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Obama: Witting or Witless?
Townhall.com ^ | July 17, 2015 | Mona Charen

Posted on 07/17/2015 6:31:57 AM PDT by Kaslin

I was elected to end wars, not start them. -- Barack Obama

The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it. -- George Orwell

A question has hung in the air since Barack Obama first moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and began his "fundamental transformation" of this country: Did he intend harm, or was he merely so blinded by ideology that he could not see the damage his policies were creating? The Iran deal provides an answer.

At his press conference, our duplicitous leader chose to call black white and claim that the deal does the opposite of what it does -- allow Iran to get nuclear weapons, albeit after a decent interval. We are deep into Orwellian territory now. "War is peace. Ignorance is strength." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is crowing that Iran achieved all of its objectives and the U.S. none.

The bombproof facility in the mountain at Fordow -- which, until recently, the U.S. had demanded be shuttered and locked -- will now have an "international presence" so that attempts to thwart its progress even by sabotage will be effectively blocked. This is permission masquerading as prevention. It's of a piece with the administration's pressure on Israel to refrain from military action, which was rewarded with Obama aides calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "chicken" and crowing that his chance had passed.

Permission masquerading as prevention sums up the whole deal. The U.S. had demanded anywhere/anytime inspections and negotiated to lift sanctions only after evidence of Iranian compliance. Now, the inspections regime is a joke: Iran gets 24 days' notice and sits on the committee that decides whether inspections are necessary. The sanctions are lifted immediately, handing the world's chief sponsor of terror a $100 billion windfall. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, who was captured on videotape in April saying anytime/anywhere inspections would be required, now denies the U.S. ever made that a condition.

While the administration claimed it couldn't negotiate for the release of four Americans held unlawfully in Iranian prisons because that was outside the scope of nuclear negotiations, they did agree to lift the embargo on conventional arms and intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were also outside the compass of nuclear concerns. Why? Because "Iran demanded it." Well, OK then.

Obama's press conference was a spectacle of bad faith. A virtuoso of lip service (see his sympathy for Israel) and endless conjurer of straw men, he took few questions but silkily implied he had answered all objections. "There is no scenario in which a U.S. president is not in a stronger position 12, 13, 15 years from now if, in fact, Iran decided at that point they still wanted to get a nuclear weapon."

What? In 12 to 15 years, Iran will be an immensely wealthier, better-armed and more powerful country than it is today. It will be, to quote Obama, "a very successful regional power" and then some. It will have acquired advanced anti-aircraft weapons and ballistic missiles and, doubtless, a much-improved air force.

The dishonest core of the president's pretense is this: that the choice was between war and diplomacy. Every schoolchild knows that diplomacy without the credible threat of force is a nullity. Obama knows how to frighten and intimidate when he wants to. See his conduct toward Republicans or Netanyahu or the Supreme Court.

There was always a very different path available. He could have increased the sanctions instead of pleading with Congress not to impose them. He could have attacked Syria when it crossed his "red line" rather than folding and thereby conveying his fecklessness to Tehran. He could have refrained from calling everyone in the U.S. who favored a hard line against Iran a "warmonger" -- again conveying that Iran had nothing to fear from him. He could have supported the protesters in the streets in 2009 rather than signaling his support for the regime. He could have left the negotiating table many times, but especially after the IAEA reported earlier this month that Iran was in violation of earlier nuclear treaties and had increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium by 20 percent. And yes, if all of the above failed, he could have deployed strategic bombing to destroy Iran's nuclear program.

But from his first inaugural address onward, Obama both secretly and openly wooed the Iranian regime. In the process, he repeatedly lied to Congress, our allies and the American people, settling, to my satisfaction at least, that he is inflicting this potential catastrophe wittingly.


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: 0bama; iran; iranfinaldeal; iransidedeals; obamagivesirannukes; obamalies; obamatreason; war
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1 posted on 07/17/2015 6:31:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
He intended only good things.
For Islam. Everything follows from that.
2 posted on 07/17/2015 6:33:40 AM PDT by arthurus (It's true!)
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To: Kaslin

INTENTIONAL!! INTENTIONAL!!! He read a book called “The Post-America World.”

All by design. He’s just the tool. I think, one-on-one, without Valerie Jarrett, mS media et al., he’d be easy to take down.


3 posted on 07/17/2015 6:35:18 AM PDT by Thorliveshere (Minnesota Survivor)
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To: Kaslin

This is the byproduct of a public incapable of critical thought, and a malicious, complicit media.

I blame the media most. I cannot watch “network” news, and I despise them in a way I never thought possible.


4 posted on 07/17/2015 6:35:54 AM PDT by brownsfan (Behold, the power of government cheese.)
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To: Kaslin
We elected a man who loathes Caucasians and all things white. He's a racist. Period.

And this kind of insanity sees America as a product of the White Man. Which, it is. It's the product of white ambition and ingenuity.

But since it's a product of the White Man, career racists want to destroy it.

Only, the people who elected this clown aren't going to like what they get.

5 posted on 07/17/2015 6:44:12 AM PDT by LouAvul (Venal and evil people are destroying the world you live in.)
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To: Kaslin

An almost genius combination of both!


6 posted on 07/17/2015 6:46:01 AM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: "I should like to drive away not only the Turks (moslims) but all my foes.")
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To: brownsfan

“I blame the media most. I cannot watch “network” news, and I despise them in a way I never thought possible.”

Same here.

His worshippers, half the American voters, come a close second.


7 posted on 07/17/2015 6:53:21 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: Kaslin
Call it what it truly is:

TREASON

Same as with the Bowe Bergdahl debacle.

Those in Congress that agree to it are guilty of the same.

8 posted on 07/17/2015 7:05:48 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Kaslin
EVERYTHING obama does either:
a) Weakens America/Americans
b) Distances America's allies
c) Strengthens America's enemies
d) Serves Islam
e) Harms Israel
Or some combination of the above.
There are NO counter examples.
9 posted on 07/17/2015 7:09:25 AM PDT by null and void (We've always been at war with Iceageia!)
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To: Kaslin
Depends on what side of the war is one on. King Obama is a communists black Muslim. That should tell everyone what side he is on.
10 posted on 07/17/2015 7:11:09 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: Kaslin

Obama is in the...

WITLES PROTECTION PROGRAM....


11 posted on 07/17/2015 7:13:46 AM PDT by G Larry (Obama Hates America, Israel, Capitalism, Freedom, and Christianity.)
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To: Logical me

Exactly


12 posted on 07/17/2015 7:14:26 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: brownsfan

I haven’t watched Network news for ages, I also don’t watch the Commie News Channel, or PMSNBC wich are both cable channels


13 posted on 07/17/2015 7:16:55 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: LouAvul

What do you mean “We”? Did you vote for that arrogant pos or did you sit the general elections out? I sure did not


14 posted on 07/17/2015 7:19:45 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Is the author that naive? Amazing that these people call themselves journalists.


15 posted on 07/17/2015 7:20:49 AM PDT by uncitizen (PC is lying, any way you look at it)
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To: Kaslin

Just imagine what would be the right decision in anything that concerns our nation & you know that our “leader” will do the exact opposite & most of our media is complicit with it.


16 posted on 07/17/2015 7:32:49 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: oldtech
 photo ea289578-e1b7-4d74-9b2e-4947bb7642e3_zpssdzgv3aj.jpg
17 posted on 07/17/2015 7:35:17 AM PDT by timestax (American Media = Domestic Enemy)
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To: null and void

With this Iran deal, I am afraid we just opened Pandora’s box. The Saudis, Egypt , etc will buy a-bombs from Pakistan and /or India and all hell will break lose. Several European countries are already eying close cooperation with Russia and want to ensure Russia will take over as protectorate from the US, at the forefront is Germany where the majority of it’s citizens don’t trust us anymore.
This of course will destroy the Euro zone as well as Nato. sadly, I see a worldwide conflict of great proportions and we are very vulnerable because we decreased our military strength and continue eroding it. I just pray we will get over the next 18 months with this administration in power. Our Millenials will not fight, they will protest in the streets against America for bigger handouts while there is nothing to give anymore.


18 posted on 07/17/2015 7:45:31 AM PDT by americanbychoice3
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To: Kaslin
Easy answer; "witting".

He's not a fool or incompetent. He knows exactly what he is doing. It is the GOP who are fools or incompetent (or blackmailed) for not stopping him and a large segment of the American populace who are fools or incompetent for electing him.

Whatever. There are plenty of fools to go around but 0bama and his slithery, corrupt, traitorous crew are not among them.

19 posted on 07/17/2015 8:09:56 AM PDT by Gritty (The wicked strut freely about when what is vile is honored among men - Psalm 12:8)
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To: Kaslin

Remove the people that Feed , Dress and Wash Obama and we’ll see if he’s a Nit Wit ,LOL


20 posted on 07/17/2015 8:15:17 AM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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