Obama's Cairo speech

Obama's Cairo speech wasn't bad. Nor did I expect it to be. Read about the whole thing here. Speeches are what Obama does. He does them well. Of course, some disagree. Even some Democrats see Obama as naive in how the Arab world works.

I have a relative like Obama. He says what you want to hear. On any particular issue he says one thing to one person in my family, and another thing to another member. I don't think he is dishonest, he simply wants to agree or please the person he is talking to. What happens though, is when you discover that he has said something very different to someone else than what he said to you, you wonder if you can trust him or you wonder what he really believes.

Such is the case with Obama. The speech was major Muslim suck up and that was expected. Pres. Bush gave similar speeches like this, but with a much stronger defense of America's view and what we expect. You didn't hear much about them because of the press.

Obama, like most liberals, believe that if we just talk things out and have a reasonable give and take, then we can make progress in the Middle East. That simply won't happen in my view. While we are used to compromise here in the United States, there is no compromise with the likes of Iran or any of the Middle Eastern countries that oppose us, that I can see. The only progress we have ever made in the Middle East was by force. Forcing Saddam Hussein out of power, forcing al Qaeda to face us and fight, forcing Pakistan to allow us to send drones to bomb the terrorists hiding there. It is this way we have formed a Democracy in the Middle East where none thought possible.

Even Obama aknowledged that the people of Iraq were much better off not suffering under a tyrant like Saddam, but he gave no appreciation to those who made that possible.

The U.S. stands tall from a position of strength. When we look weak, as we did in the 90's, the bully attacks. The bully attacked 3 times in the 90's before 9-11. It took 9-11 for us to realize that ignoring the bully only brings us tragedy. The bully hides among the reasonable in the Middle East. If we don't recognize him, then we find ourselves on the ground bleeding, wondering how it happened.

Obama wants to invite the bully to tea. He wants to have a reasonable discussion with him. But we all know that never works. Sooner or later, Pres. Obama will have to face the bully that will, I am sure, push him down.

That is when we will really see the stuff Obama is made of.