President Obama's Middle East Speech

Nice campaign speech by Hillary.

 

Proposing Palestinian state based on 1967 accord is pretty ballsy move by Obama.

Would like to be a fly on wall when Netanyahu arrives tomorrow.

 

Boom, again you are right, but the hammer is in its way also a problem, because as we have learned (I hope to God anyway), U.S. military power is a tool of marginal effectiveness in conducting Middle East foreign policy. It's great for catching bin Laden when we find him. But it can't accomplish many of our goals.

 

Obama seems to want to walk a fine line between realism and idealism.

 

I believe Robert Kennedy referred to himself as a "pragmatic idealist."

 

I have religious (and zionist) jewish friends who are outraged by this speech and the idea of giving back yet more land to the Palestinians. They believe (rightly or wrongly) that Obama is anti-Israel, or at least sympathetic to a population that wants Israel destroyed. Obama is certainly not anywhere near as popular in Israel as Bush II was.

I don't know what to believe at this point. I'm not sure if Obama is simply trying to be pragmatic (in a political culture that seldom rewards pragmatism) or if my friends are right and he favors the Palestinians over Israel when American public opinion is the exact opposite.

 

I hope it was just an oversight, but ...

Is anyone else concerned that in his rundown of "universal rights," Obama listed three of the five freedoms provided for by the First Amendment -- Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly & Freedom of Religion -- but neglected to include Freedom of Petition and, especially, Freedom of the Press? Just askin'.

 

Before everyone flips a fucking nutty... He said 67 borders, with swaps. Not green line. Not red line.

This has been our government's position since Carter at Camp David.

 

Thanks for clarifying.

 

Don't worry. A lot of people are concerned every time Obama draws a breath. There's a whole teevee network devoted to it, in fact.

 

A smart friend of mine was absolutely correct when he said today: "Bibi is a fucking nutbar."

Because he is. He is not the least bit interested in negotiation. Well, congratulations, Bibi. Then nothing is going to fucking get done. Ever.

 

Honestly, the two sides will have to live with any agreement they sign. If I was the U.S. I'd just say "deal with it, figure it out. We're tired of of being the middlemen."
But Middle East policy is a big vote-getter so Presidents continue to try and broker something, something that can be undone by a 14-year-old with a rock.