In a slapdown not all that unlike the one furnished by the Iranian regime in reply to his March Nowruz message, our appeasing fly-vanquisher of a president has received an answer to his placatory toe-dipping on the stolen election. The foreign ministry, in “protest and displeasure,” has hauled in the Swiss ambassador, who represents our interests–such as they are–in Tehran, to deliver to him a vicarious dressing-down of U.S. government officials for their statements about the election. The president of the United States ought to have heaped abuse upon the Iranian thugocracy for the same money. Instead, the mullahs–and, more to the point, we–are treated to this lame bleating issuing from his throat: “It is not productive, given the history of US-Iranian relations to be seen as meddling-the US president, meddling in Iranian elections . . .” “. . . violence directed at peaceful protesters. . . . That is not how governments should interact with their people.” Indeed, oppression is never how governments should “interact” with their people. But neither is appeasement how our government should interact with its enemies. Ever.
