nChrist
|
 |
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2017, 03:48:10 PM » |
|
________________________________________ The Patriot Post Digest 9-26-2017 From The Federalist Patriot Free Email Subscription ________________________________________
That’s certainly more than can be said for the previous decision oozing out of the executive branch, which traded Iran’s unverifiable “promise” to “limit” its development of nuclear weapons in exchange for the blanket lifting of crippling economic and political sanctions. In other words, as envisioned and executed during the Obama regime, Iran got a free pass. That ended last week.
Correctly labeling the fatally flawed agreement for what it is, in his address to the UN General Assembly26 the president branded JCPOA as “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the U.S. has ever entered into” and “an embarrassment to the U.S.” (Other than that, it’s a great agreement.) The president further warned that the status quo could have grave consequences: “We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program.” These words are welcome and overdue.
Ending this raw deal for America is more than justified. As National Security Advisor and retired Gen. McMaster noted, Iran routinely violates even the overly generous terms of the current agreement. Although the administration did — reluctantly — certify this quarter’s compliance by Iran with JCPOA, the move seems, at the least, to be a political timing piece, not an affirmation that things are “jiggy” with a nation whose stated goal is to wipe Israel “and its allies” (read: us, a.k.a. “The Great Satan,” in Ayatollah-speak) “off the face of the earth.” Sure: Who wouldn’t want to enter a deal with a country like this? In any case, we wouldn’t advise optimism on certification next quarter (deadline October 15th). Some media sources claim ending JCPOA could trigger diplomatic upheaval with the five other nations, including China and Russia, that were involved in negotiating it, but so what? Ruffled “frenemy” feathers are nothing new or abnormally threatening to the U.S., while a nuclear-tipped Iran is.
Moreover, Iran shows no signs of changing its evil ways. Responding to Trump’s UN address, Iran dragged its usual “death to them all” diplomacy up from the gallows to give a fresh stink-eye to the rest of the civilized world. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani flatly declared that any ideas about renegotiation are dead on arrival. He also stated that “the Iranian people deserve an apology” from Trump, since he labeled their government a “murderous regime.” An apology? Since when does truth-in-diplomacy about, well, a murderous regime warrant an apology — especially to the people suffering under it?
As Trump further noted, “The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy.” As has been documented in myriad articles on countless occasions, Iran is also one of the world’s leading state sponsors and exporters of terrorism. More recently, it colluded with North Korea to co-develop both countries’ ballistic nuclear weapons programs, while simultaneously giving the middle finger to International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear facility inspectors. Iran restricted and even denied inspectors’ access to facilities that must be inspected to certify compliance with the JCPOA.
Then, last weekend, Iran test-fired15 another long-range ballistic missile as a figurative shot across the bow.
The only way to deal with rogue regimes such as these is to speak in the one language they all understand: Power. Iran must be made to understand that relief on likely soon-to-be-re-imposed sanctions is directly tied to its conduct, and that bad conduct means no relief — or even tighter sanctions. A good first step in that direction is to decertify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA.
As U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley noted, “If the president chooses not to certify Iranian compliance, that does not mean the United States is withdrawing from the JCPOA. If the president finds that he cannot certify Iranian compliance, it would be a message to Congress that the administration believes either that Iran is in violation of the deal, or that the lifting of sanctions against Iran is not appropriate and proportional to the regime’s behavior, or that the lifting of sanctions is not in the U.S. national security interest, or any combination of the three.”
In other words, decertification doesn’t end JCPOA; it simply gives the U.S. more leverage than it currently has. That’s at least a small first step in the right direction.
MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST
DNC’s Funding Slump27 — Year to date, Democrats have raised less than half that of Republicans. But it’s a wider and deeper problem. Merkel Wins Again, but Germany Is Changing Course28 — Many media outlets focused on her fourth victory, but the real news is how much support she lost — and why.
BEST OF RIGHT OPINION
Dennis Prager: Who’s Divisive — the President or the Players?29 Cal Thomas: The Vietnam War Revisited30 James Shott: Will the Special Counsel Investigation Produce Anything Relevant?31
For more, visit Right Opinion32.
OPINION IN BRIEF
Tony Perkins33: “Maybe these [NFL] players believe that making the National Anthem the villain of a centuries-long racial divide makes a powerful statement. But in the process, it shows contempt for far more than President Trump. It dishonors the black airmen, soldiers, sailors, and Marines who’ve come home in caskets draped with those very stars and stripes. And I suppose most teams were too busy sitting out America’s proudest tradition to realize that Sunday was Gold Star Mother’s Day, set aside to honor the moms whose military sons and daughters paid the ultimate price. How many of those grieving women watched the NFL’s demonstrations with tears streaming down their face at these players’ ungratefulness? How many veterans who lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan tuned in wishing they could stand for anything ever again?”
SHORT CUTS
Insight: “Watch out for the fellow who talks about putting things in order! Putting things in order always means getting other people under your control.” —Denis Diderot (1713-1784)
Questions worth asking: “Someday, maybe, we’ll get around to asking: What would have happened if Hillary Clinton’s very real email scandal — with its mountainous evidence of felony mishandling of classified information and destruction of government records — had been investigated with the no-holds-barred vigor [Robert] Mueller and his band of Hillary donors34 are applying to the surmise of Trump collusion in Russian espionage?” —Andrew McCarthy
Observations: “NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he is ‘proud of our league.’ I am disgusted2. Goodell says that the players have free speech rights. Tell that to Tim Tebow who knelt during games to honor God and was pilloried for it. What do you think Goodell would do if an NFL player took a knee and said he did it to protest abortion on demand?” —Gary Bauer
Non Compos Mentis: “NASCAR again proved to be an insular oddity in American sports culture on Sunday as Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pre-race festivities at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were completely devoid of the type of national anthem protests that have permeated other professional sports.” —USA Today (Who knew that a sport sticking with sport was an “insular oddity”?)
Village Idiots: “People in Hollywood, for the most part, are people from the Midwest who moved to Hollywood to have a career. So this idea of ‘coastal elites’ living in a bubble is ridiculous. … I laugh when I see [Trump] say ‘Hollywood elite.’ Hollywood elite? I don’t have a star on Hollywood Boulevard, Donald Trump has a star on Hollywood Boulevard! F— you!” —George Clooney
And last… “In democracies, we the people get the government we deserve. We also get the celebrities we deserve, the artists we deserve, and the athletes we deserve. Because ultimately, we the people get to decide who and what gets our attention, and who and what does not.” —Mike Rowe
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis Managing Editor Nate Jackson
Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.
|