Jazz Shaw:
I’ve seen a lot of you scoffing at the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the P5+ 1, demonstrating a disturbing lack of faith in John Kerry’s bargaining skills and the long term goals of our president. This is, of course, highly cynical of you. We are clearly on the brink of a new era of responsible partnership with Iran. Why, look what their Supreme Leader said just this weekend!
Iran’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei called for “Death to America” on Saturday, a day after President Barack Obama appealed to Iran to seize a “historic opportunity” for a nuclear deal and a better future, and as US Secretary of State John Kerry claimed substantial progress toward an accord.
Khamenei told a crowd in Tehran that Iran would not capitulate to Western demands. When the crowd started shouting, “Death to America,” the ayatollah responded: “Of course yes, death to America, because America is the original source of this pressure.
I’m sure those of you showing blind loyalty to Bibi Netanyahu and criticizing the White House are feeling pretty silly now. Obviously the Iranians are negotiating in good faith.
This comes as something of a contrast to Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali-Akbar Salehi, who earlier described the meetings as a turning point. Salehi went on to say that his nation was in favor of transparency and a win-win approach. Of course, when he said “win-win” I think he was intending that we believe one of the “wins” would be on our side.
This is all too typical of negotiations with Iran, and we saw pretty much the same thing when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was still in power. (The phrase “in power” is used in a tongue in cheek fashion here, since that office holds no actual power in the country.)
Recall those rent-a-rioters groups who screamed ”Death to America” in Pakistan?
It must be great for a dictator who has a 20+% unemployment rate for men and 33+% unemployment rate for women to simply offer a few meals in exchange for rabid crowds, like Iran has.
The Mullahs can create a supportive-seeming crowd any time it wishes.
A few years ago hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets against the mullahs.
But then came the mass murders, the imprisonments, the floggings, the re-education camps and viola! no more anti-mullah demonstrations!
Just waves of supporters willing to say whatever the mullahs want said for a small favor of a full belly.
Let’s see, Bibi gave a speech to America and Obama went on a tirade, so when Obama spoke to Iran, Iran’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei called for “Death to America” I guess he thought that if Obama did it, he was supposed to also.
But can we doubt that he is ‘negotiating in good faith’? Yes indeedy, this is the kind of stand up guy we want to make a deal with.