【PostGloble】More Deeds, Please, and Fewer Words

vivicat

More Deeds, Please, and Fewer Words
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/ali_ettefagh/2009/06/more_deeds_please_and_fewer_wo.html

Posted by Ali Ettefagh on June 8, 2009 12:25 PM

The Current Discussion: What did you think of Obama's speech in Cairo? What kind of change will, or won't, it bring?

The principle and offer of a new beginning by the American president is much welcomed, even if it is to repair damage and in apology for the Bush Era. However, one cannot help but recall an old Persian proverb that “two hundred speeches won’t sum up to half a deed”. Mr. Obama is a good orator. He communicates clearly as a master politician who wants to keep everyone happy. But it is time to show by tangible deeds and firm steps, and not be summarily dismissed as yet another speech of a novice president and his “I have a dream” speech of the Martin Luther King legacy.

During these first months, and as seen with America’s posture towards Cuba, his words have indicated little more than a mere rolling back of stated foreign policy goals to the Clinton era. A quick recall of Bill Clinton’s speeches delivered in the Muslim world in the1990s will leave the listener bemused that many passages were simply transliterated (with quotes from the Quran, the Bible and Torah.) The distinction is simply the delivery of rehashed words from a man presiding over a maxed-out bust on political, and financial, credit and short of return on political capital invested in places like Iraq (Clinton, for his part, rendered a post-Cold War tune in the tone of upbeat country music by a Sunday preacher).

Put differently, and If Mr. Obama’s speech was the “sudden” discovery of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims, then he said nothing new. Alternatively, if the American president is stuck in the Bush era belief a few violent extremists (such as the al-Qaeda gang) are truly the top adversary of the world’s strongest military power (akin to the old USSR), then Mr. Obama ought to go back to the drawing board and reset his horizons. Perhaps Mr. Obama felt compelled to compete with bin Laden and quote from the Quran.

The real people in the Middle East are tired of war, waste of life and petty politics of lobbyists in Washington. All yearn for restoration of dignity and justice as all are convinced that abject, howsoever mighty, military muscle will not win the hearts and minds of peaceful people, just as it did not succeed in Iraq and or in the Pakistan-Afghanistan theater, Locally, the signs of banning torture or closing Guantanamo prisons never stacked up with stories about human rights. The rueful if inevitable step of a country running low on political capital will not be mistaken as a positive beginning.

It is also fascinating to observe that Mr. Obama pronounced a willingness to turn the page on Iran as he acknowledged the interventions of the United States in Iranian affairs and the toppling of a democratically elected government. He also said he wanted talks with Iran without preconditions. That is nice to hear and welcomed too, but Mr. Obama ought to be more convincing with deeds. His removal of a hostile posture against Iran should begin with dismantling sanctions and the coercion of other countries on dealing with Iran. And after a decade of IAEA inspections and fact finding, America should stop trying to compel Iran to prove a negative. Two hundred speeches won’t sum to half a deed.

Another important observation is how the American president gingerly avoided the word elections and transparent political structures in Cairo, where a president-for-life has been in office for 29 years, albeit when Iranians (and Lebanese) are busy debating, campaigning and looking forward to reaching the ballot boxes. No word about that in the presidential song after his stop in Saudi Arabia, with the usual hugs and friendly gestures of keeping the old status quo, the price of oil low, and the customer for treasury bonds sweet. Thus, Muslim observers will be cautious in believing the pretence of a hasty change and will not be quickly drawn to some else’s words of dream-- at least without first seeing change that they can believe in!

vivicat

All Comments

TomMiller1 :

I agree with Mr. Ettifagh that actions speak louder than words and in light of the so-called Iranian Presidential "elections" where an out-dated and over-the-hill dictator and his cronies chose to subvert the will of the people and cram the same old tired Ahmedinejad down the throats of Iranians this concept has only been confirmed. It's probably a waste of time for Obama to spend much time on Iran - nothing is changing there soon.

Expect more nuclear weapon construction, interference in the affairs of Lebanon and Palestine and a suppression of freedoms for the people of Iran. At least with Ahmadinejad and Khamenei you can expect exactly what they preach.

June 13, 2009 3:23 PM | [email=postglobal@washingtonpost.com?subject=Offensive comment by commenter]Report Offensive Comments[/email]


peaceful2008 :

It takes two to tango in a conflict. I disagree with the previous poster that it's all on Arabs and Muslims shoulder. How about what we have done to them? Are we responsible for our actions too?

Terrorism and killing innocent civilians is WRONG, no matter if Al Qaeda does it, or Israel does it or the US does it.


June 9, 2009 2:39 PM | [email=postglobal@washingtonpost.com?subject=Offensive comment by commenter]Report Offensive Comments[/email]


captn_ahab :

Well, Mr Ettefagh may be right about the speech versus deeds, but he avoids the ugly fact that it is only the Arabs and Islamic people themselves that can make the changes. Obama's rhetoric can only provide the support to those inside the Muslim world who can make the changes.

I wonder if the esoteric Mr. Ettefagh would support changing the Arab world's attitude toward Israel from resentment and anti Semitism to acceptance and respect.

I wonder if he would encourage the Palestinians to accept the best deal they can get rather than the one they dream of.

I wonder if he would encourage the emergence of a more moderate and tolerant Islam that would in the Arabic language overtly reject terrorism against ANYONE.

I wonder if he would petition the Saudis to allow freedom of religion and rights for women using his global investment firm and inspiration from the words of Obama.

Mr. Ettefagh forgets that there is really little American can do. It is up to the people in the region.


June 9, 2009 11:19 AM | [email=postglobal@washingtonpost.com?subject=Offensive comment by commenter]Report Offensive Comments[/email]



peaceful2008 :

I believe that Mr. Ettefagh is right-on regarding the speech-vs-deed.

On the flip side, regardless of how much good will president Obama has towards the region, he has to work within the political confines of a US presidency. We have the triple threat of an entrenched military-industrial-complex plus the Oil-cartel in addition to the heavily fortified Zionistas. So for the rest of the world trying to see concrete actions I would have to say that a good speech is a good beginning. Putting miniscule pressure on Israel is a good beginning.


June 8, 2009 7:18 PM | [email=postglobal@washingtonpost.com?subject=Offensive comment by commenter]Report Offensive Comments[/email]

vivicat

Ali Ettefagh

Tehran, Iran

Dr. Ali Ettefagh serves as a director of Highmore Global Corporation, an investment company in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, CIS, and the Middle East. He is the co-author of several books on trade conflict, resolution of international trade disputes, conflicts in letters of credit, trade-related banking transactions, sovereign debt, arbitration and dispute resolutions and publications specific to the oil and gas, communication, aviation and finance sectors. Dr. Ettefagh is a member of the executive committee and the board of directors of The Development Foundation, an advisor to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and an advisor to a number of European companies. Dr. Ettefagh speaks Persian (Farsi), English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Turkish.

三花小猫

我先拿原文

三花小猫

http://bbs.m4.cn/forum.php?mod=v ... d=173611&extra=