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Fiddling While Iran Burns

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For nearly a week now, Iran has been in an upheaval due to controversies over their recent election for President. The battle was between a hard-core Islamic Fundamentalist and someone who was for greater freedoms in Iran. While it is not certain that the Iranian protesters are fully for individual rights, I think they are aiming in that direction -- and the US Government has squelched that movement at least twice now (Bush and Obama) when all the rebels have asked for is moral support. Twice now, the opportunity to depose a fundamentalist Islamic dictator has arisen, and the US Government has taken a hand's off approach. This is moral treason on the part of Western leaders.

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The leader of the free world is practicing what he preaches. He tells us that America is hypocritical because, while we preach freedom and individual rights, we have failed to perfectly reach those ideals. Those nations which do not promote freedom, but also fail to reach the ideals are pragmatic, "consistent in word and action." America, no better than Iran, in this view, because neither has reached perfection, is actually worse than Iran because we pretend to stand for freedom.

Obama and his ilk find sophistication in this worldview. They fail to understand that a hypocrite at least has a chance to make his actions consistent with his words and thereby attain his ideals. That is the virtue of hypocrisy. The rotter who admits and accepts he's a rotter may be consistent, but he will always be a rotter.

Obama, by not condemning Iran, has legitimized their actions. But worse, he has laid bare his true feelings about the status of the individual vs. the state.

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Obama, by not condemning Iran, has legitimized their actions. But worse, he has laid bare his true feelings about the status of the individual vs. the state.

Obama has come out with a half-assed support of the Iranian people's right to assembly and free speech.

"We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people," Obama said in a written statement. "The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights."

However, he is taking a "measured approach" to the conflict. He won't come out in support of the Iranian people's right to not be governed by Islamic Fascists as they push for greater freedoms. In other words, he'll let the dictator rule, so long as the people can speak out without being crushed by the government; but I don't think that is near enough of a moral stance for him to be taking.

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the US Government has squelched that movement at least twice now (Bush and Obama) when all the rebels have asked for is moral support. Twice now, the opportunity to depose a fundamentalist Islamic dictator has arisen, and the US Government has taken a hand's off approach. .

When was the first time? I've only taken up real interest in world news the last year or so, if it was several years ago I probably missed it. Plus I'd be interested to have one more bullet point showing Bush and Obama are more-or-less the same.

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When was the first time? I've only taken up real interest in world news the last year or so, if it was several years ago I probably missed it. Plus I'd be interested to have one more bullet point showing Bush and Obama are more-or-less the same.

I don't remember the exact date, but several years ago, Iranian pro-Western students were ready to rebel openly and just wanted America on their side morally -- and Bush refused to grant them a moral sanction. This was about when we were at war with Iraq, and Bush called for "stability" when he could have overthrown Iran's government without firing a shot. Disgusting....

On another note, the pro-Western would-be President said he is ready for martyrdom, if he gets arrested, and he wants Iranians to go on strike if he is harmed or arrested.

Martyrdom! He ought to be leading the revolution, not seeking religious martyrdom. But that is what happens when religion takes over one's life, even if you are pro-freedom. You know, it is like Republicans falling on their own swords when confronted by the Democrats.

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Martyrdom! He ought to be leading the revolution, not seeking religious martyrdom. But that is what happens when religion takes over one's life, even if you are pro-freedom. You know, it is like Republicans falling on their own swords when confronted by the Democrats.

And that is why the youth would be better off without him. So let him do it. This is not about him, this is now the youth against Khamenei.

Mousavi is a veteran of the 79 Revolution, yet in the meantime he married a woman who is engaged for women in Iran. I don't know where he stands right now.

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If the leader of the free world would morally censure Iran for what it is doing, it could help influence opposition and any voters in many other countries to demand their rights. Even semi-free countries like Singapore, where I was born, a country with one-party rule and government prohibitions on free speech and free assembly, most people are massively pro-Obama and pro-West and a lot of news media hang on every word that Obama says. Does he realise how people could be influenced and energized by any headlines and statements from the US that reinforce the right to a government that protects rights instead of violating them?

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Does [Obama] realize how people could be influenced and energized by any headlines and statements from the US that reinforce the right to a government that protects rights instead of violating them?

But then he would have to speak out against his own policies and those of his political party -- and he ain't about to do that.

I mean, what if bankers, financiers, and auto dealers did to him what the Iranian students are doing to their leader -- would he still say they had the right to do that?

Obama doesn't know what individual rights are, except how to trash them, so what do you expect?

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The leader of the free world is practicing what he preaches. He tells us that America is hypocritical because, while we preach freedom and individual rights, we have failed to perfectly reach those ideals. Those nations which do not promote freedom, but also fail to reach the ideals are pragmatic, "consistent in word and action." America, no better than Iran, in this view, because neither has reached perfection, is actually worse than Iran because we pretend to stand for freedom.

I think you are right, but I also get the impression that Obama is also of the view that things like individual rights, liberty, democracy are Western ideals and the West has no right to impose its ideals on others. When he says things like "the world is watching'' I get the idea that he is really saying "go ahead and get these unruly masses under control, but just dont kill too many of them in the process." I dont know if he is afraid to stand up for democracy for fear of being compared to Bush or what, but it hard to imagine that his administration cannot see the benefit to the US that a change in the leadership of Iran would mean.

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I don't remember the exact date, but several years ago, Iranian pro-Western students were ready to rebel openly and just wanted America on their side morally -- and Bush refused to grant them a moral sanction. This was about when we were at war with Iraq, and Bush called for "stability" when he could have overthrown Iran's government without firing a shot. Disgusting....

Thanks for the reply. I'll look into it.

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