“The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having been created from the same essence.”
President Obama addressed the Iranian people via videotape on the occasion of the secular based holiday of Nowruz, which coincides with the vernal equinox.
Reception on the part of the Iranian government was cautious, but Obama’s words reflect a stark departure from the previous administration’s stance towards Iran. Of course, those charged with the formulation of foreign policy are well aware that diplomacy is a two way street. We can extend all the olive branches we like, but if the other side isn’t grabbing them from us, nothing much will change.
President Obama, as always, is the embodiment of eloquence in this short address to the people of Iran. At the risk of sounding alarmist, I’m really waiting for the “less talk, more do” portion of our foreign policy.
Though I understand that talking comes first.
(So, call off your partisan dogs, people.)
Oh, my GOD, did our President just speak in English, Farsi and quote existential poetry?! Talk about a departure from the last administration.
May I remind you?
“I’m telling you there’s an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That’s the reality of the world. And I wish him all the very best.”
–George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009
Snort. Let’s see how much better living in a nation where the geeks are in charge will be.
Update: Yeah, I know when President Bush said, “I wish him all the very best” that he was talking about President Obama. But it doesn’t quite read that way, and therein is the funny.
Posted by Faiqa on March 20, 2009 10:02 am • I've Heard Nuclear Holocausts Can Be Pretty Unpleasant • 16 comments
16 Comments »
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adnan. Said,
March 20, 2009 @ 11:15 am
Bush gave us the Axis of Evil.
[Reply]
B.E. Earl Said,
March 20, 2009 @ 11:39 am
“He spoke Farsi? Damn! I knew he was an A-rab!”
(Joking in so many ways there. I know Iranians are Persian, not Arab)
[Reply]
NYCWD Said,
March 20, 2009 @ 11:39 am
It’s definitely a step in the right direction for international relations.
Although I think he should have given that speech in front of a portrait of Ronnie Ray-gun… just to make sure there is no misconception about what country he is representing considering they cropped out both the flag and the pin for the majority of his direct address.
[Reply]
RW Said,
March 20, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
There’s going to be a fair share of negative comments and resistance in the world, mostly on the part of people who are very attached to their grudges, suspicions, and prejudices – or who are benefiting in some way from continuing the tensions.
I believe the Iranian government is stumbling around for an answer because they – like the neocons and the religious right here in America – don’t do peace very well. Luckily our President is someone who is willing to tilt the board. The ball is in the court of the mullahs in their holy city, and they’re kind of mumbling. And here in the US, the recidivists among us don’t even know where to begin; except for expressions of doubt. Which is far from brilliant.
This is one of the reasons I voted for him. Ma sha`a Allah
[Reply]
whall Said,
March 21, 2009 @ 2:11 am
Just because doubt may be the way of the cowardly ignorant doesn’t mean doubt has no place. I truly hope the impending tacit complicity does not bring about our downfall.
I applaud his diplomatic efforts and I hope they pay off. It’s worth a try, much like the 14 failed UN sanctions against Iraq had it’s time, but when all that talk wore off, action was required.
Obama referred to people who define themselves by their differences and I see what he’s getting at, but… well. How do you NOT use differences when certain differences are so huge? There are thousands of differences that mean little to me: color, economic situation, peaceful religion, or mean alpha geek factor prime derivitave to name a few.
But if one race wants to kill another race? That’s a difference I choose to define myself by, and I need my leaders to share that characteristic.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 21, 2009 @ 9:52 am
@adnan: Sigh, he did. Hmm, BUT if you’re talking about the Comedy tour with Maz Jobrani, then I’m going to have to put that in his “wins” column.
@B.E. Earl: Giggle, I know you know the difference. You better not get caught saying something like that in Irangeles (LA), those Farsis’ll cut ya’ for somthing like that.
@NYCWD: I didn’t even notice the cut outs… they probably did that so the crazies wouldn’t print out his picture and try to burn it. And of they DO, this way it’s just our president and not our flag, too?
@RW: I’m hopeful.
@whall: I’m a little confused by your use of the word “race,” here? Did you mean nationality? You meant nationality, right?
[Reply]
Sybil Law Said,
March 21, 2009 @ 10:51 am
I like it. Talking is always a better way than just gettin’ pissed off and forming a mob. (Except on The Simpson’s.)
[Reply]
whall Said,
March 21, 2009 @ 11:57 am
@Faiqa sure, if that helps you be less confused. Race, nationality, belief system, identity, whatever. The statement still stands, even if a pedantic focus on the word “race” deters from the main point.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 21, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
@Sybil Law: “What about the children?!!” You know how they always have that lady in the Simpson’s mob screaming about that…
@whall: Respectfully, I don’t think asking for the clarification is pedantic, at all. Using the term “race” implies that the people of who you speak are monolithic, that there are few deviations within the group… and that the group acts as a cohesive entity. I don’t think that’s applicable to Iranians, at all, just as it’s not applicable to Americans. No nation is monolithic. There are important, albeit minority, groups that do not wish to annihilate the other on both sides. This paradigm of defending against a race or ideology or ANY singular causation is the heart of the inability to resolve this conflict, in my opinion. East versus west, religion versus secularism, Islam versus Christianity are simply FACETS of the overall conflict we’re trying to resolve. Focusing on any of these as the *only* reason is really problematic. This focus also diminishes the important role that political history, economics and competition over natural resources have played in this conflict.
[Reply]
whall Said,
March 22, 2009 @ 9:33 am
If one race wants to obliterate another race, I feel it’s a big enough difference to be called out.
Same with nationality. Same with [insert something here]. Genocide is Genocide, be it for racial reasons, cultural reasons, what have you.
Protestant vs Catholic has the same lunacy as Jews vs Palestinians and Sunni vs Shia and Blacks vs Whites and Republican vs Democrat and Rich vs Poor and Vikings vs Packers.
Differences are all fine and good until the members decide that the difference is what gives one group the right to live and the other group no right. I’m just as apalled at the redneck stringing up a black guy as I am at the radical islamic terrorist blowing up a handful of infidels.
The problem is when the government condones or supports the lunacy. The US took a looooong time to address the lunacy in our laws (2/3 of a man and women voting and all that).
One of my greatest fears with Obama leading our nation is ushering in an era of tolerance for things that cannot be tolerated. He has such a following (and I use that word on purpose) in Congress and on the street that he, literally, could do anything. And I don’t mean “he could do anything” in the positive, pep-talk sort of way. I mean it more like “he could get away with anything” and with the last 3 months as evidence, it’s not like I’m just a paranoid GOP freak.
[Reply]
Nat Said,
March 22, 2009 @ 9:41 am
Far better to open the channel of dialogue than to threaten to drop bombs. Is it wrong that it is reassures me that he says ee-RAN rather than I-Ran (like the flock of Seagulls song.) The time has come for the U.S. to regain much of the international credibility it has lost under the previous administration… this is a small step in the right direction.
[Reply]
Miss Britt Said,
March 22, 2009 @ 10:39 am
“The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having been created from the same essence.”
Can I just say… Amen.
[Reply]
RW Said,
March 22, 2009 @ 11:39 am
Is whall saying that the entire Iranian race wants the entire Jewish race obliterated, or the American race obliterated? Or we want the Iranian race obliterated. I think I know of at least one Iranian who wants the American and Jewish race to stay right where they are – the current president of Iran, who needs the boogeyman in the world for his own local political purposes. Of course that subtlety would be missed by the robots (and I use the word on purpose) who yearn for the days when Dick Cheney was roaming the halls of power. Nuance – or for that matter a little intellectual curiosity – were not exactly hallmarks of the neocon race.
[Reply]
whall Said,
March 22, 2009 @ 12:08 pm
@RW, no, I’m not saying the entire Iranian race wants the entire Jewish race obliterated. I don’t believe any such generality is valid.
And, more imporantly, not all Vikings fans want to kill Favre.
In fact, I’d say (I think Faiqa would agree here) that the vast majority of [whatever group] are decent peace-loving folks. It’s the {gov’t, leaders, vocal minority} of [whatever group] that frequently make the mistakes.
Just as I believe the majority of Germans weren’t _for_ Hitler, we still had to stop Hitler. US was at war with Germany, but the majority of Americans and the majority of Germans would probably get along fine one-to-one. So it goes with all the pairings I listed before.
[Reply]
Finn Said,
March 23, 2009 @ 11:11 am
I’m just impressed that this administration knows what Nowruz is. And now I do too.
I think it’s important that we ATTEMPT to meet other coutnries/cultures halfway and show that we aren’t completely ignorant. It can’t hurt, and it will help our case later if we have to resort to other means to ensure our safety.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 26, 2009 @ 6:10 am
@whall: I do agree with that completely. HOWEVER. I can attest, as a Red Sox fan, that all of us want to kill the Yankees. Just saying.
@Finn: Exactly. I’m not a pacifist, but I don’t believe in swinging my fists aroung like a blindfolded baboon, either.
[Reply]