Wednesday, June 17, 2009

It's Beginning to Become a Little Embarrassing . . .   [Victor Davis Hanson]

With all due respect to the president's concern not to be seen "meddling" in voicing support for those in the street agitating for free and fair elections, everyone meddles in everyone else's elections (Have we forgotten Iranian efforts from 2003-8 to destroy democracy in Iraq?).

In 2004 the Kerry campaign made a big deal over the Iranians' stated preference for Bush (e.g., the Kerry campaign responded: "It is telling that this president has received the endorsement of a member of the axis of evil.") The same year British subjects were hectoring voters of swing-state Ohio not to vote for Bush. In 2008, Palestinians were manning phone banks on the West Bank to raise money for Obama.

And it worked both ways. The United States practically ordered the Shah out of Iran after working behind the scenes to undermine him. We went on the record in various ways to bolster demonstrations in the Ukraine, Chile, Serbia, Poland, and elsewhere. No country has done more to meddle in the affairs of others in order not to bolster, but to destroy democracy than has Iran. Just ask the Lebanese and Iraqis.

One can sympathize with worry not to undermine the resistance by being tied to it, or being concerned about nuclear weapons, or trying to figure the odds of who will win, but all that said, it's starting to get a little shameful for the professed humanitarian Obama to be seen so nakedly uninterested in the hundreds of thousands in the streets of Tehran both voicing values similar to our own, and ridiculing a government that for 30 years has serially killed Americans, promoted worldwide terror, and violated international agreements. 

06/17 09:53 AMShare