginning to resemble its old character, which translates into something like "Bush was tough on us, you aren't — so what's going on with this 'appalled' stuff?"

Meanwhile, as the mullahs begin the long, drawn-out work of hunting down and doing away with dissidents in the wee hours of the night, how can an American president be seen with, talk to, or reach out toward a police state in the systematic process of state-sanctioned terror against its own?


TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: ahmadinejad; bho44; iran; obama; vdh; victordavishanson
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More from Victor Davis Hanson on Iran:
Thuggery 101. Mr. President, do not talk to a thug unless you absolutely have to
"This Is the Moment"? Why Obama Should at Last Speak Out on Iran
Obama’s New Liberal Realism: abandoned Wilsonianism just to avoid supporting Iranian democracy
Obamaworld
Voting Present on Iran. Thugophilia Isn't Moral. The New Old Realism
Reflections on the Iranian Enigma. The World Turned Upside Down

1 posted on 06/25/2009 11:17:01 AM PDT by Tolik
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/victordavishanson/index:
Thuggery 101. Mr. President, do not talk to a thug unless you absolutely have to
We’ve All Metamorphosized to a Higher Plain [satire]
"This Is the Moment"? Why Obama Should at Last Speak Out on Iran
What Do these First Six Months Mean? Where Are We Going?
The New Orwellianism
Obama’s New Liberal Realism: abandoned Wilsonianism just to avoid supporting Iranian democracy
Obamaworld
Voting Present on Iran. Thugophilia Isn't Moral. The New Old Realism
Reflections on the Iranian Enigma. The World Turned Upside Down
Still a Boor and a Coward [Victor Davis Hanson on Letterman, Wright + Thoughts on a Creepy Culture]
Just Make Stuff Up. President Obama’s war on the truth
A Boor and a Coward [Victor Davis Hanson tears apart the creep, a.k.a David Letterman]
Our Historically Challenged President. A list of distortions
I No Longer Quite Believe ... [Victor Davis Hanson on Orwellian media & science, race relations]
It's Better When You Wake Up Body-Snatched . . .
The Reckoning. Obama Versus the Way of the Universe
The Age of Middle East Atonement. Therapeutic efforts to disguise the truth never really work
Is It Going to Be Race and Resentment — All the Time?
Sotomayor’s Mistake. The diversity mess
The Affirmative-Action Aristocracy?
Lost in the Labyrinth of Race
President Palin’s First 100 Days. Imagine if Sarah Palin had Obama’s record
Americans Want It Both Ways Our Have-It-Both-Ways Generation
Our Jekyll and Hyde President. More radical than Jimmy Carter v smoother centrist than Bill Clinton?
Crazy Times — Crazier Times to Follow - when nonsense is passed off as wisdom
Confessions of a Contrarian [deconstructing Obama, the Left and more]
 President Obama’s First 70 Days. It really does all make sense
Thoughts About Depressed Americans
Bush Did It. What a difference an election makes [Brilliant Parody]
 Our Battered American [gets angrier - Must Read Rant]
Just a partial list. More at the link:  http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/victordavishanson/index
2 posted on 06/25/2009 11:17:46 AM PDT by Tolik
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To: greyfoxx39

Thanks for the heads up.


3 posted on 06/25/2009 11:18:32 AM PDT by Tolik
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To: neverdem; Lando Lincoln; SJackson; dennisw; kellynla; monkeyshine; Alouette; nopardons; ...


    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out.

Links:    FR Index of his articles:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
                His website: http://victorhanson.com/
                NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
                Pajamasmedia:
   http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/

4 posted on 06/25/2009 11:19:09 AM PDT by Tolik
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To: Tolik; Shermy
Hanson's conclusions -- a., b. and c. -- are very logically drawn.

I wonder if anybody at the White House (or at State) realizes just how badly they've screwed this up.

They've been suckered -- don't they even know it?

5 posted on 06/25/2009 11:24:42 AM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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To: Tolik
It is entirely possible that Obama admires the dynamics and power structure of which Ahmadinejad is a component.

Given this administrations propensity to call out by name it's detractors and political opponents, it's thuggery in assuming control of automobile and banking entities, “hunting down and doing away with dissidents in the wee hours of the night” sounds like “Progressive” politics to Obama.

6 posted on 06/25/2009 11:28:10 AM PDT by spodefly (This is my tag line. There are many like it, but this one is mine.)
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To: Tolik

0bama to Ach: You like mustard, relish or the works?


7 posted on 06/25/2009 11:33:44 AM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (Rent this space.)
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To: spodefly

New tagline....


8 posted on 06/25/2009 11:34:48 AM PDT by Loud Mime (It all makes sense when you understand that Obama is a Muslim.)
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To: Tolik

More than half of Ahmadinejad’s parliament doesn’t show up for his victory bash, and he wants an apology from Obama? What a tool!


9 posted on 06/25/2009 12:04:16 PM PDT by popdonnelly (The Democrats have returned to their game of supporting totalitarian regimes. Now they're muslim.)
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To: okie01

I don’t think anybody in the White House could even pass an elementary Logic course. Rational thought is not a hallmark of this administration so far.


10 posted on 06/25/2009 12:31:26 PM PDT by Deo volente
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To: okie01

Don’t think so. They believe Obama’s response was wise and measured and a welcome difference from cowboy rhetoric.

His approach was supported not just by liberals but by many paleos and libertarians as well. NRO corner had a discussion of who of the libertarians actually came up with support of the protesters and who remained silent. My local radio host who is libertarian/paleo conservative - Ron Smith at WBAL, Baltimore - was quite supportive on this (he criticizes Obama on maybe everything else, to be fair). He used the same straw-man of mullahs labeling protesters as America sympathizers. Like they did not do it regardless. By this logic Reagan and Thatcher were wrong by supporting anti-communists in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union. Sharansky was very specific in pointing out how important was Reagan’s support to Soviet dissidents.


11 posted on 06/25/2009 12:31:41 PM PDT by Tolik
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To: spodefly
It is entirely possible that Obama admires the dynamics and power structure of which Ahmadinejad is a component.

Don't forget,as a Congressman, he stumped for that Kenyan Raila Odinga. He admires him as well.
12 posted on 06/25/2009 12:42:41 PM PDT by Master of Orion
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To: Tolik
Obama's giving the impression he "understands" the thug ways - and he does.

Iran's leaders have the same value system as ACORN and Alinsky. They cheat if it gets them to their goal. All totalitarians seem to figure out the same spirit crushing "truths"...

13 posted on 06/25/2009 12:47:27 PM PDT by GOPJ (Obama apologizes to every thug on the planet- that's LIBERAL WHITE GUILT.)
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To: Tolik

Obama wasn’t hard on the Iranians and AmaNutjob is protecting Obama to make him look tough. Once the uprising is squelched they becomes friends again.


14 posted on 06/25/2009 12:48:53 PM PDT by Blind Eye Jones
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To: GOPJ

bttt


15 posted on 06/25/2009 12:48:53 PM PDT by GOPJ (Iran's leaders have the same value system as ACORN and Alinsky. They thought Obama was with them.)
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To: Tolik
Ahmadinejad to Obama:

"Do you want to speak with this tone? If that is your stance then what is left to talk about... I hope you avoid interfering in Iran's affairs and express your regret in a way that the Iranian nation is informed of it." he added, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile people are being hacked to bits with axes on the streets of Tehran. Nice "talking" Obama.

16 posted on 06/25/2009 1:58:55 PM PDT by GVnana
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To: Tolik

Cairo: the Green Light for A-jad. Predicted in advance.


17 posted on 06/25/2009 2:42:40 PM PDT by cookcounty (He who controls the Language controls the Debate.)
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To: okie01

VDH’s other middle name is Logical.


18 posted on 06/25/2009 2:42:45 PM PDT by maica (Politics is not about facts. it is about what politicians can get people to believe. - Thomas Sowell)
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To: Tolik

Why he fell into this trap?

Dictator of Iran, who is living in a trap but millions of Iranians who want FREEDOM from YOU?


19 posted on 06/25/2009 3:08:13 PM PDT by TheDailyChange (Politics,Conservatism,Liberalism)
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Meanwhile, as the mullahs begin the long, drawn-out work of hunting down and doing away with dissidents in the wee hours of the night, how can an American president be seen with, talk to, or reach out toward a police state in the systematic process of state-sanctioned terror against its own?
Because he's not an American president in the first place.
20 posted on 06/25/2009 3:49:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://www.troopathon.org/index.php -- June 25th -- the Troopathon)
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