Showing signs of being finished with their extremism, President Obama called out Republicans for what they really are by comparing them to the Iranian hardliners who chant death to America.
Video:
https://youtu.be/Y3LMzbGXhMU
The President said:
In the end, that should be a lesson that we’ve learned from over a decade of war. On the front end, ask tough questions. Subject our own assumptions to evidence and analysis. Resist the conventional wisdom and the drumbeat of war. Worry less about being labeled weak; worry more about getting it right.
I recognize that resorting to force may be tempting in the face of the rhetoric and behavior that emanates from parts of Iran. It is offensive. It is incendiary. We do take it seriously. But superpowers should not act impulsively in response to taunts, or even provocations that can be addressed short of war. Just because Iranian hardliners chant “Death to America” does not mean that that’s what all Iranians believe.
In fact, it’s those hardliners who are most comfortable with the status quo. It’s those hardliners chanting “Death to America” who have been most opposed to the deal. They’re making common cause with the Republican caucus.
The President spoke the truth. There is very little difference between the hardliners in Iran who want a war with the United States, and the hardline Republicans in Congress who want a war with Iran. There is no reason to oppose this deal outside of a preference for military action.
The pipedreams of a “better deal” that Republicans are continuously dreaming up all have one thing in common. Republicans never explain how they can realistically achieve their “better deal.”
As Obama correctly pointed out, Republicans aren’t interested in diplomacy. The hawks in the GOP have had their eyes on war with Iran since before the U.S. invaded Iraq, and contrary to the GOP talking points, the Iran deal isn’t a choice between competing offers.
The choice is between a path to peace and a path to war. Republicans and their allies are careful to never explicitly state that they are planning for more war, but when they use phrases like the military option must be left on the table, it is clear to everyone what they are talking about.
President Obama isn’t holding back because the stakes are war and peace. Extremists in both countries want to kill this deal, and it was nice to hear the President calling out the Republicans for who they really are.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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