Bush III
Via NRO, an excellent
critique of Obama's missed opportunity in Persia:
Among the specific recommendations by Senor and Whiton are these: (a) Mr. Obama should contact Mr. Mousavi to signal his interest in the situation and Mr. Mousavi's security; (b) the president should deliver another taped message to the Iranian people — only this time he should acknowledge the fundamental reality that the regime lacks the consent of its people to govern, which therefore necessitates a channel to the "other Iran"; (c) Obama should direct U.S. ambassadors in Europe and the Gulf to meet with local Iranian anti-regime expatriates; (d) additional funding should be provided immediately for Radio Farda, an effective Persian-language radio, Internet, and satellite property of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; and (e) the administration should take steps — for example, access to the Web and other means of communication — to give Iranian reformers and dissidents a level playing field with the regime in the battle of ideas.
These actions would be parallel to our decades-long campaign against the Soviet dictatorship, which finally paid off. Maintaining a cultural connection and moral support, providing information, steadily countering the dictatorship without direct interference. Obama is unfortunately continuing Bush's realpolitik, apparently following the Kissinger line, ignoring the dissidents and "respecting the election results" because our goal is Democracy.
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Canada's David Warren offers a well-thought-out
broad perspective. He reminds us that the
original purpose of taking down Saddam was to show both Arabia and Persia that their dictators are breakable, that we can destroy you if you give us enough reason. Though Bush totally spoiled the result in Iraq by switching from this original strategic purpose to his Wilsonian Democracy shit, the original message did get through to the people of Persia. Dictators are not immortal; they survive by consent of the majority.
This is a point we have forgotten through our immersion in the fraudulent circus of Democracy. Stalin, Hitler and Saddam were not imposed forcibly on an unwilling people; all ruled with the loyalty and love of the majority, or at least the loyalty of the dominant ethnic group. If Ahmadinejad no longer has the loyalty of most Persians, his fake "election victory" won't help him.