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Negotiating with a blackmailer
by Thanos Kalamidas
2009-03-24 08:44:20
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I suppose most of us know what happens with the blackmailer, he asks something in the beginning and when you obey he asks for more and then for more and  more and it seems that this is a never-ending story until something radical happens, which is usually not in the blackmailer’s benefit. That was my first thought when I read the reaction of the Iranian leadership to the suggestions from the new American administration and Barack Obama’s will to start some kind of negotiations and talks.

Let’s put aside the political reality of Iran that has no difference to any single party state if not a dictatorship. Actually I never understood why we never refer to Iran as one of the worst dictatorships, it is a single party country where words like freedom of speech, equality, freedom of expression and human rights are unknown and are ruled by a group of murderous fanatics hiding behind a paraphrased Koran. We consider the Taleban horror and Saddam who had more similarities than differences with the Iranian freaks was considered dictator.

The amazing thing with all these freaks is that they constantly complain that others don’t treat them as equals, with respect, even though in the case of Iran I do strongly believe that they have strong doses of megalomania. So to start with even they should nobody says anything about human rights and respect with Iran, the big issue has been the nuclear plan and the use of the nuclear material and knowledge. The UN and in extension Europe and USA ask one and only thing from Iran and this has nothing to do with Iran’s right to have nuclear energy plans; they ask for control so they can minimize the possibility of producing weapons of mass destruction.

Again this has its excuse since the area hasn’t been the most stable through the last centuries’ history and Iran has threaten neighbor countries with threats that have the words destruction from the face of earth included. Would you trust a nuclear bomb to Saddam, to Mugabe or to Bin Laden? So why to trust the Iranian freaks with a nuclear bomb? So the thing is simple, let the UN and the nuclear agency to do their job and everything is fine, actually Iran escapes pretty light the whole thing because there is a series of questions that should be raised for what’s going on in the country. But again the Iranian dictators are lucky since their neighborhood is not the best example for democracy, freedom and respect with Saudi Arabia leading violating any sense of freedom and respect to human life.

Barack Obama did this step further calling the Iranian leadership for talks trying to find a solution knowing that things can get so complicated to excuse even a war and a war is the last thing US and Europe need now. He even went further than that trying to show some understanding. But the mullahs and the ayatollahs decided that that was not enough, they want more without explaining what that more might be just to leave a taste to what is all about. There was just some kind of vague demand for …concrete policy changes including the end of US’s support to Israel. Of course kindly and equally hypocritically the leader freak, ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized that if US would change policy towards Israel then Iran was prepared to follow suit adding in the end that “we will observe them and we will judge them!” Why dictators have always to be so pompous is another thing I never understood.

What’s the next step? Obviously Barack Obama is deterring to find a diplomatic solution hoping that the people of Iran will do something with their dictators even though in this region and with all the religious fanatics it will take far more than wishes. If he will succeed, I’m sorry I have my doubts because every time I read about diplomacy with dictators I cannot avoid remembering the British prime minister during the period before the WWII Chamberlain who returned after a meeting with Hitler waving a signed paper and calling the people to breathe because peace was succeeded; unfortunately after a few days the WWII started! You see the lessons are just there, in history!

In his message to the Iranians Mr. Obama said he was seeking engagement that would be based in honesty and mutual respect and sadly the only thing I could think of was how do you ask from somebody honesty and mutual respect when they cannot be honest and respectful to their own people!


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AP2009-03-24 15:44:01
You ask directly to the people, instead of asking their leaders.
