Humble Foreign Policy
It’s no secret that I listen to right wing radio. To me, it’s the ultimate performance art. In the last week, however, the bullshitty hypocrisy has been hard to find amusing.
Dubya ran on a faux Reagan platform of humility when it came to America’s involvement in international affairs based on specious arguments that Clinton had meddled needlessly, thus resulting in lost blood and treasure for no reason. I mean, c’mon! If people in Somalia and the former “Yugoslavia” or whatever can’t stand up for themselves, then fuck them. Right?
Well, apparently not. Apparently when an American President of the Democratic persuasion decides to exercise patience and wait for shit to play out in oh, I dunno, a sometimes sloppy and maybe even violent way? Somewhat like the century long struggle before Reagan got to say “Mr. Gorbachev! Tear down this wall!!”? Apparently that’s unacceptable.
Oh, how things change when Republicans want to reframe the argument. Happily, nobody gives a shit about their arguments anymore.
The human desire for freedom and self determination is inherent in all of us. Having clear examples of the experiences that define the struggle is what gives people the balls to take to the streets and fight for that human desire.
The Iranian people, dare I say youth, are not acting out and taking to the streets because of any fear they may (and probably don’t) have of facing down American military might. Instead, what used to be an inspirational abstraction, the idea of a free population in a Muslim society, is taking hold. The power of Western popular culture, bolstered by technology. A whole new world that no bomb or gun could ever match.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:23 am
Love That last Paragraph. Coaching from the sidelines is easy isn’t it.
June 24th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Dear Kay,
The Republican party has long ago abandoned the tenets that made them once great. While many poke fun at Ron Paul he has a long history of being spot on when it comes to foreign policy and monetary policy. His statement on the floor of Congress last week where he alone voiced the dissenting opinion is a statement of a TRUE Republican. I quote:
I rise in reluctant opposition to H Res 560, which condemns the Iranian government for its recent actions during the unrest in that country. While I never condone violence, much less the violence that governments are only too willing to mete out to their own citizens, I am always very cautious about “condemning” the actions of governments overseas. As an elected member of the United States House of Representatives, I have always questioned our constitutional authority to sit in judgment of the actions of foreign governments of which we are not representatives. I have always hesitated when my colleagues rush to pronounce final judgment on events thousands of miles away about which we know very little. And we know very little beyond limited press reports about what is happening in Iran.
Of course I do not support attempts by foreign governments to suppress the democratic aspirations of their people, but when is the last time we condemned Saudi Arabia or Egypt or the many other countries where unlike in Iran there is no opportunity to exercise any substantial vote on political leadership? It seems our criticism is selective and applied when there are political points to be made. I have admired President Obama’s cautious approach to the situation in Iran and I would have preferred that we in the House had acted similarly.
I adhere to the foreign policy of our Founders, who advised that we not interfere in the internal affairs of countries overseas. I believe that is the best policy for the United States, for our national security and for our prosperity. I urge my colleagues to reject this and all similar meddling resolutions.
June 24th, 2009 at 4:56 am
Out over your skis. See Ukraine. See Breakaway Republics. See Poland. Republican presidents swiftly and in no uncertain terms supported all these freedom fighters. Even in much trickier Tiannanmen Sq. This has been fomenting for 30 years in Iran, and this president (whom i voted for and like) is leaving these uprisers swaying in the breeze because he’s holding on to a campaign promise (fantasy) to engage the regime on nuclear proliferation. Not working so well with N Korea, is it? Obama is my president - I actually enjoy having a thoughtful and articulate leader - but this isn’t patient diplomacy we’re witnessing. It’s our responsibility, we’re showing weakly, and even the Europeans know it.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Kay,
This doesn’t even make sense. Dubya showed humility on foreign affairs? Where the eff were you for the last 8 years? Didn’t we invade two countries?
The Cold War was a century? What? Try forty years, and, let’s face it, the situation with the Soviets that Reagan inherited from Carter in ‘81 was nearly solved when the Gipper left office.
And, more to the point, the power of the “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall” speech was a catalyst that set much of that warming in motion. Can Obama be that clear?
I don’t think anyone is expecting Obama to invade Iran, but how about a clear statement that draws a line in the sand about how far he’ll go with the mullahs. How about some resolve? How about something in support of those students that uses the word DEMOCRACY.
This is a critical moment for Obama.
Tony, stop being a pussy: “I am always very cautious about “condemning” the actions of governments overseas. As an elected member of the United States House of Representatives, I have always questioned our constitutional authority to sit in judgment of the actions of foreign governments of which we are not representatives.”
How much evidence do you need? Are you kidding me, Mr. Mealy Mouth? Everything is relative, right? Nothing is black and white, it’s just all a matter of gray perspective, right? It’s all moral equivalency to you and the White House. All nations are soverign, even those that hold their people hostage at the point of a gun, right? We cannot sit in judgement of them.
Three simple questions for you:
Does our form of government have any moral superiority to the one in Iran?
Is there anything morally superior about a constitutional republic over an Islamic state run by clerics?
Are you pitching or catching for Barney Frank right now?
June 25th, 2009 at 4:29 am
More…
“The power of Western popular culture, bolstered by technology. A whole new world that no bomb or gun could ever match.”
This is the great hippie dream isn’t it?
Reagan should have rewritten “The Boys of Pointe du Hoc”
(http://otherclub.blogspot.com/2009/06/boys-of-pointe-du-hoc.html) to include the notion that if only we had waited 20 years we could have saved plenty of lives if we’d just let The Beatles play Auschwitz. Damn, those goose-stepping Nazis would have laid down their arms in an instant.
Instead of sending all those guys to die at Omaha Beach, we should have just sent Elvis to shake his hips on that stretch of now hallowed sand. Those Germans would have cleared out of the pill boxes and come screaming down the hill to get his autograph.
The fact of the matter is that “Western pop culture” and its modern debasement is doing as much to harm the image of America abroad than any policy that the State Department can articulate.
June 25th, 2009 at 6:05 am
Mike,
The reality of the situation is that we have to deal with whoever heads the government in Iran. To lay an ultimatum out there for the mullahs is to equivalent to readying the jets to bomb Iran’s nuclear program, as there will be no diplomacy to be had should Iran remain an Islamic Republic.
Secondly, any show of overt support for the protesters by our government will only serve to weaken the protesters standing within their own country. The US has a long history of meddling in Middle Eastern affairs and the apprehension displayed toward us by Islam has been earned.
As to your questions:
Does our form of government have any moral superiority to the one in Iran?
On paper, yes a true representative democracy is a beautiful thing. In practice, our government has abandoned its citizens long ago. Also, who are we to judge an autonomous people? Iran post revolution is and has been one of the most diplomatic countries in the region. my question to you is if we are judging countries on their moral grounds…why are we dealing with China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia still?
Is there anything morally superior about a constitutional republic over an Islamic state run by clerics?
I guess it depends on your vantage point. Morally a country that permits abortion, the death penalty, etc. would be an abomination to a devoutly religious person. From a ‘human rights’ stand point the Islamic state an abomination. The founders of our country did not seek to be the world’s judge. Further they sought to not enter into ‘entangling alliances’ with foreign interests.
Are you pitching or catching for Barney Frank right now?
Are you that unsure of your viewpoint and more importantly your ability to support those views that you need to resort to name calling and third grade ‘you’re a fag’ humor? But I’ll play your little game…you and Barney Frank can both suck my dick, the line starts on the left.
kisses,
Tony
June 25th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Tony,
You miss the point totally. There are moral forms of government and immoral forms. Now go back to junior high and high school and re-read everything you should have studied on the Enlightenment, Philosophy and Government.
After you do that, let’s have a discussion.
A representative democracy we are not, the US is a constitutional republic.
To have no foundational basis for a discussion with anyone, let alone the Iranians, is to get walked on. Obama has to have some leaping off point. He has to STAND for something, weakling.
Making a clear statement in support of democracy and the Iranian youths now dying on their streets actually supports them and puts pressure on the gov. To tdo nothing is worse. YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS, YOU SAY YOU’RE AN ELECTED LEADER (doubtful). This is politics 101.
An autonomous people? WTF? Are you an Iranian mullah? The citizenry of that nation is being murdered by their government. You don’t want to judge that act? What’s wrong with you? How do you make any choices in life if you are this unable to judge this? You must be the product of some bullshit politically correct “education system” that has trained you to pass no judgement on anything or anyone lest you actually have to defend your point of view. What crap. It’s ok, I will do the judging and tell you that you’re clearly wrong. Now you have to sit back and take it because you can’t judge me or what I write here. I love it.
My use of the term moral refers to the form of goverment, not the morality of the laws in that nation. I repeat, aren’t some forms of govt morally superior to others? Why shouldn’t the president make a statement in support of that moral form?
Nice reference to the Founding Fathers. Those guys couldn’t make judgements either. Didn’t they start a revolution with their spirit of non-judging? (And yes, I think they would have made a statement in support of the iranian youths.)
I weep for your constituents. They deserve better.
Say hi to Barney for me, as soon as your mouth is empty.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:19 am
Yeah lets not forget the mess Reagan made in Central America. Talk about meddling.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:57 am
Dear Mike,
I would like you to re-read my first post. I am not an elected leader, I quote Ron Paul who IS an elected leader. I can assure you however my constituents are grateful for you concern.
You say, “Making a clear statement in support of democracy and the Iranian youths now dying on their streets actually supports them and puts pressure on the gov. To tdo (sic) nothing is worse.” I disagree. In this case the US is an enemy to both sides of the discussion in Iran. For us to reach out to the protesters is to increase support in Iran against them. This is an Iranian problem, and should be solved by Iran. American hegemony has gained this country NOTHING except being China’s financial bitch.
smooches,
Tony
July 7th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
People are taking to the streets because we do not want this administration along with Congress to take us down the road to communism where we are ruled by an islamic Czar.
People in Iran deserve to fight for want they want and I support them.
We need to clean our own house before we stick our noses in every other country’s business. That’s a helluva lot of cleaning.
Oh yeah, a couple of other items: Where IS the damn birth certificate? Why are Barry Soetoro’s Occidental college records sealed (along w/his birth certificate).
Hope you like what you got. One. Big. A$$ Mistake America - that’s O.B.A.M.A. hahaha
I could go on and on. If anybody is wondering, I AM an avid Tea Partier.