Over the weekend, responding to criticisms from Bush and McCain, Barack Obama explained his perspective on diplomacy.
This strikes me as the kind of sentiment that’s hard to disagree with, but John McCain spoke in Chicago this morning, and went after Obama for saying the potential threat posed by Iran is “tiny” compared to the USSR during the Cold War.
McCain said, “Obviously, Iran isn’t a superpower and doesn’t possess the military power the Soviet Union had. But that does not mean that the threat posed by Iran is insignificant.” McCain went on to argue that Iran is playing a destructive role in Iraq and is “intent on acquiring nuclear weapons.” McCain concluded, “They might not be a superpower, but the threat the government of Iran poses is anything but ‘tiny.’”
Does McCain really want to debate this?
First, Obama didn’t say the possible Iranian threat is “tiny.” He said it’s “tiny” when compared to the Soviet Union. As Josh Marshall explained, Russia was, after all, “the world’s greatest land military power, with a massive strategic nuclear capacity that carried on a multi-decade ideological struggle” with the United States. McCain thinks it reflects poor “judgment” to recognize the obvious difference between a nuclear superpower and Iran?
Second, there’s a bit of a contradiction here. Over the weekend, the McCain campaign said Obama was giving Iran too much credit, offering Iran “the status of a super power akin to the Soviets.” Today, the McCain campaign said Obama isn’t giving Iran enough credit. These guys should probably coordinate talking points among themselves before going on the attack.
And finally, on the substance, Obama is so obviously right about Iran it’s hard to believe this discussion is actually happening. As Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria explained a few months ago: “Iran has an economy the size of Finland’s and an annual defense budget of around $4.8 billion. It has not invaded a country since the late 18th century…. Israel and every Arab country (except Syria and Iraq) are quietly or actively allied against Iran. And yet we are to believe that Tehran is about to overturn the international system and replace it with an Islamo-fascist order? What planet are we on?”
Ultimately, McCain seems to believe diplomacy just isn’t worth it. We could engage Iranians directly, but Iran might, as a result, get stronger, and our discussions may not stem the country’s ambitions.
Here’s the thing: thanks to the war in Iraq that McCain is so fond of, Iran is already getting stronger and more ambitious. So why keep pursuing an approach that isn’t producing the results we want?
No Trackbacks To “The Iranian threat is tiny compared to the USSR“
It’s a trap - run, Johnny, run!!
the fucking reichwingneocon bastards want their
holocaust war and they intend on having it
by spreading lies and lies and more lies.
the gop has become total fascist criminals.
And then after Iran, there’s Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Canada, Indonesia, Venezuela, the Vatican, and the Huffingtonpost.com. They are all to be feared as they too seek WMDs.
Blue,
“It’s a trap!”
If I didn’t think Admiral Akbar was so cool, I’d agree that there is a passing resemblance to McLame.
:)
Iran is a threat and determined to acquire nuclear weapons according to whom??? The US government??? You have to be kidding me. The US government is totally void of credibility.
The days of blindly accepting what the US says are long over. Even if they show me “proof,” I won’t buy anything they have to sell.
Guess that’s what happens when you doctor evidence and invade another country.
Mc Same… More death.. more debt.. more deception.
This is very simple. Vote for McCain, and we will have continued war with Iraq and possible war with Iran. These so-called undecided voters either don’t watch the news or are totally uniformed.
as americans and others are killed with russian weapons in afghanistan and Iraq and darfur and zimbabwe, mcAssJacket might want to rethink it. but his msm will be front and center with a host of false equivalencies and outright falacies to save their lying BFF, Johnny “cakes”.
In other news.. i watched a bit of NBC Nightly tonight. Brian Williams was saying NBC received a strong rebuke from BushCo today about the way they portrayed Bush in interview with Richard Engle on weekend. I guess we weren’t supposed to see the smarmy,arrogant,braindead,dipshit side of Bush again.Better luck next time.Its all hes got anyways.
Where’s the proof that Iran is trying to acquire nuclear weapons?
Quit lying to us GOP!
And what’s going to happen if we did bomb Iran and destabilize another source of the world’s oil? How are other countries going to react to us for another unprovoked attack that impacts everyone?
And the Chimperor and imbeciles like yourself and douchebag Lieberman aren’t , McSkidMark ?
Pffft. I think I am starting to get it:
See, on the slim chance that the GOP manage to steal this election and place this hand-puppet ver2.0 in power, Johnny Walnuts is setting the groundwork for “refusing” to engage the Iranians in diplomacy. His problem is he doesn’t know what the HELL he is talking about and knows that even the Iranian Ambassador’s chaffeur’s assistant would hand him his lunch in direct talks, let alone any of Irans top dogs. Better to act the bully than to have to man-up and face another country’s leaders one-on-one, I guess. Right, McCain?
The Truth Hurts @ 5:
An acute and wise observation. It should also be noted that while it is laudable that Obama is minimizing Iran’s “threat”, it should also be remembered that Obama, like Clinton, wishes to keep the nuclear option on the table vis a vis Iran. Not exactly the best way to win the hearts and minds of those countries in the Middle East [except, of course, for Israel]. One should always keep in mind that Obama will always keep the interests of Israel above those of the other countries that inhabit the Middle East.
As usual: Well said President Obama.
Was Mr. McCain able to discuss with the families when he would use diplomacy ?
Did he discuss former US officials or History?
“The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.”
– Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State (Source: New York Times, Oct. 28, 1973)
Did McCain address some of the other issues…
Many families, parents and teachers across the Country have had to explain
to their children and young adults what this administration has been involved with and has tried to legitimize;
torture, constitutional crimes, Blackwater mercinaries, the killing of innocent families, subpoenas, pre-emptive war, greed and corruption, bankruptcies, bank fraud
It’s never been about the threat.
It’s always been about the oil.
Blood for oil in bizarro bushworld.
They should wargame it. Obama gets to be the Soviets, McCain is the US. Then McCain is Iran, and Obama is the US. Who do you think could wreck more havoc? Does McCain really want to argue this? I really think having the capacity to end human life as we know it several times over trumps most of the threat of the Iranians.
We should have followed John McCain’s advice and stayed for 100 years. In Vietnam.
Of course, then McCain would still be living in Hanoi, instead of divorcing his first wife and marrying the beer heiress.
Col Kilgore @ 9:
I don’t believe a damn word from brian “shilliams”. he’s just trying to get some “cred” with liberals.
Col Kilgore, My, My, My, Poor George. He’s seems to be getting it from all sides. The blantant partisanship with his statements in Israel to the ‘giving up golf’ bullshit, has the White House in panic mode. George can’t help putting his foot in his mouth. Good, now the American people know him for the incompetant hack he is.
I learned today from a moron I work with that ; Nancy Pelosi is responsible for the loss of the value of the dollar, the democratic congress is responsible for the recession, Israel helped the U.S.A.win the Revolutionary war(I know the problems with this), and many more stupid Rush/Beck statements. This is who is running the show. Are we doomed or what.
I have been telling all the “war on terrorist” fear mongers about this very subject for years. We lived under the MAD philosophy with the USSR- that if ignited would have terminated whole states. This was a true fear we learned to live with. As a kid, after the Cuban Missle Crisis, living near an important naval station we wore dog tags like the GIs. We practiced as if nukes were coming, which was very different from the fire drills.
Mav_PreMed @ 10:
don’t forget that Iran is also sponsoring terror all over the world, too.
the rest of the world just doesn’t know it yet.
I think we need colon powell to show the world those fingerpaints again.
Finally, at long last, some real honesty from an American politician about the absurdly huge military power gap between the U S of A and everyone else. Never mind the little piss ants like pre-invasion Iraq or present day Iran.
Barrack was too conservative, the US outspends Iran 400 to 1 on military.
It is outrageous enough to have Senator McCain and Senator Clinton repeating the unsubstantiated claims about Iran sold to the American public by the right wing radicals who lied our nation into an unnecessary war. But when the talking heads do not challenge them when they repeat these claims about Iran the talking heads David Gregory, Chris Matthews and George Stephanapolous go ahead and repeat and embellish these unsubstantiated claims themselves.
Tonight on David Gregory’s program “race for the White House”, David Gregory repeated that Iranian President Ahmadinejad has been “proven to be supporting terrorist”.
David have you ever thought let me repeat have you ever thought about asking for that proof? Then Gregory went onto say that the Iranian President should “back off of the nuclear program”
Hello David Gregory Iran has the right to enrich uranium under the Iaea.
The talking heads have been at again….well for the last four years they have allowed John Bolton, Bill Kristol, Douglas Feith and others to endlessly repeat these claims about Iran.
I HAVE YET TO WITNESS ONE TALKING HEAD CHALLENGE THESE CLAIMS. NOT ONCE!
Impeach cheney and bush @ 22:
in NYC, we did it from the late 50s through the 60s.
roo, do not despair. Hopefully the Amercan populice will stop watching American Idol and vote. How much more can we take? Gas prices, health-care crisis, if people vote Repug this time, we are doomed.
Watch how the Democrats and Republicans both eagerly start a war with Iran. Even Obama is repeating this garbage that Iran has something other than a reactor grade enrichment program. Facts are facts. Every Democratic politician is repeating this garbage and the media is ignoring the facts as usual.
Get ready to enlist all you dummies out there!!!
Here’s the thing The Republicans need American’s to believe that Iran is Big and if American’s start to hear and believe the truth that in reallity Iran is not even a “Paper Tiger” then their “Fear Campaign” will collapse.
Rethuglicans don’t like to hear anything called tiny because it reminds them of their pee-pee parts.
Kathleen @ 25:
they won’t stop! they want to force that mem onto the democratic platform as well.
“Over the weekend, the McCain campaign said Obama was giving Iran too much credit, offering Iran “the status of a super power akin to the Soviets.” Today, the McCain campaign said Obama isn’t giving Iran enough credit.”
But my friends, with the addition of a little Kool-Aid, my porridge, my friends, is juuust right…my friends.
In 2006, the Pentagon’s list of its top 100 suppliers also included such well-known civilian firms as Tyson Foods ($335,239,095), Goodrich Corp. ($344,091,017), Procter & Gamble ($362,461,808), Kraft Foods ($500,799,104), Dell ($636,343,593), ExxonMobil ($1,176,354,936), FedEx ($1,303,032,027) and General Electric ($2,327,705,161). Also on the Pentagon’s 2006 payroll were such often-ignored defense contractors as the animated mouse-house, the Walt Disney Co.; iPod-maker Apple; sunglasses purveyor Oakley; cocoa giant Nestle; ketchup producer Heinz; and chocolate bar maker Hershey.
These are, in fact, today’s “typical defense contractors.”
Holy shit! A presidential candidate with a foreign policy philosophy that actually makes sense.
maybe if rummy and chainey start lobbying for war with Iran will it get through to anyone that these scum are lying. we are already sponsoring terrorism against Iran.
The facts don’t matter. McCain is simply promoting the old Bush/neocon scare tactics. It doesn’t matter how weak Iran is to them, it is simply their new muslim target to scare Americans with. Ahmedinijad is all rhetoric but he has little power.
Obama is refreshing because he’s willing to deal with the middle-east in a real-world, human to human way. That’s the only way we’re going to get anything done there. The Bush/McCain way is just for scaring Americans and to try and show that they’re tough when dealing with scary brown people.
roo @ 21:
LOL
Israel?? Wow, that’s a new kind of ignorance in a class all it’s own. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Ok, that was disingenuous: I definitely LOLed.
Btw, I am going with “or what”. There is evidence that the Universe tilts toward Good otherwise we’d be in even worse shape, if the GOP had its way. We can still pull this mess out of the fire.
Iran’s 2005 defense budget was estimated to be $6 billion (USD) by London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.
USA 2007 defense budget $439.3 billion (USD). This does not include nuclear weapons R & D, Veteran’s Affairs, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now why are they such a threat when the Iranian budget is 1.3% of the US spending. Yet another example of the facts having a liberal bias.
beltman713 @ 34:
You seem to forget we were pretty much considered a Friendly and Generous Nation to admire during Clintons 8 years. (With the exception of Kosovo which was a Nato operation with only ONE U.S. Casualty.)
He also didn’t buy into the Neocons game.
Hans Blix forgets about the sharks here
This is real strength. This is the strength of intelligence, the strength of confidence, the strength of knowing who you are and who our adversaries are.
Bush and McCain have been terrorizing Americans for 8 years, telling us over and over and over again that we have to be afraid. That we are too weak to talk to our “enemies”. That this nation, this huge, powerful nation, can’t bear to talk to scary people.
Obama is bringing our strength, our confidence, and our intelligence back into favor.
Kathleen @ 25:
Kathleen
Very well put. Hardball could be considered one of the most egregious programs to allow these statements to go unchallenged, since they claim to ask those hardball questions that the other programs are seemingly too timid to ask. But you certainly are correct that these journalists are not doing their jobs, which is to allow the pronouncements given by the government to go unchallenged. It is seriously doubtful if those journalists in the UK would have allowed their administration to make similar statements without bothering to grill them about what they had said.
roo @ 21:
That’s about like that chick on the view who said there was no history before Jesus.
Obama also didn’t say the US doesn’t have any enemies.
Time to put all reasonable talk through the Straight Talk slicer and dicer. Jerks.
The reason Republicans have been able to get away with this BS Iran rhetoric is by playing the Israel card. Every time someone tries to bring reality into the Iran situation, a Republican screams, “But Ahmedinijad said Israel is a stinking corpes/wiped off the map….!!! You’re not anti-semitic are you???”
L.A. Confidential @ 39:
I forget nothing.