MVG, you seem to be very ready to make and enforce rules for everyone to follow.
It is shallow and dangerous to construct rules on when to ’speak out’. What you are saying is identical to what many Germans sid leading up to the Holocaust. That there is a time and place to speak out, but you must ‘respect’ the fact that those in power are in power.

I’m really not impressed by the ‘germany’ argument. I’m probably much better aware of how it all went then you are. Besides that, it’s tiresome.

Can you criticize your government? Sure.
Can you do it in your own country? Sure.

Can you do it in front of the former leader of one your country’s main enemies and ignore the brutal behavior of that country?

No.

What’s that?

O, yes, common sense.

That’s why I asked. It was no ‘tiresome’ trick, it was a question. So I will ask it again. What was your point? As I also pointed out, he was almost Presidnet, so I don’t think he had a huge amount of issues to overcome. The attitude of your piece was “This is why he will never be and never had a chance”.

I think he would have been a better Pres. but that’s just because I think he is smarter then Bush, and having smart people around is usually a good thing.

So now MVG hs made up a series of rules for people to follow. telling people when they are allowed to actually speak out. Geez, I didn’t know you can’t crit. your Govt. when they are wrong…or at least can you give me permission to speak out at the RIGHT time? Was it ‘bad form’ to speak out against the US Govt. leading up to the Iraq war? Maybe we should hold back our opinions and only talk in private so as to not hurt anyones feelings. You know, the poor people in power, they are so easily hurt when you point out their stupidity.

MVG, you seem to be very ready to make and enforce rules for everyone to follow.
It is shallow and dangerous to construct rules on when to ’speak out’. What you are saying is identical to what many Germans sid leading up to the Holocaust. That there is a time and place to speak out, but you must ‘respect’ the fact that those in power are in power.

We need more people speaking out more often or this country will find itself in endless wars or imperial domination instead of trying to make this country a better place.

And more importantly, when he was president he was regarded as a reformer. Per Wikipedia

However, his policies of reform led to repeated clashes with the hardline and conservative Islamists in the Iranian government, who control powerful governmental organizations like the Guardian Council, whose members are appointed by the Supreme Leader. Khatami lost most of those clashes, and by the end of his presidency many of his followers had grown disillusioned with him.

Now, what you won’t get from Hot Air. But’s it’s pretty relevent here.

What caused even his supporters to grow disillusioned with him? Basically it’s because he was the Iranian version of the rights Neville Chamberlain.

He was preaching reform in Iran at the same time George W. Bush was adding the country to his infamous “Axxis of Evil”.

Think about that for a second. Joe is complaining about the speech not because of what was said, but because it was said in front of a man who represents one of the biggest failures of US foreign policy during this administration. The moderate Iranian president pressing for reform who was, in part, pushed from power by the US government who claimed to want that reform.

has Bush nearly tripled the amount of aid sent to Africa for Aids? Yep again!

Oh and m, thats the truth!!

And so Kerry spoke his honest opinion “in front of” or sitting next to an Iranian official. Iranian officials hear all kinds of quotes from American politicians. In fact, they may read your blog, Joe. We better watch what we say. We don’t want to hand the evildoers a propaganda freebie, do we?

It’s not what he said. It’s him saying it in front of Iran’s official. That’s truly political stupid. He has a political tin ear.

So the truth isn’t the truth when in front of an Iranian offical? What truely ignorant and stupid thing to say I’m appalled… at you net Kerry. Why? Don’t you think the Iranian government has televisions.

I find it offensive that you have pulled a ‘bad’ guy out of your closet to parade them before us, when they offer almost no threat to a single part of the US. Now they do threaten Iraq, a neighbor country and one filled with groups and peoples they have been at war with for thousands of years, and they do threaten Israel, but last I checked, Israel is not part of the US anymore then Somalia, and it seems we don’t exactly lay down our kids to die down there anymore.

Iran will collapse under the weight of its own destructive system, just like the USSR did. It didn’t take a nuclear war to end the Soviet Union and neither will it Iran. But your constantly are peddling the idea that they are the number one threat in the world to US citizens is odd to say the least. You have picked a bad guy and are making sure to strip them of all humanity so it is easier to justify brutal and illegal acts against them. Just as Israel does to the Palestinians. You back it up with threats from leaders who are playing to their ‘base’ just like the far-right president of the US does with his ‘crusader’ and ‘evil’ comments.

And if you think Iran is number one most dangerous third world country in the world, where do you place North Korea? Are they 10% less bad? 20% less a threat? 40%?

Iran offers little in the way of a direct threat to the USA. The Persian population has no hatred towards the west, and the Arab zealots in control of the Govt are failing their people badly. If you can stop from being so reactionary you will realize that time is on our side. And I find it odd for someone who worked in journalism to not have a better understanding of how extreme statements come from countries. Can you separate fact from fiction? A real threat to the USA from someone just spouting off? Your style of thinking has lead to countless American kids without arms and legs, and some 3,050 who have died fighting because our President thought a crazed dictator in Iraq was a real threat to the USA. Iran is NOT an immediate threat, and the way to deal with them is to let them collapse from within.