There are many defenders of Mr. Obama’s Iran deal, most of them Democrats. A deal that gave the Mullah’s moolah, and unearned legitimacy. When Donald Trump reversed that deal the Washington Political establishment snapped. The usual suspects, the press, pundits, politicians, went nuclear.
Related: Iran: Where Obama Appeased Trump Brings the Pain
Whether they realize it or not, they went on the record in support of this,
With his nuclear deal, President Obama attempted to reorient U.S. foreign policy toward Iran, a theocratic republic with a Shia Islamic political system that perpetrates widespread human rights abuses such as a ton of executions without fair trials, torture, horrific prisons, political prisoners, privacy violations, draconian limits on expression including criticism of the regime, serious press restrictions and imprisonment of reporters, and so on and so forth. The government has serious corruption, limits rights for women and minorities, and subjects gay people to the death penalty. It also supports human rights abuses in other countries and is a state sponsor of terrorism.
If Mr. Trump decided the paper on the roll in the White House Bathroom needed to go over instead of under the political establishment would snap. The courts would be called upon to overturn the decision. But their objection, in the case of Iran, was not just knee-jerk.
Undoing Obama’s Legacy
President Obama’s deal was a significant shift in US policy. A world-changing moment in history. It was meant to be part of his legacy and as such continues to be defended by the Left. But look at what they are defending.
- executions without fair trials,
- torture
- horrific prisons
- political prisoners
- privacy violations
- draconian limits on expression including criticism of the regime,
- serious press restrictions and imprisonment of reporters,
- corruption,
- limits rights for women and minorities,
- subject gay people to the death penalty.
- supporter of human rights abuses in other countries and is
- a state sponsor of terrorism.
In the 2014 election if you supported Romney for President you hated women because Mitt had once had some binder with the names of qualified female applicants. But it’s okay to Support Obama and the Iran deal. The legacy moment (even a bad one) is more important than legitimizing an evil regime at the expense of old alliances.
Alliances with no shortage of faults.
Which Oppressive Regime?
Molly Hemmingway tries to frame the problem (that’s here quote above) when having to choose allies in the face of a greater evil, not that we even agree on what that means.
Reasonable people can disagree about whether Iran or Saudi Arabia is the better oppressive regime to work with to advance U.S. interests, but the realist doesn’t think that the brutal extralegal torture and killing of a single domestic opponent would change the decision significantly since the alliance was never formed out of shared beliefs on religious freedom, freedom of speech, women’s rights, or rule of law.
Choosing not to fight will not result in peace. Deciding how to fight may not keep the peace. And while we can’t claim this isn’t about ensuring at least some measure of stability in a place not know for it, we can say that we have other Allies that would suffer if Iran became a nuclear power.
Isreal Matters
Israel is our friend and ally. Iran has sworn to wipe it off the map (before it gets to us, if that matters). And not uncoincidentally, the same people who tend to hate Isreal (and prefer Iran) are the same ones demanding Mr. Trump bail on the Saudis over the Kashoggi execution.
There’s no doubt some price must be paid for that act. Is this enough?
Trump’s statement acknowledged the crime against Khashoggi, said it was terrible and that the country did not condone it. He reminded Americans of the sanctions against 17 involved individuals. He said that Saudi Arabia viewed him as an enemy but that it didn’t matter as “this is an unacceptable and horrible crime.” He said that the Saudi royalty denied knowledge but that intelligence agencies are continuing to assess the matter. Even if it turns out that they had knowledge, however, the United States will continue the alliance because it serves U.S. interests.
Just So We Are Clear
The Iran Deal pep-squad, who are also leading the cheer to dump the Saudis, aren’t the least bit interested in the life of one sketchy individual (who had ties to Iran) losing their life. None.
His operational front as a reporter for a US paper is irrelevant. This was never about speech or the press. The political establishment doesn’t care about torture or murder unless it advances their agenda. If they did, the regime of preference in this instance (Iran) has done far worse without a word from this lot. It is always about politics.
The political establishment, which is typically led by the Left, wants to dislodge the lesser evil of Saudia Arabia from favor. This looked like an opportunity to do that. But Mr. Trump continues to do what he and his advisors think best for US Interests without much regard for what the political establishment or their press-monkeys think.
It’s not globalist. It doesn’t think we need to be the world’s policeman. And projecting some form of Democracy on foreign lands is not a card in that hand. Its focus is what works best for the United States and her People.
They hate him for that too.
ICMI – 1,322 Votes and It’s a 13-11 Republican Majority New Hampshire State Senate
