How should we handle the Iran situation?

[30ashopper]

So what does everybody think? I'm going to surprise a few and side on the camp that feels Obama's way of handling this was the right choice. Personally, I could care less about Iran or their revolution, I think it's something that's going to happen (at some point) regardless of what we do or say, so staying out of it seems fine with me. I can understand why the right frets over Obama's response over the weekend as being weak, (because I can see how extemists would see it as weak) but personally I see it more as well calculated. We are a "political football" that Ahmadinejad can exploit, so why give him the ball. The younger Iranian generations don't need any help from us, they can handle things just fine on their own.

Now I'm not a fan of Obama, and I honestly believe he harbors more sympathy for Arabs than Jews, but we have enough problems to deal with, and Iran is a pot being stirred internally by it's own revolutionary forces, so I'd prefer we just stay out of it. If we are concerned about exported terrorism, we should be working on a stronger defense (e.g. border and port security) rather than stirring up a hornets nest in Iran by taking a side. Anybody esle care to comment?

 

[Gidget]

I just quickly want to jump in and say "Well said!"

G

 

[hnooe]

With Obama extending the hand of peace to the neglected group of "peaceful Muslims" it shows they can become empowered, as witnessed in the Iranian elections. We also gain the attention and we get more respect for our values from the new generation of youth and the women in the country.

We don't have to drop bombs or invade a country/nation build to effect positive changes, we just need to be a consistently honest broker in the world.

 

[Bob Wells]

That was unexpected. I will say this though, I for one am tired of us being the World Police. I realize based on our status in the world there are those who think we should be. We would not appreciate other countries meddling in our business, at least not openly, then why do we feel the need to be constantly involved with the internal affairs of others. I am no fan of the countries such as Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, India and even Isreal having NUKES, but don't those countries have the same thoughts about us Nukes.

 

[30ashopper]

That was unexpected. I will say this though, I for one am tired of us being the World Police. I realize based on our status in the world there are those who think we should be. We would not appreciate other countries meddling in our business, at least not openly, then why do we feel the need to be constantly involved with the internal affairs of others. I am no fan of the countries such as Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, India and even Isreal having NUKES, but don't those countries have the same thoughts about us Nukes.

Not necessarily, there are people in this world who would gladly walk into Time Square with a nuke on their back and push the button. Just because we can't conceive of anyone taking part in such an act, we shouldn't assume everyone else feels the same.

 

[scooterbug44]

We need to stay the heck out of it!!! One of the reasons Iran hates us is because we have meddled in their government in the past and because we continue to meddle in the Middle East.

For all the press A-jidad gets, Iran is a theocracy and the supreme religious leader(s) are questioning the election results. Let the Iranians figure it out.

 

[TooFarTampa]

Well said, 30ashopper. I agree completely except for the part where you say you don't care much about the outcome. I have been riveted by the info coming out of Iran, what we can get from it anyway. I think it is right for people in this country, the commenters and bloggers, to voice their support for the protesters. Any nudge toward some sort of additional freedom or truth in government should be celebrated.

That said, I think Obama set the right tone yesterday. It really is up to the Iranians themselves.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Well said, 30ashopper. I agree completely except for the part where you say you don't care much about the outcome. I have been riveted by the info coming out of Iran, what we can get from it anyway. I think it is right for people in this country, the commenters and bloggers, to voice their support for the protesters. Any nudge toward some sort of additional freedom or truth in government should be celebrated.

That said, I think Obama set the right tone yesterday. It really is up to the Iranians themselves.

I agree with TFT; the outcome will have meaning for the entire world for a long time to come.

It is also amazing that (according to what I have heard) the entire "revolution" is being directed via email and the Internet because the Iranian leadership has shut down the media, mobile phones, and cancelled the visas of many international journalists...it is amazing what the people have done to get the word out in spite of great obstacles. See

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/443634/iran_s_twitter_revolution?rel=emailNation:

 

[30ashopper]

Yeah I didn't mean to imply I could care less, obviously I'd like to see the moderates take control of the government there. Been hoping for that for a long time.

 

[Andy A]

We need to stay the heck out of it!!! One of the reasons Iran hates us is because we have meddled in their government in the past and because we continue to meddle in the Middle East.

For all the press A-jidad gets, Iran is a theocracy and the supreme religious leader(s) are questioning the election results. Let the Iranians figure it out.

While I agree we should, at this point, stay out of it, to say the Iranians hate us because we have meddled in their government is not totally accurate.
More to the point, when we should have given support to the Shah after promising it on numerous occasions, Pres. Carter reneged on his promise to support the Shah who was well on his way to Westernizing Iran.
Some may argue that Iran did not wish to become Westernized but in my conversations with two Iranians who were undergoing flight training with the U.S. Army in my flight class, nothing could be further from the truth as far as many younger Iranians were concerned. The United States can be held responsible for much of what is going on today in Iran because of our past "good intentioned" actions. BTW, the overthrow of the Shah was in the late 1970's and they haven't figured it out yet.