President Obama - The Gentleman

I am anything but an Obama supporter, but I think that the right's version of the trip to the Americas conference. Candidly, I hope that it is that he trying to be "humble" and to change the tone with the radical left members of the Americas community.  Clearly, I do not think that here was much else that Obama could have done, short of walking out of the conference. I believe that his "pandering " to the sensitivities" of the South American despots is going to create no real change in their view of the US or their relationship with us. Indeed, the only thing that will make Chavez happy, will be out giving up on capitalism. My real fear is that Obama, actually is inclined to do that at his philosophical core. In short, his reaction to the behavior of the dictators, is small change.

I believe that the real issue in today's news was not in Tobago, it was in the UN. Ahmenijhad went on another of his rants about the "racism" in the US and Israel. The really good news was that 40 countries walked out of a conference that our President refused to participate in. I applaud that move, but our President needs to understand that Iran is not changing its perspective. The Iranian policy is the destruction of Israel. There is no chance that they will change that view; nor are they going to back off of their goal to have nuclear weapons. The naive view that talking to the Iranians, without preconditions, is going to allow them to get steps closer to achieving their goals. These extreme views of Iran, are not views without substantive support in the Koran. Many would say that, overall, Islam is a peaceful religion, and there are many messages there that support that view. On the other hand, there are also many references within the Koran that can be used to support the position that The infidels are to be destroyed, and we are infidels. For those with a violent penchant, and centuries of hatred, the Koran offers a message of violence. Iran clearly has embraced those parts of the Koran as it relates to the US and Israel. Ti deny that, is not simply naive, it borders on stupid.