Recently, Barack Obama has given some thoroughly impressive speeches, and in my view, he has clearly outdone himself once again in his defense of his Iran Policy at American University. I found myself so impressed that I consider the speech a “must watch” event for Americans who want to know how to overcome seditious Republican attempts to destroy the world’s efforts to deny Iran nuclear arms, so Republicans can deny success to Obama.
President Obama took on critics of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in an aggressive speech on Wednesday, saying they were the same people who created the “drumbeat of war” and played on public fears to push the United States into the Iraq war more than a decade ago.
“Let’s not mince words: The choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy and some sort of war — maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon,” Mr. Obama told about 200 people in a speech at American University. “How can we in good conscience justify war before we’ve tested a diplomatic agreement that achieves our objectives?”
Mr. Obama, opening a new, more overtly political phase of his public campaign for the accord, portrayed the coming vote in Congress to approve or reject the deal as the most consequential foreign policy decision for lawmakers since Congress voted in 2003 to authorize the invasion of Iraq. He implored them to “shut out the noise” and back the deal… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Photo credit: Hopes and Dreams
Here’s the complete video.
For the transcript, click here.
The video is almost an hour in length, but in it, Obama demolished every possible argument against the international policy. That’s why I said, it’s “must watch” for those who want peace, as opposed to the Republican path to war.
21 Responses to “Obama Justifies Iran Policy!”
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I agree with you whole-heartedly. It was an excellent "pre-buttal". The problem is they don't listen to him. He even said they already made up their minds.
VoteVets sent out a new petition in an email signed by Major General (Ret.) Paul Eaton – who by God ought to know.
Snippets:
Not only is a deal the best way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but if the agreement falls apart, Iran will get everything they want: sanctions will begin to unravel, America will lose some of its standing in the world, and Iran's path to the bomb will only accelerate. In short, it's almost everything the hardliners in Iran are hoping for.
We have a very unique voice in the conversation.
Make yours heard.
No, you do not have to be a veteran or a family member of a veteran to sign it.
http://action.votevets.org/page/s/iran_vote
thanks for promoting the petition Joanne–it's among the many I've signed via email
Already signed it.
Petition signed. We need peace, not more war for the war profieers.
Thanks for the link, I signed the petition.
Thanks JD. Signed
Been there! Signed that! Thanks!!
I've yet to hear anyone who gives a negative critique of this speech other than with a sweeping overrgeneralization like McConnell who thinks (today on the radio) POTUS should debate it with the Senate–how absurd an idea of the relative roles.
Council for a Livable World says all 10 GOP candidates debating tonight have made statements opposing the deal.
No doubt JL! McTurtle is a moronic idiot! (that's worse than a straight idiot)
I like that distinction! LOL
It's an insult to moronic idiots!
I noted this morning that the petition several groups are jointly using almost doubled (closing in on half a million signatures now) since the speech… (whenever I get a new request to sign I always follow the link in case it is a new/different petition)
I won't be able to see any videos for the next 3-4 weeks, but I've seen quite a bit of this speech on the Aussie national news, and the commentators didn't mince their words either: this is a good deal, it's a deal between 6 world powers and Iran and Australians welcome it, i.e. they've no intention to be dragged into another war in the Middle East. Republicans should get over themselves and welcome it instead of trying to block it.
The Dutch had already said something similar before Obama made this speech. Both the Dutch and the Australians have been very staunch allies of the US until it became clear that we all have been duped into a war with Iraq, but even then both kept participating in "rebuilding" Afghanistan and Iraq and are now backing American forces in the fight against Da'esh. However the mood has changed and both allies have become rather critical of its big brother and are fed up with being dragged into these wars while their economies are in a dump. In all, both think it's absolutely ridiculous that Obama has to defend this deal in the first place and find it unacceptable that America even considers being the deal breaker on a deal it has brokered itself.
I think the Republicans are completely blind to the fact that should they break the deal and then start another war against Iran, they will have to do it together with Israel (and Saudi Arabia and some Emirates) but without the aid of any of their former buddies.
Spot on! BTW, Congrats!!
Most of the Republicans have opposed the deal before they even read it. I am for anything that will prevent another war!
TY TC
Excellent speech! We already know that the Republicanus/Teabaggerum were panning the deal based on their assumptions of what was in the deal, and no doubt because Butcher Ben was lobbying them for support. Now they have had a chance to read the agreement. I think they need to understand that this is an agreement between Iran and 6 other nations, one of which is the US. With the details as laid out by Obama, if they reject it, they will only be hurting the US's standing in the international community, and they will be playing into the hands of the Iranian hardliners.
I have a number of friends in the Iranian ex-pat community here. They all are hoping that the deal goes forward. But their biggest concern is the Iranian government. The checks and balances certainly seem to offer some recourse to the international community should Iran 'cheat'.
Those against the deal (and according to Huff Post that includes Sen Chuck Schumer, D- NY) need to heed the words of Einstein who said "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
Obama is correct . . . diplomacy first!
Schumer is A LOT more dangerous than even Replublicans on this. From DFA: "While the political world was focused on the GOP "clown car" presidential debate last night, Sen. Schumer made a surprise announcement that he is planning to vote against the diplomatic agreement President Obama and five other powerful nations have reached with Iran — and he may use his clout to try to persuade other Democrats to follow his lead."
I have no petition – DFA with MoveOn and other partners are making a database of congressional town halls to be held countrywide while Congress is on recess, and encouraging people to turn up at then and express support for the deal. The link is here: https://60daystostopawar.com/events/ and if you know of an event not on the schedule, it's possible to add it. The name of the site is, of course, 60 Days to Stop a War – but it also points out that only 41 of the 60 remain.
Thanks and amen to all!