War between Israel -v- Iran & Co (merged threads)

[Ironhorse]

So they were listening to Millenium Challenge, eh?

[Rob Thornton]

Damn, there goes my frachise idea Well, back to my neon & car stereo shops then

[Ken White]

From the NY Times:

LINK

"""Hard Realities of Soft Power

As a senior adviser to the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, David Denehy is charged with overseeing the distribution of millions of dollars to advance the cause of a more democratic Iran. Affable, charming and approachable, he is bearlike in stature and manner. His voice is pleasantly rumbly; his smile is so wide that it seems to have been drawn onto his face with a crayon. Over the last two years, Denehy has canvassed dozens of pundits, students, journalists, bloggers and activists across the world about how he might best go about his work — what he calls, echoing President Bush, “the freedom agenda.” He has shaken hands with millionaire exiles, dissidents, monarchists, Communists, self-styled Mandelas and would-be Chalabis. He is the public face of “the democracy fund,” as it has come to be known, or simply “the $75 million.”

On Feb. 14, 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and called for $75 million to be spent on advancing freedom and human rights within Iran. Though this would be the third year of requests for such financing, previous appropriations had been much smaller, ranging from $1.5 million to $11 million; $75 million was a considerable jump. “We are going to work to support the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom in their own country,” Rice told the assembled senators. The initiative would pour $36.1 million into existing television and radio programs beaming into Iran, while $10 million would pay for public diplomacy and exchange programs, including helping Iranians who hope to study in America. (“I’ve read that it is forbidden in some quarters to play Beethoven and Mozart in Tehran,” Rice said. “We hope that Iranians can play it in New York or Los Angeles.”) Perhaps most contentiously, $20 million would support the efforts of civil-society groups — media, legal and human rights nongovernmental organizations — both outside and inside Iran."""

[Lastdingo]

So Rice wants money from the US taxpayer to pay muslim Iranians - citizens of a soo-called rogue state - to live and work in theUS.
This in a time when many consider muslim foreigners as potential terrorists.

Who does still believe that this administration is sincere in fighting terrorism and not focused on offensive great power games like trying to install puppet regimes in so far unfriendly places?

[Ken White]

Lots of different ways to do things; it doesn't have to be your way -- or mine -- to work or even be right.

We do a lot of dumb stuff but I do believe anyone who had delusions of installing puppet regimes in unfriendly places has been pretty thoroughly disillusioned...

[Tom Odom]

Lots of different ways to do things; it doesn't have to be your way -- or mine -- to work or even be right.

We do a lot of dumb stuff but I do believe anyone who had delusions of installing puppet regimes in unfriendly places has been pretty thoroughly disillusioned...

Agreed and I feverently hope we are both correct

Tom