An American friend asks what I, as an Englishman, think about the hostage affair. My answer is that words cannot express how sickened, humiliated, soiled, contaminated, and ashamed I feel.
I feel sickened by the fact that a ship in the navy of Nelson could be captured without a shot being fired, and that British sailors and marines could participate in propaganda stunts that go far beyond the old rubric of giving name, rank and number only, and finally parade before Ahmadinejad to beg his forgiveness.
I feel humiliated by the impotence of our government and armed forces in the face of naked aggression, a humiliation compounded by the disloyalty of our European partners and the refusal of Russia and China to support British forces kidnapped while carrying out a UN mission.
I feel soiled by the apologists for Iran who pervade our airwaves and press, led by the former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont, now chairman of the British Iranian Chamber of Commerce. Lamont claims that Tony Blair’s support for American policy is to blame for Iran’s hostility, and that the release of the hostages proves that “neocons” were wrong to urge a tough line.
I feel contaminated by the sight of Ahmadinejad posing as a benefactor even as he orders yet more terrorist attacks in Iraq. One of the most recent: a bomb that killed four British soldiers and an interpreter in Basra just as the hostages were being released.
I feel ashamed of Patricia Hewitt, our health secretary, who criticized the woman sailor held hostage for smoking a cigarette, but said nothing about the indignity of her being deprived of her uniform, forced to wear a Muslim headscarf, and patronized by Ahmadinejad because she was a mother.
Tony Blair waited until the sailors and marines were safely home before reminding the British people that Iran is arming, financing, and inciting terrorism throughout the region while defying the will of the international community in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The BBC’s Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, reported the prime minister’s remarks as responding to a gesture of friendship from Iran with “a slap in the face.”
In reality, Blair has been frustrated by his inability to respond more robustly to the Iranian provocation. America’s former ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, told the BBC that the Iranians were testing the British to see if there would be any price to pay for their outrageous behavior. Now they had their answer, said Bolton: “Softly, softly.” I don’t think he meant it as a compliment.
The Iranians will be emboldened, realizing that the media’s sentimentality in hostage crises imposes a crippling handicap on Western leaders who, like Blair, wish to avoid appeasement at all costs. Negotiations with Tehran almost certainly made no difference to Ahmadinejad’s decision. (They may even have been counter-productive in their bestowal of a spurious legitimacy on Iran.) Such negotiations were nonetheless demanded by the arbiters of public opinion in preference to other diplomatic or military responses.
In the U.S., Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi are demanding similar negotiations with Syria. Wrong for Iran; wrong for Syria. To jaw-jaw may, as Churchill said to Eisenhower in 1954, always be better than to war-war, but not if the guy you are jaw-jawing with is quietly war-warring behind your back.
Hmmm.
No no no. The real lessons here:
1. Copy the Mafia and never discuss “business” over a phone, no matter how secure you think it is. Instead meet in person in a very loud setting where you -have- to speak into each other’ ears.
2. Use metaphors only, never explicit language. Don’t say “How much for this Senate seat?”. Instead “I’m thinking I got a tuna here that’s pretty nice.”.
3. And if you get caught, make sure your fellow Democrats understand that you’re more than willing to pull the pin on a nuclear grenade if they don’t make you “whole”.
Schadenfreude for breakfast is delicious. Having viewed “Senator” Burris’s tomb photographs yesterday (a must see if you haven’t done so already) it is clear that he is a man who takes the burnishing of his resume very seriously. I also find especially delicious the contortions the Democrats must make in order to justify their opposition to the Burris appointment. Where, exactly, do they find legal basis for their claim?
Please pass the popcorn…
what is it with people trying explain obama’s “wait and think to see what develops before acting” approach? It’s far from it. It’s cowardice. He does not know what he’s doing; he had no leadership skills before Congress; if so the Grove Parc housing complex would not have been so bad it has to be demolished. He’s waiting for someone to tell him what to do like he did in the Illinois Senate.
I think that Memomachine has the real lessons that politicians will take away from this.
Besides, Jennifer, have you seriously considered how a politician would actually go about living your advice? Would you suggest that President-Elect Obama actually refuse to talk to John Murtha, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and others? Even President Bush can’t slam the door on those three, however corrupt and hostile they are. The only way to avoid dealing with corrupt politicians is to get out of politics.
In scandal, the republicans tend to kick the offender out, and the democrats tend to circle the wagons. Normally, this tends to help the democrats, because given time the public gets bored, the media loses interest and we hear the pundits demand that we “Move On”. Whereas a republican driven from office in disgrace keeps his offense bronzed and preserved in history. This is a case where democrats letting guys like Blago acquire and hold political power is burning them. The fact that they turned on him immediately and tried to push him out without trial tells me that there are lots of skeletons in lots of closets that could come out if this is allowed to stay in the public eye.
The problem with protecting your crooks is twofold: first, it allows corruption to metastasize, affecting other politicians. Second, it creates a culture of corruption that encourages the crooks to enter politics and abuse it, knowing that the media and their own party will rescue them if they’re caught. Blago certainly knows this, and I think that this is the reason he’s staying to the bitter end.
I can’t wait to see a showdown within the Senate and between the Democrats over this. I don’t see how it’s Constitututional for the Democrats to not seat Burris, whatever that means. I’m rooting for Burris and Blago versus the Senate Dems. This could turnout to be some enjoyable political “theatre of the absurd.”
White Democrats trying to keep a Black man out of the Senate. Sound familiar?
Hard to think of a more delicious way to start a Democrat administration and new Dem Congress. It’s Fitzmas all year!
It’s refreshing to see that the Senatorial response of voting “present” has been replaced by the more Presedential response of “wait and see what happens before acting” response. It’s 3a.m. is anyone answering the phone?
It’s refreshing to see that the Senatorial response of voting “present” has been replaced by the more Presidential response of “wait and see what happens before acting” response. It’s 3 a.m. is anyone answering the phone?
Just like the Harry and Nancy show. For years they have claimed that the evil Bush Cheney have exceeded the authority of the executive branch, and Gonzalez exceeded the judicial branch, all the while Harry et al have been grossly exceeding the legislative branch. Now they want to dictate to individual states—against their sworn duties.
Harry, put your dunce hat on, shut up and sit in the corner. If anyone ever needed impeachment or retirement–it is you
Quote: “may implicate still more politicians.” Let’s hope so.
Remember, this is Illinois where every politician is guilty until convicted and then simply becomes unelectable. What we need is periodic federal “stings’ that smoke ‘em out and lengthy prison terms that many deter others. The more time and effort the FBI puts into its “public integrity” branch the better for all of us.
The Democrats have always been the racist party. From the KKK to Jim Crow.
“Obama’s patented approach to problems — wait and think to see what develops before acting.”
E. J. Dionne needs to spend more time in Flyover Country. In my world, Obama’s “measured approach” is not only like “voting present,” it’s like hunkering down in your spider-hole with your thumbs up your a**, all the while hoping those nasty soldiers above you will just go away.
Funny thing, after President Bush was told about the WTC attacks, he also waited and thought to see what developed before acting…and idiots like Dionne gave him grief for it. *Sigh* I’ve got a sawbuck that says E. J. Dionne has Obama’s “ripped pecs” photo as his “Screensaver of the Month.” Can we say “M.A.N.C.R.U.S.H.”?
If we could only gin up a bunch more of this, our esteemed Legislators will be too busy covering their collective asses to do much more damage to our economy.
Please, oh please, let’s have more of this, not less, until all the crooks are voted out or litigated into financial ruin. Preferably, both.
The “vortex” is exactly why Fitzgerald is dead meat. The Chicago/Illinois mob has to get rid of Fitzgerald before he can do them more and real damage. Obama is a member of that mob and will do what they rell him to do. My bet is that Fitzgerald will be “promoted” of some DoJ position where he can’t do any damage or have any role in the future Blago prosecution, if any.
“Obama’s patented approach to problems — wait and think to see what develops before acting.”
I never heard vacillation described as a virtue before. It’s the unintended benefit of electing a Democratic President: the opportunity to watch the intellectual gymnastics of all the Democratic acolytes in the media as they twist and turn to make character flaws into virtues.
Obama’s non-leadership is siply the Chicago Way. You go along to get along.
To actually display leadership would be to expose yourself to damage. Only one person in Illinois politics gets to do whatever he wants, and his name is Daley, not Obama.
But I’m ok with Burris. Not because I like him. I don’t. He’s a political hack who has been rejected by Illinois voters most of the time. I am happy with Burris because in 2010, when the Obamessia has demonstrated that his “change” looks remarkably like the same old same old, the Republican party will have an excellent chance of reclaiming this seat.
Given the ineptness of the GOP in Illinois that is certainly not a given. Obama wouldn’t be where he is today and Blagojevich would have been a one term governor if they were capable of fielding good candidates. But I will keep my fingers crossed that in 2010 I will have a Republican candidate woth voting for.
““Obama’s patented approach to problems — wait and think to see what develops before acting.””
I wonder if Dionne will have this same line of reasoning when Obama’s proposed economic stimulus will not have its proposed intended effect or when the Hamas/Israeli war evolves to involve other Middle East actors.
Waiting-and-seeing may help you win elections, but it sure is a poor way of governing.
The lesson here? Don’t associate with corrupt pols, don’t take their calls or make deals with them (even without an explicit quid pro quo). Instead: eliminate their influence, even at the expense of “risking” an open election.
Too late for Obama. He should have never got involved with Tony Rezko 20 years ago.
I absolutely LOVE what is going on.
The Most Corrupt President Elect Ever™
#17: Are you still waiting, or is the razor dulled beyond repair? Jes’ askin’.
Last sentence of article:
“It is a warning for the President-elect and his party: cut off corruption before it devours you.”
Too late. We are talking about Chicago, the most corrupt city in America, run by the Democratic machine in conjunction with the Chicago mob and various crooks (Rezko), racists (Williams), and Communists (Alinsky and followers, including Obama).
Blago is the stupidest of the lot, but not the most corrupt by any means.