OK The Middle East Is Solved - Move On Mr. President...

[anthony]

I have not time enough to become expert enough for much further comment on stupid US wars begetting more wars.

Scratch too many Objectivists and it's neo-Con all the way down--or so it too often seems.

--Brant

Yes, there is some (a little?) neo-conservatism. I've wondered what can the attraction be. Certainly, Objectivism is not pacifist, but it is inherently peaceful. But more, I think it's a misinterpretation of Rand. Although she said (roughly) that any country had the right to overthrow a dictatorship, she added that it doesn't HAVE to. A "right" and a rationally moral act have a distinction, and don't always coincide. Often it would be non-self-interested, therefore immoral, to invade another, rogue, state. It can be left to its own devices and not dealt with (in any way) short of self defence, naturally.

Only knowing that free nations -might- invade at any time, could be enough threat to keep a dictator's regime within limits, and if not, and if the populace is mostly attempting revolt, would be the minimum conditions for an invasion, I'd think.

(The weak-kneed shifting of moral responsibility onto the US by other countries, to forever take the moral lead, must be given some of the blame, and plays some part in past and present conflicts - I believe).

[Selene]

NY Times...http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/06/12/world/middleeast/the-iraq-isis-conflict-in-maps-photos-and-video.html

For some reason, it did not pick up the names on the map...

[Selene]

So, Mr. President, there are those pesky new partners of ours, those rascally religionists, clinging to their Korans and their guns...

and acting out.

So why does Iran allegedly have 10 sailors and two small boats in custody?

Funny how this happened the day of your speech...

Just hours earlier, he was alerted that the sailors were being held in Iran after two small U.S. naval craft entered Iranian waters, according to U.S. defense officials.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, once Obama's GOP challenger for the presidency, blasted the speech for not including any reference to the incident in the Persian Gulf.

"Ten American sailors have been taken into custody in Iran," he said in a statement. "But President Obama completely omitted this latest example of Iran's provocative behavior so as not to interfere with his delusional talking points about his dangerous nuclear deal with Iran.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy also slammed the omission.

"I was very concerned that he's missing where the challenge of the world is with security -- he sits and talks positively about Iran when they just took 10 of our Navy sailors," he said after the speech.

Secretary of State John Kerry told CNN's Dana Bash that he expected the sailors to be released "very soon" but would not be more specific. He was speaking at the Capitol ahead of the start of Obama's speech.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/12/politics/10-u-s-sailors-in-iranian-custody/

[anthony]

Released. And this act of 'clemency' or 'decency' goes to show (believe some pundits) that Iran wants badly to join the family of nations. Well, it does partially - for its obvious economic benefits and long term hegemonic ambitions.

Just how far will wishful thinking and appeasement for this unappeasable enemy go?

[Selene]

The Child President and the Big Bad Mullah...