President Obama's Middle East Speech

I'll be curious to hear what he has to say.

 

Handling the Middle East right now is a tricky, tricky situation, isn't it? I couldn't imagine having to navigate that minefield, diplomatically. We're keeping despots in power because they at least tamp down radical Islam. We might be worse off with some of these democracies - like Tunisia. I think The Atlantic euphemistically called it "doctrinal plasticity," i.e. "hypocrisy."

Found it interesting that last time Obama made a big Middle East speech - the Cairo one, I think - he made a big point about how in America, women can wear the hijab without repercussion. What was supposed to resonate as a message about our religious freedom and embrace of Islam instead came off to a lot of young Muslim women as U.S. support for oppression of women, which is what they associate the garment with.

Again, tricky, tricky situation.

 

I am curious to see if they will bring the styrofoam columns with them.

 

When hasn't it been tricky? It's not like this is a new development.

 

Yeah, I know I'm not breaking any news here. I just find the current details of what the administration faces interesting, particularly since the Arab Spring was pretty much universally covered as an exclusively positive development. Diplomacy is one tough nut.

 

What makes it tricky in the Middle East is that one size does not fit all. Every country has a different circumstance. How Obama has to treat some countries ends up being a contradiction to how he treats others.

At the end of the day the two large elephants in the room -- Israel and Oil effect everything we say and do.

 

Yeah, this. Boom, did you read the "Atlantic" piece on this in the current issue? Very illuminating.

 

No, but did read The Consequentialist in the New Yorker which was very thought provoking.

 

It's a fine drinking game to take a shot each time he says "I."

 

Text:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/world/middleeast/20prexy-text.html

 

Boom, you're right, but that's pretty much how international relations goes for all leaders of all countries in their relations with all other countries.

 

But most leaders do not have the hammer that Obama has at his disposal.