by Harrison Price

Many people have bought the lie that Obama was “wise” and “smart” and “un-Bush like” by saying little about the events in Iran during last weekend.  The argument goes something like this:  If the President of the United States tip toes around the situation and doesn’t say much then the despotic leaders of Iran, who ordered the shooting of innocent civilians, will somehow not criticize the U.S. and we will all enjoy hot dogs on July 4th.

So how did that whole silence thing work out?

From a story on Politico:
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad compared Obama on Thursday to former President George W. Bush.

Reacting to Obama’s comment Tuesday that he is “appalled and outraged” by crackdowns in Iran, Ahmadinejad said, “Mr. Obama made a mistake to say those things … our question is why he fell into this trap and said things that previously Bush used to say.”

From Fox News:
“Definitely by hasty remarks you will not be placed in the circle of friendship with the Iranian nation. Therefore I advise you to correct your interfering stances,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.

From The International News:
“After the interfering remarks by American officials regarding the presidential election in our country, the Swiss ambassador in Tehran who represents US interests was summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs,” it said.

“Our protest was handed to the ambassador.”

From Agence France Presse:
“The extent of Western and American involvement in Iran’s internal affairs is now clear,” the Shiite militant group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, told AFP in an interview.

From Reuters:
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on Barack Obama on Thursday not to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs after the U.S. president said he was “appalled and outraged” by post-election violence in the Islamic state.

The quotes could go on and on.  What have we learned from this little exercise?  Basically that saying nothing that might hurt someone’s feelings in Iran is a no-win strategy because America will be blamed anyway and that, in not supporting the protesters we only help the hard-line mullahs in Iran.

Goodness knows not being allowed into Iran’s “circle of friendship” is bad enough!  I guess after Obama uninvited the Iranians to our July 4th barbecue we won’t be in any “circle of friendship.”  Iran will instead enjoy UN food rations with the North Koreans who threaten to launch a missile at Hawaii.