Andy's Blog
Much like my post on the Virginia Tech Shooting two years ago, the Iran conflict was too raw and emotional to say what needed to be said until now.Now that things have subsided a bit, I feel more comfortable saying what I have thought all along: Barack Obama handled the Iran Election Conflict amazingly well. Historians will look back at that and say one of the most genius things America ever did in handling Iran was to not do a single thing during the election conflict.
But first a Scrubs episode to highlight why:
I am going to be obnoxious and pull the "I've been the Middle East card, and I am guessing none of the rest of you have" to say that what most Americans fail to understand about our "presence" in the Middle East is how those who we are "fighting against" wield our disdain for them against us.
Like Scrubs - it doesn't matter what we say, it gets turned around and presented as propaganda against our case. This isn't just true in Iran and Scrubs episodes but in my own life as well.
At my previous job I had two older gentlemen who, well, let's just say didn't appreciate anything I had to say or thought. They made life incredibly difficult for me. But what was worse was that they made progress for the church impossible.
What I learned - but unfortunately didn't practice as well as Obama - is that even if I had the greatest idea, even if I was right, the best thing I could do was not get involved. Would I encourage other more "neutral" parties to discuss and attempt to influence these two gentleman's perspective: absolutely. Should I have actively continued to jump into a fight I knew I couldn't win and ultimately made things worse: no way.
Most of our problems in the Middle East are in large part due to our involvement in things we feel obliged to jump into, when in fact it only makes the situation worse. Then when we actually have an opportunity to do something good about it, we back out. Thus leaving the average Middle Easterner frustrated and angry with us.
The movie Charlie Wilson's War (although about Afghanistan and not Iran) is a phenomenal example of this.
As usual, I was extremely proud of Senator Richard Lugar. It is because of his bi-partisianship, non-grand standing, non-crowd pleasing, straightforward and educated approach to politics is the reason he is the only member of Congress that shouldn't be voted out.
Unlike everyone else - especially Republicans - clamoring at Obama's perceived weakness regarding Iran, Lugar came out and said what needed to be said: America needed to stay the hell out of the Iranian conflict.
Iran and the Middle East is about a generation away from true reform. I have seen it with my own eyes. And the last thing America needs to do is intervene and jack that up. Patience is a virtue, and American needs to practice it.
I read the other day someone who compared him to Hoover--something like "brilliant, pragmatic, but not daring enough to seize the moment when he faced it." I hope that's not how things turn out.
Only time will tell whether it was the right move but for all of the Iranians that are ready for change, as well as the rest of the world, I hope it was the right move.
Easy now. Lissa is my agnostic friend from high school - but unfortunately she is getting married in August in Oregon (of which I will be attending said wedding). Although they are both attorneys so their chance of it not working out and ending disastrously is pretty high :) (Just kidding Liss, you know I wish nothing but the best for you two).
It really doesn't matter what they think. The truth of the matter is that while yes they did put up a good fight and a good showing, they probably lost anyways. Polls had Ahmadinejad winning before the election, and that was before he demolished Mir-Hossein Mousavi in a debate.
Do I think the election was particularly fair? No. But frankly, it isn't any of America's business to intervene, thus Obama reacted the best way he could.
What if the French President Jacques Chirac tried to intervene during the Bush/Gore election debacle of 2000. It wouldn't have helped anything. And this is a worse situation than that because at least we are on amicable terms with the French Government.
And Erik, even if I weren't getting married to the love of my life in just over a month, I could never be with someone who thought the Allen Hunt Show sucked... Number 1 on my list for dateability is "Must Love Allen Hunt Show."
:)
That's ok tho. There are lots of girls who dream of someday dating an anonymous internet pervert such as myself.