Obama reaches out to Iran with video message

[BasketCase]

Obama is bad news for people in western countries who hate America. They won't get the conflict they want.

Obama is great news for America-haters: they will get far better than a conflict, they will get a VICTORY. "Ha ha! We win! America finally came to its senses!"

Iran sucks. I hate its government, and I hate its religious radicalism. I'm considering sticking that in my signature to counteract Obama's "reaching out" crap as deeply as possible. The more he reaches out, the more I'm gonna push away. I want nothing to do with Iran's current government.

Edit: Oops. Forgot something: ISRAEL ROCKS!!!

 

[eastsidebagel]

Edit: Oops. Forgot something: ISRAEL ROCKS!!!

No BC, don't do it! Now you have at least ten more opponents against you, you have to be dealing with!

 

[Captain Planet]

Not even Iranians like their government. It would appear to me as though Obama is appealing to their displeasure, what's wrong with that?

 

[Winner]

And Klaus is still yours. You don't remember some of these little goodies from our past discussions?

Bringing Klaus up just shows how totally off-topic you are here.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/czech-republic/report-2008

So, when would it be convenient for the rest of the world to invade your own country?

Sure, the thousands of our political prisoners must be freed from our concentration camps!

Once again, I'm merely pointing out the facts why Iran really doesn't care what you might happen to think about them and their own culture. That particular door was slammed shut long ago.

I'll celebrate the day you respond to anything I actually wrote in a sensible way.

In any way, remind me to remind you of what you just said after Iran turns into a radioactive wasteland.

 

[BasketCase]

No BC, don't do it! Now you have at least ten more opponents against you, you have to be dealing with!

Bring 'em on, I could use a challenge.

Not even Iranians like their government. It would appear to me as though Obama is appealing to their displeasure, what's wrong with that?

Because Obama appears to be talking to the Iranian government, not to its people.

 

[FriendlyFire]

One speech isnt going to undo 8 years of threats.

 

[Tee Kay]

One speech isnt going to undo 8 years of threats.

And 26 years of supporting a dictatorship, an attempted invasion, a coup, and 30 more years of poisoned relations in general.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Bringing Klaus up just shows how totally off-topic you are here.

Not at all. You are claiming they are terrible when it is obvious that your own country suffers from a number of incredibly serious problems itself. I suggest you try to cure your own obvious problems before trying to play god to other countries. You will have a lot credibility that way.

Sure, the thousands of our political prisoners must be freed from our concentration camps! .

You mean like the Roma whom your government obviously mistreats on a regular basis? You mean like all the other numerous human rights violations?

I'll celebrate the day you respond to anything I actually wrote in a sensible way.

Hello pot...

In any way, remind me to remind you of what you just said after Iran turns into a radioactive wasteland.

Yeah. that's "sensible" alright...

 

[Zarn]

Obama appealed to the government of Iran.

Bush has appealed to the people of Iran, in the past.

I'm no fan of Bush, but I would favor the young anti-Islamic types as allies over the government.

 

[Winner]

Not at all. You are claiming they are terrible when it is obvious that your own country suffers from a number of incredibly serious problems itself.

Yeah, right I look from the window and I see militias randomly arresting and executing people. Yesterday there was a summary execution of a thousand political prisoners on TV

I suggest you try to cure your own obvious problems before trying to play god to other countries. You will have a lot credibility that way.

Sure, Czech democracy is entirely comparable to the Iranian one, I see your point now

You mean like the Roma whom your government obviously mistreats on a regular basis? You mean like all the other numerous human rights violations?

Please, continue, this is great stuff Once you're finished, you can open the report about the US and read about its much more numerous grave human rights violations

Yeah. that's "sensible" alright...

You really have a trouble with reading comprehensionm, don't you? Again, stop inventing things. This is simply what could happen if Iran continues in its present course - if the regime leads Iran into a confrontation with Israel, anything could happen.

 

[Kraznaya]

The overtures may have negative effects on reformists within the Islamic Republic.

Link.

In Iran, any contacts or messages will undoubtedly be viewed through the prism of the country's presidential elections.

Some experts believe that Ahmadinejad could benefit from Obama's overtures by claiming that his tough stance toward the West brought Washington to the table. Reformers, meanwhile, could struggle with an identity crisis.

"These are people who considered the U.S. an honest broker and committed to regime change," said Ilan Berman, an Iranian affairs specialist at the American Foreign Policy Council. "Now the reformers are going to feel left out in the cold."

 

[Bast]

The problem is of course Ahmadinejad didn't change Bush's mind. America elected a new President who is trying a different approach.

Hardliners in Iran, of course, could spin this to mean a victory for their tough stance - if that's what makes them go to sleep at night - but anyone can see it's because it's Obama, not Bush in office.

As for the reformers, almost all of them do not want the US to take military action to overthrow the regime anyway - as far as I know. So really, they shouldn't be complaining.

 

[Kraznaya]

The problem is of course Ahmadinejad didn't change Bush's mind. America elected a new President who is trying a different approach.

Hardliners in Iran, of course, could spin this to mean a victory for their tough stance - if that's what makes them go to sleep at night - but anyone can see it's because it's Obama, not Bush in office.

As for the reformers, almost all of them do not want the US to take military action to overthrow the regime anyway - as far as I know. So really, they shouldn't be complaining.

The only change so far that Obama has taken from the Bush administration policy is a PR move that backfired on the reformists, who need good PR. If it is the Obama regime's policy to strengthen their natural allies, the reformists, then mistakes have been made.

 

[Bast]

The only change so far that Obama has taken from the Bush administration policy is a PR move that backfired on the reformists, who need good PR. If it is the Obama regime's policy to strengthen their natural allies, the reformists, then mistakes have been made.

What progress has the reformists made? Please tell me because I'd really like to know.

 

[Kraznaya]

What progress has the reformists made? Please tell me because I'd really like to know.

Where in my post did I mention the reformists made progress? You don't need to be making progress to have your position weakened.

 

[nonconformist]

As for the reformers, almost all of them do not want the US to take military action to overthrow the regime anyway - as far as I know. So really, they shouldn't be complaining.

Aye, as a middle easterner who has watched the great war in Iraq going oh so well I can confirm that I would like nothing more than US Marines lobbing grenades around downtown Teheran, while Mark 1 Abrahams speed straight through the Mosque, while my family is brutally incinerated by mark 57s dropped from A10 Warthogs.

If I don't want this kind of armageddon, then I'm an islamic patsy.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Yeah, right I look from the window and I see militias randomly arresting and executing people. Yesterday there was a summary execution of a thousand political prisoners on TV .

And that doesn't happen in Iran either, now does it?

Sure, Czech democracy is entirely comparable to the Iranian one, I see your point now .

It may not be as 'evil' from your own perspective, but it is certainly not a shining example to all of humanity. Far from it:

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eur/119075.htm

The government generally respected and protected the rights of its citizens; however, reports of abuse by police at times were not adequately followed up, and there were long delays in the court system. Corruption persisted among both law enforcement and judicial personnel, and high level political intervention sometimes resulted in investigations being prematurely closed or reassigned to other jurisdictions. There were also reports of official corruption in the legislative and executive branches of government. Child abuse and trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, and of men for forced labor, continued to be problems. Neo Nazis, members of the far right Workers Party, and skinheads attacked and harassed Roma and other minorities during the year. Societal discrimination against minorities, especially Roma, continued, and a lack of equitable education, housing, and employment opportunities for Roma persisted.

The government continued to investigate cases of forced sterilization, mainly of Romani women since the 1970s. According to a 2005 report by the ombudsman, most allegations of forced sterilization date to the 1973-91 period. However, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Group of Women Harmed by Sterilization (WHS) reported that its field research uncovered two recent cases, one in November 2008, the other in 2007. The alleged instance in November involved a 19-year old Romani woman from Karvina. WHS was gathering more information about the case at year's end. In the 2007 case, a social worker allegedly told the victim that she "had no choice" and if she did not accept sterilization, her children would be placed in state care. At year's end, WHS was seeking legal representation for the victim.

The Ostrava Regional Court ruled in October that a local hospital was liable for a wrongful sterilization performed on Romani woman, Iveta Cervenakova, 11 years prior and recognized her right to financial compensation of 50,000 thousand koruna ($2,600) and an apology. The hospital appealed to the Olomouc High Court, which ruled in November that Cervenakova was not entitled to financial damages because the deadline for making such claims had passed. However, the high court upheld the requirement that the hospital apologize. Cervenakova appealed the decision to the Supreme Court in Brno. The case was pending at year's end. The WHS also indicated that 20 more women, both Roma and non-Roma, had alleged forced sterilizations, some before 1989 and others in the 1990s. These cases had not been investigated by year's end.

There continued to be reports of societal harassment and discrimination against religious groups.

Although estimates varied, the country's Jewish population was believed to be approximately ten thousand. Public expressions of anti Semitism were generally rare, but small, fairly well organized, ultranationalist groups with anti Semitic views were active around the country. The Interior Ministry continued to counter such groups, monitoring their activities, increasing cooperation with police from some neighboring countries, and shutting down unauthorized neo Nazi and skinhead rallies.

Several groups that advocated violence against Jews and other minorities were active. The number of rallies and demonstrations of extreme right groups increased during the year. Experts on extremist groups stated that a shift from neo Nazi concerts to public political events represented an effort by these groups to legitimize themselves on the political stage prior to regional elections in October.

There were several anti Semitic incidents during the year. While police investigated all reported incidents, arrests were rare. Participants in a march of extreme right wing groups in Plzen in March shouted anti Semitic slogans when passing by the Plzen synagogue. Authorities prohibited the march for January but subsequently approved it for March.

In April bronze plaques from 824 tombstones of Holocaust victims at the National Cemetery in Terezin were stolen. Shortly after the theft, police arrested three men, and in November the district prosecutor's office charged them with theft. If convicted, the men could receive sentences of up to eight years in prison. The crime appeared not to have been anti Semitic, as the plaques were stolen to be sold as scrap metal. However, the damage caused to the Terezin Memorial was 2.5 million korunas ($130,000).

There are apparently lots of documented incidents like this that would suggest otherwise. And these come from the US government which is friendly to the Czech Republic. Care to see some more from sources that aren't so generous?

Please, continue, this is great stuff Once you're finished, you can open the report about the US and read about its much more numerous grave human rights violations

I don't have to because I've already read it and made exactly the same point numerous times. But thanks for helping me to corrobrate my opinion while devastating your own. You can't very well complain about the human rights violations of another country when your own is guilty of so many human rights violations itself.

Again, stop inventing things.

And what exactly have I ever 'invented'?

OTOH just look at your first statement quoted above. Want to see more examples?

 

[Gooblah]

I'm no fan of Bush, but I would favor the young anti-Islamic types as allies over the government.

I wouldn't call the youth anti-Islamic. More moderate, yeah, and the new electorate...but that's different.

 

[Kraznaya]

I wouldn't call the youth anti-Islamic. More moderate, yeah, and the new electorate...but that's different.

He probably meant anti-Islamic Republic type governance.

 

[Zarn]

Yes, I would have said anti-Muslim, otherwise.