Tim Cavanaugh Talks Obama Middle East Speech on PJTV

Did President Obama's Middle East speech yesterday try to force Israel back into "Auschwitz borders" or just use too many words to reiterate existing policy? 

Is foreign aid a foreign concept to Americans? 

What will the multiplier be on the Egyptian stimulus package, and will that be in dollars or lira? 

Is there anything humbler than deciding how life should be in a country on the other side of the world? 

Would fixing the Sphinx's nose be a shovel-ready project? 

Was anybody still awake at the end of Obama's Middle East stemwinder? 

Reason Senior Editor Tim Cavanaugh talks about the new road map for the Middle East. (Actually it's more a GPS address-not-found error for the Middle East, and those can be useful too. New decade, new hope.)

At PJTV's The Bottom Line. You decide who's the bottom:

Comments

[Hugh Akston]

New decade, new hope.

If I'm not mistaken, the next step after that is the empire strikes back.

[Achtung Coma Baby]

Is that a bad thing?

[Achtung Coma Baby]

I'd prefer it if we went the Wrath of Khan path.

"The good of the many outweighs the good of the few...or the one." - Barack Obama. After which, we load his body into a vacant torpedo shell and shoot it towards the Genesis planet.

[OO]

the empire will be delayed after vaders head was blowed off & we took all his porn...plus other stuff

[Hugh Akston]

Orrin, it's so cute that you think al Qaeda is the evil empire.

[rrather]

correct your posture Tim, your back is going to look like the Notre Dame monster

[Pro Libertate]

Rudy?

[Max]

You don't know what the American people want, Cavanaugh, you arrogant cock sucker. I don't know how you do it, but you have more shit in your teeny little brain than you have in your fat right-wing ass.

[Max Connoisseur]

Goddam, these are just getting better and better. MOAR!

[MaxiePad the absorbant.]

[rhofulster]

What will the multiplier be on the Egyptian stimulus package, and will that be in dollars or lira?

Uh, Tim, aren't multipliers dimensionless?...:)

[kwais]

OK huge question for the panel.

WHY did Obama make that speech?
He knew it was a non player, Israel is not going back to their 1967 borders. They don't want to and they don't have to.
They are way more powerful than the President, if the president tries to push the issue he loses the election. Everyone in his administration could have told him that.

[kwais]

Maybe it was just an empty gesture to the Arab spring people? His best gestures so far seem to be his empty gestures.

[Pro Libertate]

Die leere geste.

[kwais]

Que paso?

[Pro Libertate]

The empty gesture.

[Das Kapitalist]

all german nouns are upper-case

[OO]

reducto ad emptorium

[Gibby]

rotate your tires

[Ken Shultz]

"Maybe it was just an empty gesture to the Arab spring people? His best gestures so far seem to be his empty gestures."

Bingo!

Charm offensive in full force.

I think there is some benefit to being seen by the ummah as not so necessarily against them wholeheartedly on everything.

That's what Libya is about too.

I think the Charm Offensive on Israel may backfire though--especially with a reelection campaign getting started. There's no way Obama is about to really get tough with Israel--and then turn around and ask for campaign contributions.

It's just not gonna happen.

In the long run, that just makes him look feckless to the ummah.

And he hasn't actually done anything. He just made a speech.

[Joshua Corning]

WHY did Obama make that speech?

The Arab spring is a good thing and Obama wants his face in front of anything good...

And a US president can't talk about Egypt without talking about Israel.

[It's Springtime for Barack]

In Cairo. And Egypt is happy and gay.

[kwais]

John and MNG have a big discussion in the Morning links about the Golan Heights.

I personally don't think that the Golan Heights are a big deal, and I don't think that they are an obstacle to peace.

I think the biggest obstacle to peace is religion of the area. Jewish and Moslem, and if the Christians had any power, then them too.

I think the second biggest obstacle to peace in the area is communitarian thinking (of which MNG is guilty of also) That a Jew or a Christian or and Arab (whether that Arab be Christian, Jew or Moslem), that a member of those groups is treated as a member of one of those groups instead of as an individual.

The Israeli government is guilty of group classification and so is the Palestinian Authority. (I was just there last week and near as I can tell the Palestinian Authority has no authority except to fuck with a people that have no sovereignty and no rights.

I don't think that withdrawing to the '67 borders is a solution for either side. And I don't think that it is doable.
I would much rather see people accept that there is no such thing as Palestine and to give everyone in Israel equal rights.

[JT]

The Golan Heights were never Palestinian land, they were part of Syria, so that's not what Obama was talking about, because nobody gives a fuck about Syria. Nor was he talking about giving Palestinians control over Jewish old Jerusalem.

[R C Dean]

The Golan Heights were never Palestinian land, they were part of Syria, so that's not what Obama was talking about,

Except that when you say "1967 borders", you are saying "Golan goes back to Syria".

This isn't 1863 where it was important to "hold the high ground" at Gettysburg.

The high ground is still pretty important, especially when you are talking about surveillance and artillery.

[TheZeitgeist]

Yes, for Israel the tactical is the strategic game at same time with conventional weapons. And nuclear war literally means obliteration of Israel, no stone would remain unturned in such small space with so much firepower as that.

Plus, 'Palestine' is synthetic ethnicity and polity created in modern times. In all history there never has been a 'country' called 'Palestine.' At best its been a province of some vast oligarchy or the other.

[Creech]

I saw that exchange and couldn't help wondering what the Israeli air force could do to Damascus if Syria launched an attack from GH. This isn't 1863 where it was important to "hold the high ground" at Gettysburg.

[kwais]

Yeah, I agree with what JT said;
No one gives a fuck about the Golan Heights.

What matters is the Palestinians in the West Bank, are they going to be a permanently disenfranchised people, that the Israeli government is just going to hope goes away, while they build settlements for Jewish zealots in their mist?

Is there some plan to get rid of those millions of people?

Is it a problem that the Israeli government is just kicking down the road because it does not need to be dealt with?
Are they hoping that after a while these people are going to be ok with not having any rights?

So the official state department policy is what Obama just stated, but it is a policy that no State Dept person is willing to do anything about, and no politician is either. Obama included.

So why did Obama make the speech?

[Gibby]

"Is there some plan to get rid of those millions of people?"

You know who had a good plan to get rid of those millions of people?

[Auntie Semitic]

Oooh... Pick me! I know!

But seriously, what kwais said.

[Heinrich]

We have a final solution for these millions of people.

[PapayaSF]

So why did Obama make the speech?

It's all part of Obama's brilliant strategy to bring about world peace by fruitlessly kissing up to our enemies and pissing off our friends.

[Old Man With Candy]

The Golan Heights is a GREAT wine growing area. No way it should go back to a Muslim country. Or a Mormon one.

[jtuf]

I would much rather see people accept that there is no such thing as Palestine and to give everyone in Israel equal rights.

I like this idea with small modifications. I suggest we give the PLO jurisdiction over Gaza and Israel jurisdiction over the rest of Israel. The Palestinians will be citizens under the PLO and get to vote ect. for the PLO government. The Israelis will be citizens of Israel and get to vote ect. for the Israeli government. Citizens of both nations will have the right to live in the lands of either nation, but must respect the laws of the land they are in. A treaty resembling the 14th Amendment to the USA Constitution will ensure that resident aliens are not oppressed in either jurisdiction.

I think this system would work better, because most Palestinians don't want Israeli citizenship. Israeli citizenship is offered to all the Palestinians of Jerusalem, but most of them reject it. They would rather give up the right to vote in Israeli elections if it lets them stay non-Israelis. Considering that a third to half of Americans who are able to vote choose not to each November, this is not surprising. So, give the Palestinians their separate citizenship and separate government, but allow integrated communities and equality under the law.

[Mike M.]

Was anybody still awake at the end of Obama's Middle East stemwinder?

The only good part of it was that it led to Netanyahu making Obama look like the pathetic fool that he is.

Sorry Obama, but Israel doesn't care what you think about anything. I'm afraid you're going to have to settle for just one Nobel Peace Prize.

[kiddclass]

Answer to caption question: Run over of course! Tank rounds are expensive.

[GSP]

those treads aren't going to grease themselves

[Joshua Corning]

shoot

If the kid is wired to explode it could decouple a track. Tank rounds are less expensive then trying to fix a track among hostiles.

[Joshua Corning]

the hand shaking before and after is bugging the hell out of me.

[Jason S.]

They were irony handshakes, meant to ridicule the Arafat and Rabin handshake, stupid.

[johnl]

Tim be proud that you are tall. Put your shoulders back. Lift your hands and your head and take up some screenspace. Watch Alyona to see how it's done.

[jtuf]

Considering how Obama is treating medical marijuana users, Arabs should be very wary about his new found desire to take over the Jasmin Revolution.

[Jason S.]

You decide who's the bottom

The American middle class?

[reXteryalizer]

Want to thank all of you, for your Powerfull stand against Oboma & His Corrupted political partners.

But there is so much more we can do. Being aggressive and focusing on the facts and truth is only the first step.

We musT follow Up with more details standing by our convictions and dont back down.

Oboma has NOT brought CHANGE, In fact ~! ~ THE ONLY real THING needing CHANGE !....Was Barack Hussein Obama II.

HIMSELF

Barack Hussein Obama II ( Who hates American Values ) who is A " SELF
PROCLAIMED Enemy" ~of responsible, Morally Conscious HARD WORKING Americans.
oBOMAS Irresponsible & DRUG MAFIA and reckless supporters KNOW~ that Barack Hussein Obama II, WILL FORCE YOU to paY THEM,

out of your PockeT .{ FOR all of their UNCHECKED Vices and THRILLS/

{ All on YOU

| / At your COST & Sacrifice.\ .

..This UN~CHANGABLE fraud, has done His VERY BEST to Inspire VIOLENCE.

THESE ARE OBAMAS OWN WORDS.. saying ......To his supporters.Saying "Get ready for hand-to-hand combat with your Fellow

Americans" ? Obama has ALSO DECLARED to his Supporters. "I want all Americans to get in each others faces!? Obama

Demands !

"You bring a knife to a fight pal, we'll bring a gun" ?

THESE ARE OBAMAS OWN WORDS.. ANGER VIOLENCE And more taxes..... THIS IS OBAMAS Change for america /"Hit Back Twice As

Hard". He commands ! *Obama on the private sector: ~~ "We talk To these folks?~ / so I know whose a*$ to KICK." OBOMA wants

to KICK your a*$ /``

`Shouting THAT Republican victory would mean ~ "hand to hand combat" and HE IS EXPECTING people to be on Edge and ON

BORDERLINE killing MODE, `` VIOLENT / and STAND and STOMP and MOB for their immoral CAUSES and THIS IS WHAT HE LIVES FOR ./

./ ./ THESE ARE OBAMAS OWN WORDS.. !*

Obama Tells democrats: " I'm itching for a fight." !

....PLEASE.... go to reXes NEW WebsiTe ~ ! Oboma *( Just like Adolf Hitler~~\oBOMA~~~ Demands ! -- [ THE FINAL SOLUTION - for

Un~Wanted Children

Barak Obama is A MURDERER .~Torturing UNWANTED babys on DEATH ROE.

CLICK HERE http://obomlnation.webstarts.com/index.html

OBAMA TAKES a little NEW BORN innocent child, BORN ALIVE sTabS it iN the head and SUCKs ITS BRAINS OUT.

This is just too wrong and horrible. Please stand for Loving Children and the USA.

Respectfully and Thankfully Thank you ALL for your Time.

To see HORRIBLE HONOR Killings~` HATE CRIMES ]`~ ! eXecuted by the CLINTON, RENO and ATF Media WHO COMMITTED H0NOR

KILLINGs [

SLAUGHTERING }] 21 LITTLE Helpless Children at Waco.

Click Here http://obomlnation.webstarts.c.....dered.html