New York Times Hails, 'Gains' on Iran...Too Fast

By Joshua Sharf (Bio | Archive)
September 27, 2009 - 18:41 ET
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A few days ago, the New York Times was trumpeting President Obama's "gains" at the UN concerning Iran's nuclear program.

With a beaming Mr. Obama standing next to him, Mr. Medvedev signaled for the first time that Russia would be amenable to longstanding American requests to toughen sanctions against Iran significantly if, as expected, nuclear talks scheduled for next month failed to make progress.

Well.  That was then, this is now:

China will not support increased sanctions on Iran as a way to curb its nuclear program, a government spokeswoman said Thursday. Although China has generally opposed the use of sanctions, the announcement is sure to complicate President Obama ’s efforts to impose tougher penalties on Iran, should international talks over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, scheduled for Oct. 1, fail to make headway.

Even if China had supported sanctions - and Obama may yet find concessions to bring them on board - there's no particular reason to think Russia would abide by them.

So, according to the Times, "gains" means giving up tangible defenses obtained at a serious diplomatic price, abandoning allies who came through for us on those defenses, achieving the vague promise of weak sanctions at some point in the future, contingent on a lack of "progress" at talks that do nothing but give credibility to a monstrous regime that seeks to run out a clock we keep trying to reset.

Some gains.


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Do you think reality

September 27, 2009 - 18:50 ET by kefka

Do you think reality matters, or is even considered, when the NYT covers Obama?  I sure don't.

Obama got his good headline, liberal zombies are happy because Obama 'cares' or is 'trying' or something, results don't matter in the slightest.

To me Duh One is more like a

September 27, 2009 - 18:53 ET by Dan The Man 2

To me Duh One is more like a young Barney Fife in his foriegn relations and this is evident as each day passes.  Does he really think that he can talk these nations into a new way of thinking?  Or is he just waiting for the USA collapse so he can move into teh Iranian Presidency.

You can get something for nothing

September 27, 2009 - 19:08 ET by metaphorsbwithu

Why should China and Russia and any nation give us any help when they know they can get concessions from this administration without having to give up anything in return?

I didn't see China and Russia standing behind Pres. Obama when he announced he wanted to chat with the Iranian leaders about their alleged cheating on the IAEA.  

The president is disproving an old admonition in that, in this world, when negotiating with this administration, you can get something for nothing.

In fact, the only country President Obama has been tough on this year is poor little Honduras, which is trying to maintain freedom and democracy.

metaphorsbwithu

Just Honduras?

September 27, 2009 - 19:08 ET by FeynmanFan

He's been pretty tough on the United States, too.

 

"Reason and persuasion are the only practical instruments against error.  To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged" - Thomas Jefferson

Good point FeynmanFan

September 27, 2009 - 19:48 ET by metaphorsbwithu

Adults are just now learning they might go to jail if they don't buy health insurance.

But wait until the school kids learn he wants to cut out summer vacation!

I wonder why he didn't mention that when he gave those speeches the last few weeks?  

metaphorsbwithu

Desperate for some gains . . .

September 27, 2009 - 19:50 ET by Galvanic

Having billed the inexperienced, untested Obama as just the guy to get the world to like us again, the Left and its MSM mouthpieces have been disappointed to learn that Obama commands no repsect from our allies or anyone else.  World leaders are savvy enough to know that Obama is clueless when it comes to international relations.

Oh sure, they would rather have him than Bush, because Bush would act whether he had their support or not.   Is it any wonder that dictators like Chavez and Qaddafy love Obama.

So, desperately looking for any signs that Obama is making progress, they misinterpret foreign rhetoric like Medvedev's as Progress -- then have to retract it later.

It's a similar game with the domestic economy.  The MSM tells us that there are indications that the recession has bottomed out thanks to the stimulus package, but have to backpedal when unemployment keeps increasing.

Journalism?  They abandoned that years ago. 

 

China, Russia, Venezuela,

September 27, 2009 - 20:29 ET by BD

China, Russia, Venezuela, and Iran are all ecstatic.  In the US they now have a leadership vacuum in which the president seeks popularity from sycophants rather than effectiveness. 

Can anyone really tell me they think Germany is finally going to commit its brigade to battle in Afghanistan because we have Obama at POTUS?

Can anyone really tell me they think Iran is finally going to cease its development of Nuclear material because we have Obama at POTUS?

Can anyone really tell me they think China is going to cease burning huge amounts of coal to build a first rate economy because we have Obama at POTUS?

Can anyone really tell me they think Venezuela will stop trying to destabilize their region because we have Obama at POTUS?

Hell, Obama couldn't even get Acorn to turn in a fake pimp and prostitute to the police......

Yep, thugs of the world are ecstatic over the Obama Cult of Personality fixation.

Really hard work will begin to rebuild our worldwide respect in 2013.

BD

September 27, 2009 - 20:41 ET by FeynmanFan

I was just wondering if Obama isn't actually a Trojan Horse who's setting up the US for all kinds of problems in the future.

 

"Reason and persuasion are the only practical instruments against error.  To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged" - Thomas Jefferson

The Trojan Horse was pretty

September 27, 2009 - 21:17 ET by Dan The Man 2

The Trojan Horse was pretty much done in secrecy and it was a swift operation.  No one knew its true purpose except those who made it.  We had a chance to stop the one and the SCM ignored it, we still have a chance and the SCM ignores what is happening.  So if their is any Trojan Horse it is the SCM and the people behind the Dems.

Sanctions, U.N.

September 27, 2009 - 22:14 ET by mattm

Sanctions, U.N. resolutions, arms control agreements...when have they ever worked?

Build SDI, improve it, sell it to our allies and let the tin pots do what they want... It would then be in their best interests to play nice.

But if we follow the moronic liberal policy of weakness and appeasement, we're just inviting trouble.

"You cannot both prevent and prepare for war." - Einstein (He should have stuck to physics)

"To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace." - George Washington

The sad thing is that this

September 27, 2009 - 22:54 ET by Tenebrous

The sad thing is that this one-two punch will not faze the Times' zombie readers one bit. They'll just blink and say, "The world changes so fast nowadays, doesn't it?"  

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Random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com

Propaganda only works if

September 27, 2009 - 23:11 ET by RR GOP

Propaganda only works if one controls all of the media. 

Until the Fairness Doctrine goes through, few are going to buy their steady stream of BS.

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.