As usual, Cato has some spot-on commentary here, the crux of it being this:
If Iran’s government has overreached, the right response is schadenfreude. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer group of guys. Meanwhile, President Obama has a full plate of problems to deal with in his own country. Whatever government emerges from the Iranian political process, we’re going to have to deal with it. Until then, whatever President Obama’s personal prayers or wishes are for Iran, he ought to keep them to himself.
I’ve pretty well made a jerk of myself recently on Twitter and Facebook with my opposition to the hysteria over this supposed ‘crisis’, and I’m not about to repeat that mistake, at least not on the same issue and not so soon.
But seriously, that Cato piece is decently short – 3 paragraphs, one of which was posted above – and well worth the read.
Cato,
I totally agree with you. The United States does not belong modeling in the elections of any other country in the world. We need to stay clear because eventually there will be a civil war in Iran and the government will be cast out for not following the will of the people. The thing that most people forget is that government is only there to do the will of the people. It is my philosophy that if there is a government that the people do not allow then the government will be changed by the people. Look at history, the English people allow their queen to remain queen because that is what they want, however don’t mess with parliament. It is the same in the United States in our history we were not happy with English rule so we got rid of them. That is what people do, if the people of Iran are sick of their government they will over throw it and install a new government.
Mat: What you’re talking about is called legitimacy. For any government to function, it must have legitimacy from the people. Most dictatorships and theocracies achieve this from fear, however Iran is showing that they aren’t so afraid anymore. Now, the legitimacy must come from the will of the people.
It’s not Obama’s place to “do” anything about it. He has enough to deal with over here.
President Obama and his foreign affairs team should stay low profile and keep their fingers crossed. If we get into Iran’s business, the zealots there will used our actions to inflame the Islamic world with calls for jihad against the intrusive Americans. If their regime is failing, let’s stand around and watch because the real enemy of their state is their young population which wants to be free.
New media, cell phones and cable TV have planted the seed of freedom so the Obama White House only support efforts to help oppressed people learn that the average American is not constantly planning to kill them—we are to busy getting fat and chilling out. On the other hand, our corporations will exploit nations and people around the world. I have some Skoal brothers who recommend this foreign policy: “Nuke their ___ and steal their gas.”
Actually, those people have a right to their form of government if they weren’t developing nuclear weapons and attacking our friends in Israel for religious reasons. I can’t believe what I heard on the news yesterday: Europe considerable influence with Iran because of oil purchase. I think our smooth president is using smart power to quietly get the EU to hit Iran in the wallet.
.-= Slyram´s last blog ..Common English Errors =-.