News article from Australian paper "The Age": Obama promises face-to-face talks with Iran. I read this and thought... Really? Is it now seen as so rare for a US President to engage in personal diplomacy that it makes headlines in Australia when even an unnominated candidate says he will do it?
By the way, I happen to agree with Obama more than Clinton on this one... What do others think?
Saturday, November 03, 2007
How far we have fallen.
Posted by Dr. Strangelove at 11:40 AM
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3 comments:
I don't think diplomacy will have much effect with Iran's current government. I think they are playing to a radical domestic constituency that clamors for conflict and bluster (sound familiar?). So I don't think talking will do much.
That said, I do think it is worth doing anyway. If we continue to be seen as the superpower that always says, "My way or the highway" to the world, we will continue to lose allies and make new enemies. On the other hand, if we are seen to make a public effort at peace even with little hope of success, we will gain respect and bolster the position of our democratically elected allies who must justify their support of our actions to their suspicious populations.
I also think such talks would temporarily boost the current Iranian government's prestige at home but Iran is such an inherently unstable place that I wouldn't worry about the fluctuations of public opinion there (it's population is really young and the old revolutionary elite has lost touch with most Iranians).
RbR, this reminds me... you teased us a little while ago saying you'd announce "soon" the candidate you were supporting for the Democratic nomination. When will you let us know?
I think RBR may underestimate the role of diplomacy in this instance. I agree with everything he said except for one thing: right now, the US position in the world is at such a nadir, and we have done so much to destablize the world and the Middle East in particular, that I would suggest that returning to a baseline of international stability will reap surprising dividends.
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