Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Maimonides raises an important question regarding the nature of repentance:

How does one know whether one has truly changed for the better? Maimonides explains that if the individual can resist the temptation to sin once more when the opportunity presents itself-but doesn’t-then we know that he has truly learned from his past mistakes (Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1).

Maimonides’ insight is psychologically nuanced and relevant today.

During the first Iranian protest, shortly after their most recent elections, President Obama had almost nothing to say to people who risked life and limb to confront the Mullacracy of Iran. In fact, he purposely made it a point to almost say nothing until the media hounded him for a response. The President’s silence was deafening. When he did finally speak out, Obama said he did little to condemn the Iranian government’s suppression of the Internet and cell phones.

This might have been Obama’s defining moment as a political leader; he had the opportunity to condemn Ahmadinejad and his band of fanatics, but instead chose to say that “the U.S. would not become a political football in a debate happening in Iran.” Had Obama demanded that the Iranian dictator and his mullahs respect democracy, the people might have overthrown the government. Bear in mind, Iran is the number one leader when it comes to promoting international terror. Yet, Obama speaks about the Iranian dictator as if his country is perfectly civilized by Western standards. Yes, the international community knows exactly what Iran is all about. However, our President doesn’t. He thinks that his sophisticated rhetorical skills will persuade the Iranians to see his light of reason. This is a missed opportunity for the President, but I believe he can still call for the overthrow of the Iranian government right now, and strike at the iron while it is hot.

The demonstrators in Iran felt completely demoralized; the demonstrations ended as thousands of people were arrested; business as usual. President Obama missed his great opportunity to possibly end the nuclear madness that threatens to engulf the region in war. It was a perfect opportunity to look real presidential, yet Obama chose the quiescent approach and said almost nothing.

This past month, President Obama took a very different approach with President Mubarak, a man responsible for keeping the peace with Israel for over 30 years. Obama encouraged the people to overthrow the dictator; he told the people that the United States was prepared to cut all aid to Egypt so that Mubarak would leave-and left he did.

Shock-waves throughout the Arab world could be felt; banners saying, “Remember 1979-the year of the Iranian Revolution” were placed everywhere. Jordan, South Yemen-traditional allies of the United States felt uneasy as their populace also called for revolution. Saudi Arabia, suddenly realized that the Iranians had a virtual geographic stranglehold on their country. Fearing for the worst, the pro-Western Arab leaders demanded that Obama tone down his rhetoric or else he would seriously radicalize the Middle East, moving them into the Iranian camp. On the following day, the President appeared to tone down his criticism.

Then, just a day ago, the President came out of one of his more memorable speeches about the latest uprising in Iran that has broken out with the arrival of the Turkish Prime Minister, “I’m very concerned based on some of the tenor and tone of the statements that have been made that the government of Iran recognizes that the world is watching,” he said. “How they approach and deal with people who are, through peaceful means, trying to be heard will, I think, send a pretty clear signal to the international community about what Iran is and is not.” Remarkably, there has been no media coverage about the Iranian brutality and their contempt of the demonstrators.

The President reacts as if the entire world has never seen the beheadings of homosexuals and heretics in the streets of Tehran; he acts as if women were never stoned for having committed “adultery,” even though most if not all of these cases involved rape. A woman in Iran cannot so much as step outside of her house without the express permission of her husband. Women have NO rights in Iran at all![1] So, Mr. President, what part of the world doesn’t understand what Iran is all about? Bear in mind this same country is threatening the export nuclear technology to the most dangerous thugs in the world. Know that Ahmadinejad has threatened to “wipe Israel off the map” and calls for the destruction of the “Great Satan,” envisioning a time when the United States will cease to be country.

This same President made it a point to give the British nuclear secrets to the Russians, a country, that has said it will not support embargoes against Iran (so much for gratitude). Had any American given nuclear secrets to an enemy, that person would be tried for treason. Yet, Mr. Obama gets away with it.

I wonder what the British are thinking now?

Not only hasn’t the President learned from his previous mistakes, he keeps on compounding the ones he is still making. In 1979, Iran posed no threat to the world-now it does, as Iran spreads its influence everywhere in the world, including the Western Hemisphere.

One must remember, that when President Obama first took the office of the White House, one of the first things he did was remove a statue of Sir Winston Churchill from the White House. Needless to say, this breach with American presidential history was pretty obvious. Churchill said, “Danger—if you meet it promptly and without flinching - you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!” Mr. Obama ought to respect history and sacrifice. Churchill also said, “Appeasement reflects the hope that the crocodile will eat you last.” I also like, “In defeat, unbeatable; in victory, unbearable.” and “Indomitable in retreat, invincible in advance, insufferable in victory.”

If Churchill were alive today, he would probably consider President Obama as Neville Chamberlain Redux.

Personally, we need a regime change-right here in the United States. As bad as Jimmy Carter was, he is looking more like General Patton when compared to President Obama and his merry band of blind men.

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Notes:

[1] http://www.iraniumthemovie.com/drip/zandervin.html