Daily Lessons from Life 22 June 2009

"Republicans urge Obama to get tougher on Iran Jun 22, 2009 Singapore Time

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama should take a firm stand to support the street protests that have engulfed Iran since its disputed June 12 presidential election result, U.S. Republican senators said on Sunday.


"He's been timid and passive more than I would like," said Senator Lindsey Graham on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" television news program. "We could be more forceful than we have," Republican Senator Charles Grassley said on CNN's "State of the Union" show.

Their comments came as pro-reform Iranian clerics stepped up criticism of the government in Tehran on Sunday after more than a week of popular defiance against Iran's leadership, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.


The hard-line anti-Western Iranian leader overwhelmingly won last week's election, according to official results, but his main challenger, Mirhossein Mousavi, has accused the government of massive electoral fraud and called on Iranians to protest.

At least 10 people were killed on Saturday in street demonstrations.


Obama has walked a fine line in his comments on the election, wanting to avoid being seen as "meddling" in Iranian politics but facing pressure from Republicans to be a more forceful advocate for those protesting the election.

On Saturday, Obama urged Tehran to "stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people" his most forceful comments yet on the Iranian crackdown.


"I would like to see the president be stronger, although I appreciate the comments he made yesterday," Republican Senator John McCain, who lost the 2008 election to Obama, said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "This is not just an Iran issue, this is an American issue. This is what we are all about," McCain said in reference to the anti-government protests in Iran.

But Democratic senators said too much outward U.S. support for dissenters could undermine them. "It is very crucial ... that we not have our fingerprints on this, that this be truly inspired by the Iranian people," Senator Dianne Feinstein said on CNN.“

A predictable divide between the ever 'the rest of world should adopt USA Democratic system or else' Republican stand and the more 'we have a good system and your people can have it if they want it' Democrat stand!!

Lessons for me are:

1. it is hard for the Republicans to change as it is their tradition, their value. Even though, it is, in my opinion, flaw, as you cannot impose your value onto any other person or nation. It got to be something the people of that nation really wanted and are willing to die for it to get it!!;

2. President Obama is doing the right thing to hold on to HIS and his party's values that 'USA has a good system that make an African-American into the 44th President' and if the Iranian people want it, they are welcome to get it themselves. It will not be through the intervention of the USA or the world!;

3. Doing the right thing is NOT easy not clear cut. Just like the often quoted story of a child playing at the end of a disused railway track being killed as the person who control the switching of track decided that it is '1 fatality' vs. 'many for those kids who knowingly played on a proper track'. Doing the right thing can be misunderstood and subject to a lot of scrutiny and derision. As a 7e Leader, you just have to persist and try to explain your decision as best you could. Convenience is not a determining factor! Never!!

May the Iranians find their own form of government that they are happy with without the interference of any foreign countries!!