The Neo-Con Demands over Iran.
The neo-cons are criticising Obama for refusing to intervene more forcibly in the aftermath of the Iranian election.
We are told, "It's hard to imagine former President Bush getting beat to the punch by France and Germany when it comes to standing up for people who are being oppressed in the Middle East."
Firstly, Bush managed to stay silent about the oppression of the Palestinians for his entire time in office. Secondly, are they seriously holding up Bush's Middle East achievements as something which should be emulated?
Bush's policies towards the Middle East were an unmitigated disaster.
The people of Iran have made their voices heard. However, I find it immoral for outsiders - who will pay no price as they bravely call from behind their keyboards for the Iranians to stand up - to continue to demand that young Iranians fall on to the swords of a regime which will use the full force of the state to quell any opposition to them.
Western governments can be swayed by public opinion and by public uprisings. This is not true of the regime of Khomenei. The people taking to the streets have the moral authority, but, in this case, I fear the authority which will most matter is the authority granted by whoever holds the largest stick and is prepared to use it.
In this case, that's Khomenei.
We can be appalled by that, and I certainly am, but I can't bring myself to insist that others allow themselves to be brutalised for my ideological beliefs.
It's their business and I wish them well, but I won't condemn them if they falter in the face of unspeakable violence.
We come from country's where we pay no price for expressing our political views. We really have no idea what we are asking for when we insist that the Iranians must stand up.
2 comments:
Do you mean Khamenei?
I have 2 acquaintances with family in Iran and I am more concerned for their family member's safety than anything else, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been open about my admiration for the protesters.
I am proud of my president for stating publicly that staying out of it is the prudent thing to do.
Let's hope that that is the truth, but who knows what kind of crapola Bush allowed into Af/Pak/Iraq, which all border Iran?
Damn! I always confuse the spellings between those two!
And I completely admire the protesters, but I loathe this neo-con baiting which demands that Obama choose one side or the other and encourages protesters to fall on Khamenei's swords.
The people standing up in Iran have a courage which I hope I would have in a similar situation; but, having never actually had that courage tested, I have no way of knowing if I would actually have the courage which the neo-cons demand.
And neither do these neo-con blowhards. We live in democracies, we live in country's where we pay no price for stating what we think.
The Iranians do not. Which is why I find the neo-con demands so egotistical.
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