We Should Talk to Our Enemies

The belligerence of the argument makes it evident that this guy is a former Bush official. The views expressed by Dennis Ross in another column, though having significant areas of convergence with this one, are more clear-minded. Yet, even Ross is more sceptical of Iran's intensions than is the objective reality, which leads many commentators to point out that he was a co-founder of AIPAC!

But, to come back to Burns, he writes " The next U.S. president will have little chance of securing peace in the Middle East if he doesn't determine Iran's bottom line on the nuclear issue through talks". Burns has still not grasped the reality that American hegemony is dead and buried. So, what the world expects is not for Obama to determine what Iran's bottom line is on nuclear weapons. What the world wants is to determine if Obama will still hang on to the idea of American exceptionalism and threaten to "bomb Iran back to the stone age??? if it uses its leverage of being capable of continuing to enrich unranium to the point where it could actually produce a nuclear weapon, in order to push its goal of a nuclear weapon-free Middle East and nuclear weapon-free South and Central Asia, and, further down the road, a nuclear-weapon free world?

Humanity wants peace. America has, during the past 8 years but also in Vietnam in the 1960???s and 70???s, tried to force the most barbaric militarism on the world and has had its nose bloodied.

It should by now have become wiser.

Conservatives are not mongauring lunatics! Conseratives are not stupid. Do you know what Jihad is?

To Foresttoday:

You are blaming the mains stream new media for most of the world's problems? I suppose all other medias are maindstream except for Fox news and right wing radio stations, newspapers, or magazines?

Palin has more foreign policy experience? How so? By being able to see Russia from Alaska? Where is Palin's foreign policy experience. She has not talked to a single world leader before McCain picked her! While Obama, as a senator, had met with many world leaders.

Would you just rather bomb Iran instead of talking with them first? If we go to war with Iran, do you think that the UK, Canada, Italy, France, China, and Russia will back us out?

Wouldn't it be better if we talk with Iran first, exhaust all diplomatic efforts and, if it fails, wage war against them and have the world behind us?

I don't understand you conservatives. You claim to be morally superior but you are a bunch of warmongering lunatics

Palin is correct, we cannot talk with terrorist, history has proven that out. They will agree as long as we will stop trying to eliminate them, and then they have the freedom of movement to rebuild and will continue the Jihad. Silly! The stupid main stream news media is at fault for most of the worlds problems with their biased reporting. We need to clean up our newmedia and then have an election that is fair to all. The writer of this Newsweek story was trying to put down Governor Palin, for a lack of foregin experience, well, she has as much as Senator Obama if not more in other fields also. Read your own dumb stories.

Palin is correct, we cannot talk with terrorist, history has proven that out. They will agree as long as we will stop trying to eliminate them, and then they have the freedom of movement to rebuild and will continue the Jihad. Silly! The stupid main stream news media is at fault for most of the worlds problems with their biased reporting. We need to clean up our newmedia and then have an election that is fair to all. The writer of this Newsweek story was trying to put down Governor Palin, for a lack of foregin experience, well, she has as much as Senator Obama if not more in other fields also. Read your own dumb stories.

The American Empire has really gone down the hill. After invading two countries, America is now bombing inside Pakistan and Syria. At the same time still considering a war against Iran. The worst of all must be the US sponsored attack on South Ossetia, is it really neccesary to slaughter civilians to "contain" Russia?
Next time someone crash an airliner into a city, at least dont keep going with "they hate us for our freedom" statements. It could also be the secret prison camps, Guatanamo, Abu Graib, legalised torture etc.

This financial collapse can be a blessing for the rest of the world as it may end the American Empire in a peaceful manner, just like the Soviet Union

Yeah, we should talk to our enemies. Read more at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017613212&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Despite his bankrupt economic and foreign policy proposals, John McCain still has managed to secure a respectable following from American voters. Similarly, I could not believe how George W. Bush has managed to be re-elected despite the Iraq war. American voters should read history more or perhaps just the daily newspaper so they can choose their leaders better. The US is fast losing credibility around the world and its all the fault of the America voters. I am glad that we Filipinos are not the only uneducated voters in this planet.

"loriw": This article is about talking to our enemies. Your comment is about the economy.

About the economy, try this: GOP: We federalized credit. Nationalized the banks. Grew the National Debt and the size of government to their biggest size ever. Now emagine what that Socialist Obama will do!!

The links below to legitimate news sources that show that Fannie and Freddie paid many millions of dollars while the Rs were in control of the executive and legislative branches, lobbying Rs only, to prevent regulation of the financial practices that caused the global financial crisis.

One of the biggest recipients of those millions is Rick Davis, McC's campaign manager, who has been recieving up to $35k/mo. since '00 right up to the present. Freddie continued to pay Davis while Davis managed McC's campaign.

And Freddie donated $250k to the R convention.

These facts are everywhere in the legitimate news. You can start at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/us/politics/22mccain.html and http://www.newsweek.com/id/164732/page/1 There's much more legitimate news on this.

Before he hired Rick Davis, McC said that lobbyists were what was wrong in Washington, and that he would be the one to make sure they don't control our government any more. That was before he sold out. He doesn't say that any more because he hired one of the most powerful lobbyists, the guy who lobbied Rs, only, against against regulation that could have prevented this crisis.

We should now trust McC and his advisors to solve the problems their lobbying created?

The Rs still try to deceive us that it was the Dems' fault, and that we must fear "that one".

I was a solid McC supporter and voter until I found out about who paid whom millions to be allowed to loot trillions from our economy, and until I realized how McC sold out to the the most extensive and virulent propaganda machine I have ever seen.

A 40 year republican

Sparkly: Obama is neither as absolute/simplistic, nor such a caricature, as you assert.

The debate worth having is emphasizing a rush to conflict versus exhaustion of diplomatic alternatives.

As we are bogged down in Iraq with the military stretched to the limit, with needs in Afghanistan, it appears from this perspective that everything that can potentially conserve military capacity, would be the preferred alternative. I have looked for McCain to emphasize that.

Notwithstanding the suggestions, I do not believe Obama is an appeaser or capitulator. The article is consistent with my personal observations about that.

I hope we all can agree that serious priority should be devoted to diplomacy, if only to have the knowledge, rather than expectation, of failure.

ARE WE ALL TERRORISTS ?
WE HAVE SEEN EVEN A NEW BORN BABY TERRORISING MOTHER , KICKING HER AND CRYING HEAD OFF TO GET MILK OR ATTENTION .
WE LEARNT OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY IN SCHOOL . THE UNJUSTLY TAXED AMERICAN SETTLERS THREW OVERBOARD THE TEA CHESTS OF THE RULING COLONIAL BRITISH . OH ,WHAT A NICE NAME TO GIVE FOR AN ACT OF TERRORISM .
THEN WE KNOW HOW THESE SAME OLD AMERICANS ONCE FREE , ATOM BOMBED CIVILIAN CITIES HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI , JAPAN IN A PURE ACT OF TERRORISM .
NOW WE HAVE WOMEN AND CHILDREN SUICIDE BOMBERS. SADHVIS , MAULVIS , ENGINEERS , DOCTORS , ARMY PERSONNEL , POLICE ,POLITICIANS , YOU NAME THEM ARE TURNING TO TERRORISM.
WHATS UP ?
c.c.TimesOfIndia,Newsweek ,...

To sparkly...yes Mr. Mc Cain did say that he will not sit down and talk to our enemies without pre-conditions, what it means basically is that we will not talk to you unless u agree to our terms and listen to us....right., that shows real sincerity in wanting to discuss or talk to the other side. The matter is we have let the repugs control the white house and congress 6 out of the 8 Bush years, and the last two it is true that the democrats have the house, but everytime a bill needs to be passed, you have Bush treatening to veto it numerous times. The American people has patiently giving the repugs a chance to run this country. and time after time, we have seen the theory behind the repugs fail time after time, it is only american and fair that the democrats get their chance this time around and your repugs stpe aside if you really love this country.

McCain wants to tell the public that he reaches across the eisle but he, as MOST people growing up in military families, live by an ingrained motto of " when I say jump your only question will be HOW HIGH". He does it because he HAS to not because he WANTS to. Once he is president he will be free to release the REAL John McCain and make Cheney look like a boy scout.

He know if the Democrats rule the presidency and we hit the magic 60 mark to end filibustering we can FINALLY get things done in this country.

For those who disagree with Mr. Burns' point of view, consider this tried and true axiom: "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

Nick Burns for Secretary of State!

Nick Burns for Secretary of State!

Obama is correct. What can be more powerful than the President, the highest authority in America, sitting down with some dangerous leader to say "Look, buddy. Screw with us, support terrorism against the USA, and you're toast." Well, not in those words, perhaps, but you get my point: talking is not equal to conceding or compromising. That's the way McCain and Palin always frame it, but they're wrong. Talking is sometimes "Mr. Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL."