Maybe It Is Time to Try Something Different
Weeks ago there was this huge debate between Senators Barack Obama, and John McCain about talking with and negotiating with leaders that are considered a threat to our nation. Along with many other people, I was not totally on board with what Senator Obama was proposing, but I did agree that what we had been doing obviously was not working with the countries in question.
The breaking news obtained by the Associated Press is that America's third highest-ranking diplomat, William Burns, will attend talks Saturday in Switzerland with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. There goes all of that rhetoric from the Republicans out of the window.
To justify this clear change of administration policy it has been stated that he will be there to listen and not to negotiate. Either the administration is lying to cover the change of policy or this trip is one of the biggest wastes of our tax dollars in a long time. So we are sending this man all the way across the world to Switzerland to basically do nothing.
Did the president promise this guy a ski trip or something?
I honestly think that this is a good change of policy and would applaud it if the administration would admit it. The fact that the administration will not admit it means there is nothing to applaud.
After all, the crisis at the embassy in Tehran was in 1979 and we have not had any kind of diplomatic relations with Iran ever since. That is twenty-nine years for those of us who are counting. So basically the policy is to punish them by not talking to them and they will get so worn down and feel such a loss from not talking to us that they will straighten up and kiss our butts to get our conversation back.
Okay, it has been twenty-nine years and that has not worked. In fact, if you really think about this idea, it is like the description of a bad marriage on the Dr. Phil show. This is a ridiculous idea straight from the playground of a preschool.
Here is some political advice for both parties, if you are doing something for twenty-nine years and have no results; it’s time to change your strategy.
Beginning to dialogue with Iran at this point is clearly the only action to take at this point. We have imposed sanctions, rattled our saber (which means very little to the rest of the planet including Iran at this point since we are spread so thin and if being honest doing so poorly in Iraq and Afghanistan), tried to build outrage throughout the world an so on only to be laughed at and mocked by the leadership of Iran.
It is well past time to change the policy but the Bush Administration has painted themselves into a corner by backing Senator McCain’s stand against Senator Obama’s proposal to start meeting with some of these leaders that we have decided not to play with for the past twenty to thirty years or so.
The truth is that it is the only sensible option and we have to send this man to the other side of the planet to begin a dialogue with this government. But, our government feels the need to send this man to “sit and listen” to stand behind ridiculous statements made to support a candidate that has clearly stated that the failed, twenty-nine year old policy that has been a testimony to the inability of both parties to use common sense.
We seem to be on the verge of using common sense but I will hold my applause for when it actually happens.
