Iranians Detonate Reality Bomb
posted at 1:20 am on June 15, 2009 by Karl
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The seemingly stolen Iranian election (though by whom remains an open question) is a reality bomb that exploded in the faces of the Obama administration, and much of the Left. If this was a Chuck Jones classic, their faces would be blackened and hair blown back in a spiky mess, in the grand tradition of Daffy Duck or Wile E. Coyote.
After floating the fanciful notion that Obama’s outreach was remaking the Muslim world, they have been caught flat-footed:
A senior Obama administration official who did not want to be identified or quoted explained that the president was deeply conscious of appearing not to favor any side in the election. Officials had ruled out calling for a recount or a revote out of a concern for undermining the Iranian opposition. The official said it was important to have a policy toward Iran that advanced the administration’s desire for liberalization and human rights in Iran, not one that merely vented American outrage at Ahmadinejad.
Courageous Iranians face death in the streets for “reform” that was marginal at best, while Obama is trying to vote “present,” and the Euroweenie Union rolls over. The Germans have sounded a bigger alarm than the Man From Hopenchange. The US government refrains even from strong statements supporting free and fair elections, for fear of undermining the dissidents. This mode of thinking overlooks that Ahmadinejad’s thugocracy will deal with their opponents as they see fit, and blame the Great Satan whenever it suits them, regardless of what the US says or does. Indeed, Obama’s silence has not stopped Ahmadinejad from publicly planning a purge of his rivals.
The Obama administration sees approach this as part of their foreign policy realism:
[T]he primary concerns the White House has about Iran are not about free and fair elections. The concerns are: Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its support for terrorism.
“We have to deal with the Iran that we have rather than the Iran that we wish we had,” says the official.
Obama’s immediate problem is that the naked power grab ongoing in Iran has exposed to even the casual observer that “the Iran we have” is the Iran we have always had. Obama’s larger problem is that still seems to hold the notion that he can “deal” with Iran in the sense of “engagement,” even after the reality bomb has detonated. In a Chuck Jones cartoon, the effects of a bomb tend to vanish in the next scene, but things do not work that way in the real world. The notion that Iran’s policies are a function of US policy generally, and US diplomacy in particular is not foreign policy realism; it is foreign policy unrealism. Until Obama figures that out, events will keep exploding in his face.
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maybe the suppression of free speech (& outright murder) by protesters in Iran after the election theft will be a wake up call to the Won.
don’t count on it. he’s trying to do the same thing to us.
kelley in virginia on June 15, 2009 at 6:17 AM
His un-realism stems from thinking that domestic racial politics apply abroad. Andy is non-white, the arabs are non-white, Barry’s non-white. He thinks they’re natural homies against the man. Barry’s the man. LMAO.
JiangxiDad on June 15, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Obama is simply Carter redeux…Weakness and ineptness…it took a couple of years for Carter to be shown as the idiot he was…Obama is failing faster.
JIMV on June 15, 2009 at 11:42 AM
maybe The One should go on-line and buy a big box of
“ACME Foreign Policy Rocket-Powered Roller Skates”.
what could go wrong?
DrW on June 15, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Time to give ACME another call.
scituate_tgr on June 15, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Dear Leader’s approach to our foreign policy is based om his view that everything happening in the world revolves around him and will flex easily to his will.
a capella on June 15, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Sor, I say Sor, I say Sorry about that DrW.
scituate_tgr on June 15, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Ahmadinejad and his ilk will always, always hate the U.S. no matter what Obama does or does not do. Conversely, those calling for the ouster of Ahmadinejad might be more favorably disposed to us if we were to offer some support – even if only rhetorical support – and will likely hold a grudge if we remain on the sidelines.
So Obama’s “smart diplomacy” ensures that whoever wins will hate us.
DamnCat on June 15, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Obama is taking notes about the rigged election and how to crack down on dissent. Americans will probably find themselves in the same position if they keep electing folks who trample on the constitution.
izoneguy on June 15, 2009 at 11:56 AM
I’m sorry but it’ll take awhile before I have a single neuron in my brain that I’ll dedicate to pity for the Iranian people.
In case anyone’s forgotten – these “Revolutionary” students are the same ones that took our embassy in 1979 and held our men and women captive for over 400 days. These are the same people that consistently blame AMERICA for their woes. Though the Shah wasn’t a Democrat – he modernized and westernized Iran and the people had the benefit of that and a fair amount of free expression as long as they didn’t challenge his authority too much. They traded a modernized nation that was a respected member of the world community for an outlaw government of Islamofascism. The average Iranian is smart enough to look at the Shah’s reign and condemn it for being un-democratic yet he’s not smart enough to look at his own constitution now and see that it’s SPELLED OUT – RIGHT THERE – that the Supreme Leader owns him.
I’m sorry – Life’s Tough – It’s Tougher When You’re Stupid. The Iranians had a chance to negotiate self-rule eventually from the Shah – but they threw in their wool with radicals who immediately covered the women and brought back stoning. The same radicals who have almost single handedly financed Islamofascist terror worldwide. I’ve never seen these revolutionary students complain about it.
And besides – what is this revolution about? It’s about the Iranian President who is pretty much a figure head for the Supreme Leader. He’s just someone that can speak with a potty mouth because the Supreme Leader is supposed to be above it – but make no mistake – the President of Iran is a ventriloquist dummy who sits on the lap of the Supreme Leader.
Good luck burning the dummy – that does nothing. Until the Iranian people wake up and smell the goat’s milk and realize their beef is with the Islamic Republic – this whole activity is simply an exercise in self-abuse.
If America wants to do anything – we need to get CIA in there to agitate and bring on real change – OVERTHROW OF THE REGIME.
It’ll take a Dick Cheney to do that – and we don’t have one. Well – we DO but no liberal press here in the states is going to allow him to do much.
Since all we have is Obama – Damage Control is the order of the day. Congratulate Amadinnerjacket and just say you trust the Islamic Authority of Iran with the proper governing of their own elections. It WAS the Iranian people who installed this government – let them enjoy it.
/ rant
HondaV65 on June 15, 2009 at 11:57 AM
What was that quote from Obama – “We are not at war with Islam”
BS – we are at war with Islam and have been for 600 years. Time to get back on offense. And I don’t mean that Obama should be quarterback. He could not even be the waterboy….Nice try Obama – go sit on the bench and let the real players win the game.
izoneguy on June 15, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Excuse me, you mention Ahmadinejad above, but are you sure you didn’t mean the Obama’s Administration?
katablog.com on June 15, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Meanwhile – Obama is blowing hot air at doctors trying to convince them to throw away their careers and work in poverty.
Shouldn’t Obama be in the White House monitoring the Iran situation??
Bullets are flying now and it looks like an all out civil war is beginning…
and Obama is fiddling with the AMA…..
izoneguy on June 15, 2009 at 12:02 PM
team O just needs tO dispatch air fOrce One full of acOrn Operatives tO assist with the Official recOunt.
why waist a perfectly gOOd crisis :-O
wonk-a-donk on June 15, 2009 at 12:03 PM
death to the dictator
CMonster on June 15, 2009 at 12:04 PM
Obama is simply Carter redeux…Weakness and ineptness…it took a couple of years for Carter to be shown as the idiot he was…Obama is failing faster.
JIMV on June 15, 2009 at 11:42 AM
He’s making Carter look good and Klinton look great by comparison.
[Disclaimer: I NEVER thought I would ever say anything positive about Der Slickmeister]
Chainsaw56 on June 15, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Dare I say that maybe he already Knows all about that?
Chainsaw56 on June 15, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Funny how the only time a threat is imminent and we have to do something right now, it’s because the government isn’t spending enough.
Jim Treacher on June 15, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Maybe Obama can get Evan Thomas of Newsweek on the phone with the Iranians to let them know that Obama’s “kind of a God”. I’m sure that’ll calm things down.
venividivici on June 15, 2009 at 12:27 PM
HondaV65: These clearly are not the “same” students as the thugs who took over our embassy 30 years ago. That generation is now filling the middle and upper levels of power, typified by Ahmadinedjad himself. I, too, carry a lot of resentment for what the Iranians did to us in ‘79. But there’s more to diplomacy than mere score settling.
As was pointed out earlier — don’t remember if it was in the story or a comment — the Iranians already hate us. It could hardly get worse as far as their opinions of us go. So it makes sense to me to take a risk position and at least have someone high up in the administration make a show of support for a fair election. Even if the whole “democratic” process in Iran is a sham, at least do that much. It costs us nothing. Meanwhile, this is likely to be the only chance for ANY change in Iran for a long, long time. Even if the odds are not good, in my opinion it’s worth the risk. Hugo Chavez offered to send his riot control troops to help his side of the conflict — can’t we at least send a few encouraging words to help the other side?
jwolf on June 15, 2009 at 12:33 PM
I agree
Did Obama think flaunting his somewhat muslim identity to mideast radicals would pass the message he is a ‘brother’ under the skin?
Obama comes across as a foot kisser to the hard core muslim, useful but weak
He ‘America is now a somewhat muslim nation and that is a good thing’ empowers the islamic hard line
This weekend our fading space shuttle program suffered a barely publicized setback, while the Chinese played a game on one of our subs and took out the trailing sonar equipment, by accident or on purpose, matters not, for the Obama non reaction was what counted. N. Korea also smells wimp blood
The Bermuda game was one more ‘accidentally on purpose’ snub to our greatest friend and defender of the West, diminishing them by forcing a group of hard line islamists into a postion of getting UK passports without the consent of the UK government
Obama has a war and his enemy is Western civilization. He thinks his friend is islam and the third world
Missing is any public interaction with China. China may make some noise about N.Korea, but there is a net sum gain of taking out their biggest manufacturing competitor, S. Korea, and maybe Japan to boot
While Obama dumps allies, and courts tyrants, China plans
entagor on June 15, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Until there is some evidence that Mousavi is something other than yet another hand-picked candidate to run against Dinnerjacket, I think Obama is correct that the official US response should be “yawn.”
pedestrian on June 15, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Some of you may have noticed that the KosKids are trying to establish the meme that DinnerJacket has stolen the election “Just Like Bush.” They don’t seem to be having a lot of success, but it’s worth being aware of (knee JERK, knee JERK…)
Once again I encourage all and sundry to sign up and introduce a little reality into the nearest leftie target of opportunity. Mine’s the Chronicle (sfgate.com,) but there are Madisons and Austins all over the country. It’s all very well to come here and vent, but it’s arguably more useful to beard the trolls under their bridges.
warbaby on June 15, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Perhaps if the Iranian people had some communitees that needed
organizing or maybe some word games such as don’t call us “infidels”,
just say the people that we enjoy disliking to the extreme, then the Obama Administation might be able to help out.
Looks like our Govt missed the bus “Big Time” on this one.
elderberry on June 15, 2009 at 12:43 PM
LOL,LOL!
Chainsaw56 on June 15, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Heh.
Jaibones on June 15, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Sounds like a government bailout is needed for Iran: The Community Reorganization and Politicization bill (CRAP).
EMD on June 15, 2009 at 1:19 PM
They may not “physically” be the same people that took our embassy – but instead of complaining to America they need to go home and ask their parents why they traded a modern, well-financed, respected government under the Shah for an Islamic Thugocracy.
This is not about score settling – this is about allowing people to answer for their own mistakes and fix their own problems. Iran is NOT Iraq. Iraq is nation that had a tyrannical government in the form of Sadaam Hussien forced upon it. It was a very two-dimensional situation in Iraq – with Sadaam holding all power and eliminating any opposition for years using any and every means at his disposal. So I can see helping a people in this condition – which we did – and for which – the world condemns us.
I’ll be damned if I sit by silent and see us give that same protection to the Iranian people – WHO DEMOCRATICALLY (pretty much) brought the Islamic Thugocracy to power. The ‘79 revolution was more popular in Iran than the American Revolution was initially. The Iranians allowed themselves to be seduced by extremists – they should bear sole responsibility in fixing them now that they seem to be unhappy with them.
But are they really unhappy with them? I have my doubts since NO ONE in the opposition has renounced the Islamic Republican Government. They simply have a problem with the vote totals for a government post that – quite frankly – has almost NO POWER per their own constitution. So what are they whining about here? If they’re willing to give up blood – do it for a reason – don’t do it to oust one ventriloquist dummy of the Supreme Leader for another – which is just going to parrot the same line as the last dummy.
Let’s not forget here – that Rafsanjani was a “reformer” too. Nothing happened during his tenure – he knew he had to mouth the words of the Supreme Leader or he would end up lifeless hunk of flesh.
Nothing to see here folks – we do not to be involved here unless it’s for complete overthrow of the regime. Unless you’re willing to back it – the overthrow of the regime (and Obama isn’t) – why pay homage to a movement doomed to defeat because it’s only nibbling at the edges?
HondaV65 on June 15, 2009 at 1:24 PM
HondaV65,
There’s a reason why I referred to “’reform’ that was marginal at best.”
While Obama claims to be a foreign policy realist, a real realist would have taken the position that Mousavi was Tweedledee to Ahmadinejad’s Tweedledum. Instead, he went with “I’m remaking the Muslim world with my message of Hpoenchange.” Accordingly, Obama richly deserves to have his naivete hung squarely around his neck. And the more the mask drops in Iran, the more Obama should be asked how Iran can be considered a credible negotiating party.
Karl on June 15, 2009 at 1:40 PM
We elected a little leaguer when we needed a major leaguer.
Little league? Should have said “t-ball” as in “teleprompter ball”.
Elections have consequences.
NoDonkey on June 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
I think that what we need here is a careful hand recount of just a few of the provinces, primarily the ones that favor Ahmadinejad.
Doodad Pro on June 15, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Barry’s Iran policy imploded on Friday night but not before the arrogant turd tried to all but take credit for Mousavi’s election in the Rose Garden on Friday afternoon. As someone who only wishes him the worst I hope his arrogance prevents him from changing his ridiculous Iran policy. It’ll be highly amusing to watch reality bombs blowing up in spectacular form right in his face. Go Barry go! cretin.
elduende on June 15, 2009 at 2:28 PM
Karl … I’m willing to blame Obama for the mosquitos in Louisiana – I think the guy is threat to liberty in this nation but …
There’s nothing he can do here. The number one problem at the moment is keeping nukes out of the hands of the Iranians. And the fact is – if Obama supports these “protesters” and Amadinnerjacket prevails anyway – it just makes the task of bottling Iran that much harder.
And … really – I don’t see that the Iranian people are WORTH that effort. They are complaining about a relatively powerless elected post. Nothing changes no matter who is President. Rafsanjani was a reformist too – and people had high hopes for him but – he didn’t do a thing for reform while he occupied the office. So it’s “meet the new boss – same as the old boss” kind of thing and the people complaining are really misguided.
Until they are willing to go for the whole enchilada and renounce the Islamic Republic – then I think we have nothing to do here and nothing to gain but more ill will.
HondaV65 on June 15, 2009 at 2:52 PM
There’s nothing Obama can do here?
If so, then the first, and most important, thing Obama could do would be to make clear to his zombie army of personality cult followers that there’s nothing he can do here. And then start dealing with the Iran threat on that basis.
But it’s not entirely clear that there’s nothing he can do. If the focus is on Iran’s pursuit of nukes and terror, maybe some outside-the-box thinking on ways to get Russia and China to put the screws to the mullahs is in order. There could be some economic leverage, but Obama won’t ever go there b/c he’s depending on them to finance his orgy of debt. (Focusing directly on Iran isn’t going to keep Iran from pursuing nukes, as the Bush admin proved. So denouncing the brutality of the regime is relatively costless, imho.)
You mistakenly think that I am particularly interested in the plight of the Iranian people per se. I am in a basic humanitrian sense, but in the political sense the interest is more that their plight graphically highlights the true nature of the regime in a way that all of Obama’s flowery speeches cannot erase. Every hour this goes on, the less credible the “tea with Mahmoud” policy looks here in the US.
Karl on June 15, 2009 at 5:09 PM