Well said. Yes, yes, yes. Iran is an implacable foe, and I too have never understood why our governments - both donkeys and elephants - have bent over backward to help Iran. No, they can't be bribed but you know the mullahs are laughing at us (remember John Kerry sending $100 billion in cash to Tehran over legal issues only we follow?) And we wonder where they get the funds to blow up Jews and others. Thank you, hapless US diplomats.
Danielle, a very clear understanding of things. Thanks.
The great Bruce Herschenson (did you know him?) linked Jimmy Carter's failed policy toward Iran to 9/11. Reagan understood the danger of ideology and his was a successful revolutionary departure from the conventional Kissenger philosophy. The United States does not need to intervene in every bad act in the Middle East, but strength is the overriding factor in the solution to defeating Iran and their evil ideology.
If there’s one constant throughout the history of US foreign policy in the Middle East, it’s that we kind of suck at learning from it.
Admittedly, I was once part of the optimistic, naïve crowd who believed we could find some rapprochement with Iran if we just understood them better—if we could somehow see what exists beyond the fundamentalist, radical, anti-American ideology. Then I realized there is nothing beyond that. It is quite literally what the legitimacy of the regime rests on. The Islamic Republic can only exist as long as it continues to pit itself against us. And after every administration since Carter (Bush #2 aside) has failed to learn that lesson, I think it’s about time we understood that no…really just means no.
This is the question: why don’t we learn? And after listening to a senior administration official last night speak about Lebanon, I realize it’s simply ignorance and conceit. A fatal combination.
Great interview with Jonah Goldberg on the Remnant! You made a great point that I haven't heard anywhere else that Iraq is a more successful democracy than Palestine.
After living in the region for a decade, the concept of “theory of mind” is relevant to me. Simply put, this region does not think like us and never will. Israel understands this concept completely because they are surrounded by bad ideology and tens of millions of humans who do not share their worldview and are aggrieved that this small sliver of infidels resides in their region. Hamas has brilliantly weaponized the mindset of the West by playing off our empathy to turn the broader public against Israel. It’s well past time we used the only thing that is effective with their worldview - force.
And, of course, Israel also doesn’t think like us and it never will. Nor should they. The U.S. has a huge and complex array of foreign policy concerns around the world and in the Middle East, with Israel being just one player among many. Israel has far different considerations in play and it always has. The same goes for the U.S. relative to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Egypt, etc.
Sometimes it’s good to recall that when you’re in a hole, step one is stop digging.
What would you do Dan? Take all the politics out of this. Allowing Hamas to retain the Philadelphi corridor all but assures a victory for Hamas, a terrorist organization. You really think Hamas will let the hostages go? They won’t. The hole you speak of is the Obama-Biden-Harris foreign policy agenda that has allowed Iran to gain the upper hand. Time to stop digging that hole and time to allow Israel to win to stop the Hamas induced carnage of Palestinian citizens.
Israel cannot win by doing what it’s doing. Oh, I’m sure they can use the deadly armaments the U.S. sends them as our perpetual favorite charity to kill a half million or more in Gaza. Maybe Netanyahu. Smotrech and Ben-Gvir would prefer a million. But the more that happens the more Israel makes itself a pariah nation. Gaza isn’t a nation and Hamas wins by simply not losing. Even Israel’s military spokesmen have admitted that the IDF cannot totally eliminate Hamas. And Israel is doing a phenomenal job of creating new Arabs to hate it. That happens when a country kills your parents, siblings, children and friends with abandon.
Israel now has dominion over a Palestine, including Israel, that has as many indigenous Arabs as it does Jews. And the demographics clearly indicate that there will soon be more Arabs. Surely you can’t believe that a perpetual minority rule system can survive. And ethic cleansing will never be accepted by the world, including by the United States even though our foreign policy objectives have been substantially co-opted by Israeli interest. Meanwhile the pace of land theft in the illegally occupied West Bank is accelerating. Israel has zero interest in a two state solution and wants to expand from the river to the sea. That’s clear. Bantustans are the preference but we remember the Sullivan Principles. principles.
There will have to be some end to this Hutus vs Tutsis tribal warfare, and that is exactly what it is. There is no moral high ground (note the organized gang rapes of Arab prisoners by IDF guards, and ongoing torture of those in the abysmal administrative detention). I’m also certain that I will be dead before that ever happens.
How much time have you spent in the Middle East? I’d bet zero judging by the degree to which you’ve bought into a particular narrative. I’m going to end this here. I have no doubt you are an exceptional person who just wants this to end. Let’s hope it does. Take care
That’s the problem with Obama and his ilk, their worldview has nothing to do with the real world. Though I’ve spent considerable time in the Middle East, I learned early on that the Arab culture only respects strength. And they don’t respect us anymore.
Hello Danielle … I think I might have one of those previous commenters asking you “how we got here” and I appreciate your insightful response. You’ve provided lots of food for thought and I think you’ve hit many salient and truthful points.
I don’t want to add a “but” because I am not disagreeing with you in your analysis … perhaps my question or issue is more of a dovetail to what you have already written.
I distinctly remember Obama going around the world (the Middle East mostly) doing his “world apology tour” as if he were ashamed or embarrassed by America, and America’s past histories in attempting to promote freedom and democracy (however imperfect) around the world. I suppose that there is Obama’s background and raising as a youth (whether in Indonesia or in Hawaii, by his grandparents and the alleged role of Frank Marshall Davis.)
Anyways … to again dovetail off of your thoughts and analyses, I just have a sense that Obama was raised to resent America, despite being an American himself. Hence, his world apology tour and the sense that America (in his view) must repent for its past actions.
This self-flagellating attitude on the world stage just seem to reinforce the notion that Obama and his diplomats and national security staff must kiss ass up to the Iranian mullahs in some of weird virtuous penance, because of you know … America’s bad history, or whatever. It comes off as rather mundane and typical political virtue signaling that is so common by the Left.
Thanks again for your response. I have only started following your commentaries within the past few months, so if you had written about this before, I was unaware. Perhaps you have some links to previous commentaries about this same topic? I would be interested in checking these out too.
There’s a lot more Obama didn’t understand. From his 2000 Cairo speech:
“Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to recognize they have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist.”
And of course he welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory in Egyptian elections post Arab Spring.
What I’m saying is that his (willful) blindness extended not only to Shiite extremists (Iran), but also to Sunni extremists (Muslim Brotherhood, including Hamas). How do you explain that, Dani?
Well here is the thing, we DO have interests. The problem is not that Obama and his merry band of fools are "pragmatists" prizing a settlement with Iran. It is that they are MORONS who think that a settlement with Iran is possible. A nation's interests must necessarily align with reality. Sure it would have been in US interests if the USSR ceased to exist in 1950. But that wasn't reality so our interest was in "containing" it. Our interest is in contaning and ultimately removing the Mullah regime from Iran. This has been our only interest regarding Iran since 1979. Until Obama this was always official American policy. As you note, Obama changed that policy because he believed it possible to reach a settlement with the revolutionary Islamist regime. Not only was this stupid beyond measure but TO THIS DAY the same idiots continue to propose that this is America's interest. Which proves that, as Tallyrand said of the Bourbons, "They learn nothing and forget nothing."
Well said. Yes, yes, yes. Iran is an implacable foe, and I too have never understood why our governments - both donkeys and elephants - have bent over backward to help Iran. No, they can't be bribed but you know the mullahs are laughing at us (remember John Kerry sending $100 billion in cash to Tehran over legal issues only we follow?) And we wonder where they get the funds to blow up Jews and others. Thank you, hapless US diplomats.
Danielle, a very clear understanding of things. Thanks.
The great Bruce Herschenson (did you know him?) linked Jimmy Carter's failed policy toward Iran to 9/11. Reagan understood the danger of ideology and his was a successful revolutionary departure from the conventional Kissenger philosophy. The United States does not need to intervene in every bad act in the Middle East, but strength is the overriding factor in the solution to defeating Iran and their evil ideology.
If there’s one constant throughout the history of US foreign policy in the Middle East, it’s that we kind of suck at learning from it.
Admittedly, I was once part of the optimistic, naïve crowd who believed we could find some rapprochement with Iran if we just understood them better—if we could somehow see what exists beyond the fundamentalist, radical, anti-American ideology. Then I realized there is nothing beyond that. It is quite literally what the legitimacy of the regime rests on. The Islamic Republic can only exist as long as it continues to pit itself against us. And after every administration since Carter (Bush #2 aside) has failed to learn that lesson, I think it’s about time we understood that no…really just means no.
This is the question: why don’t we learn? And after listening to a senior administration official last night speak about Lebanon, I realize it’s simply ignorance and conceit. A fatal combination.
Great interview with Jonah Goldberg on the Remnant! You made a great point that I haven't heard anywhere else that Iraq is a more successful democracy than Palestine.
Thank you, I'm actually going to try to write something about that. :)
After living in the region for a decade, the concept of “theory of mind” is relevant to me. Simply put, this region does not think like us and never will. Israel understands this concept completely because they are surrounded by bad ideology and tens of millions of humans who do not share their worldview and are aggrieved that this small sliver of infidels resides in their region. Hamas has brilliantly weaponized the mindset of the West by playing off our empathy to turn the broader public against Israel. It’s well past time we used the only thing that is effective with their worldview - force.
And, of course, Israel also doesn’t think like us and it never will. Nor should they. The U.S. has a huge and complex array of foreign policy concerns around the world and in the Middle East, with Israel being just one player among many. Israel has far different considerations in play and it always has. The same goes for the U.S. relative to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Egypt, etc.
Sometimes it’s good to recall that when you’re in a hole, step one is stop digging.
As in Israel should just sign a ceasefire…..
Well, the tens of thousands protesting in the streets of Tel Aviv may be on to something.
What would you do Dan? Take all the politics out of this. Allowing Hamas to retain the Philadelphi corridor all but assures a victory for Hamas, a terrorist organization. You really think Hamas will let the hostages go? They won’t. The hole you speak of is the Obama-Biden-Harris foreign policy agenda that has allowed Iran to gain the upper hand. Time to stop digging that hole and time to allow Israel to win to stop the Hamas induced carnage of Palestinian citizens.
Israel cannot win by doing what it’s doing. Oh, I’m sure they can use the deadly armaments the U.S. sends them as our perpetual favorite charity to kill a half million or more in Gaza. Maybe Netanyahu. Smotrech and Ben-Gvir would prefer a million. But the more that happens the more Israel makes itself a pariah nation. Gaza isn’t a nation and Hamas wins by simply not losing. Even Israel’s military spokesmen have admitted that the IDF cannot totally eliminate Hamas. And Israel is doing a phenomenal job of creating new Arabs to hate it. That happens when a country kills your parents, siblings, children and friends with abandon.
Israel now has dominion over a Palestine, including Israel, that has as many indigenous Arabs as it does Jews. And the demographics clearly indicate that there will soon be more Arabs. Surely you can’t believe that a perpetual minority rule system can survive. And ethic cleansing will never be accepted by the world, including by the United States even though our foreign policy objectives have been substantially co-opted by Israeli interest. Meanwhile the pace of land theft in the illegally occupied West Bank is accelerating. Israel has zero interest in a two state solution and wants to expand from the river to the sea. That’s clear. Bantustans are the preference but we remember the Sullivan Principles. principles.
There will have to be some end to this Hutus vs Tutsis tribal warfare, and that is exactly what it is. There is no moral high ground (note the organized gang rapes of Arab prisoners by IDF guards, and ongoing torture of those in the abysmal administrative detention). I’m also certain that I will be dead before that ever happens.
How much time have you spent in the Middle East? I’d bet zero judging by the degree to which you’ve bought into a particular narrative. I’m going to end this here. I have no doubt you are an exceptional person who just wants this to end. Let’s hope it does. Take care
That’s the problem with Obama and his ilk, their worldview has nothing to do with the real world. Though I’ve spent considerable time in the Middle East, I learned early on that the Arab culture only respects strength. And they don’t respect us anymore.
Hello Danielle … I think I might have one of those previous commenters asking you “how we got here” and I appreciate your insightful response. You’ve provided lots of food for thought and I think you’ve hit many salient and truthful points.
I don’t want to add a “but” because I am not disagreeing with you in your analysis … perhaps my question or issue is more of a dovetail to what you have already written.
I distinctly remember Obama going around the world (the Middle East mostly) doing his “world apology tour” as if he were ashamed or embarrassed by America, and America’s past histories in attempting to promote freedom and democracy (however imperfect) around the world. I suppose that there is Obama’s background and raising as a youth (whether in Indonesia or in Hawaii, by his grandparents and the alleged role of Frank Marshall Davis.)
Anyways … to again dovetail off of your thoughts and analyses, I just have a sense that Obama was raised to resent America, despite being an American himself. Hence, his world apology tour and the sense that America (in his view) must repent for its past actions.
This self-flagellating attitude on the world stage just seem to reinforce the notion that Obama and his diplomats and national security staff must kiss ass up to the Iranian mullahs in some of weird virtuous penance, because of you know … America’s bad history, or whatever. It comes off as rather mundane and typical political virtue signaling that is so common by the Left.
Thanks again for your response. I have only started following your commentaries within the past few months, so if you had written about this before, I was unaware. Perhaps you have some links to previous commentaries about this same topic? I would be interested in checking these out too.
G’day!
There’s a lot more Obama didn’t understand. From his 2000 Cairo speech:
“Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to recognize they have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist.”
And of course he welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory in Egyptian elections post Arab Spring.
What I’m saying is that his (willful) blindness extended not only to Shiite extremists (Iran), but also to Sunni extremists (Muslim Brotherhood, including Hamas). How do you explain that, Dani?
This is an excellent article on the subject:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/19/barack-obama-muslim-world-outreach-consequences-israel-ambassador-michael-oren/
Bless you … if only they would listen …. What I don’t understand is how they keep trying to accomplish what isn’t working ….
Well here is the thing, we DO have interests. The problem is not that Obama and his merry band of fools are "pragmatists" prizing a settlement with Iran. It is that they are MORONS who think that a settlement with Iran is possible. A nation's interests must necessarily align with reality. Sure it would have been in US interests if the USSR ceased to exist in 1950. But that wasn't reality so our interest was in "containing" it. Our interest is in contaning and ultimately removing the Mullah regime from Iran. This has been our only interest regarding Iran since 1979. Until Obama this was always official American policy. As you note, Obama changed that policy because he believed it possible to reach a settlement with the revolutionary Islamist regime. Not only was this stupid beyond measure but TO THIS DAY the same idiots continue to propose that this is America's interest. Which proves that, as Tallyrand said of the Bourbons, "They learn nothing and forget nothing."