Michael Gaynor
President Obama deserves a Neville Chamberlain umbrella for his deal with Iran
By Michael Gaynor
Instead of "sleep[ing quietly," Americans should demand Congress stop the dangerous deal and take a page from community organizer Saul Alinsky's playbook and ridicule it to death.
President Obama doesn't deserve Nobel Peace Prizes, but he surely deserves one of Neville Chamberlain's umbrellas for his deal with Iran.
The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to recently inaugurated President Barack H. Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
President Obama had not earned that award, but the folks who made the choice probably hoped to induce him to make such extraordinary efforts.
Instead he has made extraordinarily foolish efforts.
The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on October 9, 2015.
Perhaps the folks who will make that selection will decide to give the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama too.
If so, they will be as foolish as President Obama, who should have spent much more time studying how the Nazis took control in Germany and launched World War II a bit less than twenty-one years after World War I ended.
Instead of a Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama should be awarded a Neville Chamberlain umbrella for pursuing peace foolishly.
The deal that President Obama negotiated with Iran is based on the same wishful thinking that the Ayatollah of Iran can be trusted.
No wonder Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deemed the deal a terrible mistake.
He understands the tragic lessons of history.
At least President Obama should have read Wikipedia on Neville Chamberlain's foolish faith in the Munich Pact (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain):
"On the morning of 29 September [1938] Chamberlain left...for his third and final visit to Germany. On arrival in Munich the British delegation was taken directly to the 'Führerbau' where Daladier,Mussolini and Hitler soon arrived. The four leaders and their translators held an informal meeting with Hitler stating that he intended to invade Czechoslovakia on 1 October. Mussolini distributed a proposal similar to Hitler's Bad Godesberg terms. In fact, the proposal had been drafted by German officials and transmitted to Rome the previous day. The draft was debated by the four leaders and Chamberlain raised the question of compensation for the Czechoslovak government and citizens which Hitler refused to consider.
"The leaders were joined by advisers after lunch and hours were spent on long discussions of each clause of the Italian draft agreement. Late that evening the British and French left for their hotels on the grounds that they had to seek advice from their respective capitals. Meanwhile, the Germans and Italians enjoyed the feast which Hitler had intended for all the participants. During this break, Chamberlain adviser Sir Horace Wilson met with the Czechoslovaks informing them of the draft agreement and enquiring which districts particularly were important to them. The Munich Conference resumed about 10 p.m. and was mostly in the hands of a small drafting committee. At 1:30 a.m. the Munich Agreement was ready for signing, though a signing ceremony was delayed when Hitler discovered that the ornate inkwell on his desk was empty.
"Chamberlain and Daladier returned to their hotel and informed the Czechoslovaks of the agreement. The two Prime Ministers urged quick acceptance by the Czechoslovaks of the agreement since the evacuation by the Czechs was to begin the following day. At 12:30 pm the Czechoslovak government in Prague objected to the decision but agreed to its terms.
"Aftermath and reception
"Prior to leaving the 'Führerbau,' Chamberlain requested a private conference with Hitler which the German leader agreed to, and the two met at Hitler's apartment in the city later that morning. Chamberlain urged restraint in the implementation of the agreement and requested that the Germans not bomb Prague if the Czechs resisted, to which Hitler seemed agreeable. Chamberlain took from his pocket a paper headed 'Anglo – German Agreement,' which contained three paragraphs including a statement that the two nations considered the Munich Agreement 'symbolic of the desire of our two people never to go to war again.' According to Chamberlain, Hitler interjected 'Ja! Ja!' ('Yes! Yes!') as the Prime Minister read it. The two men signed the paper then and there. When, later that day, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop remonstrated with Hitler for signing it, the 'Führer' replied, 'Oh, don't take it so seriously. That piece of paper is of no further significance whatever.] Chamberlain, on the other hand, when he returned to his hotel for lunch patted his breast pocket and said, 'I've got it!'[ Word leaked as to the outcome of the meetings before Chamberlain's return causing delight among many in London, though causing gloom amongst Churchill and his adherents.
"Chamberlain returned to London in triumph. Large crowds mobbed Heston where he was met by the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Clarendon, who gave him a letter from King George VI assuring him of the Empire's lasting gratitude and urging him to come straight to Buckingham Palace to report. The streets were so packed with cheering people that it took Chamberlain an hour and a half to journey the nine miles from Heston to the Palace. After reporting to the King, Chamberlain and his wife appeared on the Palace balcony with the King and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. He then went to Downing Street where both the street and the front hall of Number 10 were packed. As he headed upstairs to address the crowd from a first-floor window someone called to him, 'Neville, go up to the window and say "peace for our time."' Chamberlain turned around and responded, 'No, I don't do that sort of thing.'] Nevertheless, Chamberlain recalled the words of his predecessor, Benjamin Disraeli and his return from the Congress of Berlin in his statement to the crowd: 'My good friends, this is the second time there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Now I recommend you go home, and sleep quietly in your beds.'"
Instead of "sleep[ing quietly," Americans should demand Congress stop the dangerous deal and take a page from community organizer Saul Alinsky's playbook and ridicule it to death.
Tragically, Chamberlain had known better a few month earlier. In addressing his Cabinet shortly after German forces crossed the Austrian border, Chamberlain noted: "It is perfectly evident now that force is the only argument Germany understands... heaven knows I don't want to get back to alliances but if Germany continues to behave as she has done lately she may drive us to it."
Wishful thinking is an illusory defense strategy, especially in the nuclear age.
© Michael Gaynor
July 15, 2015
Instead of "sleep[ing quietly," Americans should demand Congress stop the dangerous deal and take a page from community organizer Saul Alinsky's playbook and ridicule it to death.
President Obama doesn't deserve Nobel Peace Prizes, but he surely deserves one of Neville Chamberlain's umbrellas for his deal with Iran.
The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to recently inaugurated President Barack H. Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
President Obama had not earned that award, but the folks who made the choice probably hoped to induce him to make such extraordinary efforts.
Instead he has made extraordinarily foolish efforts.
The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on October 9, 2015.
Perhaps the folks who will make that selection will decide to give the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama too.
If so, they will be as foolish as President Obama, who should have spent much more time studying how the Nazis took control in Germany and launched World War II a bit less than twenty-one years after World War I ended.
Instead of a Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama should be awarded a Neville Chamberlain umbrella for pursuing peace foolishly.
The deal that President Obama negotiated with Iran is based on the same wishful thinking that the Ayatollah of Iran can be trusted.
No wonder Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deemed the deal a terrible mistake.
He understands the tragic lessons of history.
At least President Obama should have read Wikipedia on Neville Chamberlain's foolish faith in the Munich Pact (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain):
"On the morning of 29 September [1938] Chamberlain left...for his third and final visit to Germany. On arrival in Munich the British delegation was taken directly to the 'Führerbau' where Daladier,Mussolini and Hitler soon arrived. The four leaders and their translators held an informal meeting with Hitler stating that he intended to invade Czechoslovakia on 1 October. Mussolini distributed a proposal similar to Hitler's Bad Godesberg terms. In fact, the proposal had been drafted by German officials and transmitted to Rome the previous day. The draft was debated by the four leaders and Chamberlain raised the question of compensation for the Czechoslovak government and citizens which Hitler refused to consider.
"The leaders were joined by advisers after lunch and hours were spent on long discussions of each clause of the Italian draft agreement. Late that evening the British and French left for their hotels on the grounds that they had to seek advice from their respective capitals. Meanwhile, the Germans and Italians enjoyed the feast which Hitler had intended for all the participants. During this break, Chamberlain adviser Sir Horace Wilson met with the Czechoslovaks informing them of the draft agreement and enquiring which districts particularly were important to them. The Munich Conference resumed about 10 p.m. and was mostly in the hands of a small drafting committee. At 1:30 a.m. the Munich Agreement was ready for signing, though a signing ceremony was delayed when Hitler discovered that the ornate inkwell on his desk was empty.
"Chamberlain and Daladier returned to their hotel and informed the Czechoslovaks of the agreement. The two Prime Ministers urged quick acceptance by the Czechoslovaks of the agreement since the evacuation by the Czechs was to begin the following day. At 12:30 pm the Czechoslovak government in Prague objected to the decision but agreed to its terms.
"Aftermath and reception
"Prior to leaving the 'Führerbau,' Chamberlain requested a private conference with Hitler which the German leader agreed to, and the two met at Hitler's apartment in the city later that morning. Chamberlain urged restraint in the implementation of the agreement and requested that the Germans not bomb Prague if the Czechs resisted, to which Hitler seemed agreeable. Chamberlain took from his pocket a paper headed 'Anglo – German Agreement,' which contained three paragraphs including a statement that the two nations considered the Munich Agreement 'symbolic of the desire of our two people never to go to war again.' According to Chamberlain, Hitler interjected 'Ja! Ja!' ('Yes! Yes!') as the Prime Minister read it. The two men signed the paper then and there. When, later that day, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop remonstrated with Hitler for signing it, the 'Führer' replied, 'Oh, don't take it so seriously. That piece of paper is of no further significance whatever.] Chamberlain, on the other hand, when he returned to his hotel for lunch patted his breast pocket and said, 'I've got it!'[ Word leaked as to the outcome of the meetings before Chamberlain's return causing delight among many in London, though causing gloom amongst Churchill and his adherents.
"Chamberlain returned to London in triumph. Large crowds mobbed Heston where he was met by the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Clarendon, who gave him a letter from King George VI assuring him of the Empire's lasting gratitude and urging him to come straight to Buckingham Palace to report. The streets were so packed with cheering people that it took Chamberlain an hour and a half to journey the nine miles from Heston to the Palace. After reporting to the King, Chamberlain and his wife appeared on the Palace balcony with the King and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. He then went to Downing Street where both the street and the front hall of Number 10 were packed. As he headed upstairs to address the crowd from a first-floor window someone called to him, 'Neville, go up to the window and say "peace for our time."' Chamberlain turned around and responded, 'No, I don't do that sort of thing.'] Nevertheless, Chamberlain recalled the words of his predecessor, Benjamin Disraeli and his return from the Congress of Berlin in his statement to the crowd: 'My good friends, this is the second time there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Now I recommend you go home, and sleep quietly in your beds.'"
Instead of "sleep[ing quietly," Americans should demand Congress stop the dangerous deal and take a page from community organizer Saul Alinsky's playbook and ridicule it to death.
Tragically, Chamberlain had known better a few month earlier. In addressing his Cabinet shortly after German forces crossed the Austrian border, Chamberlain noted: "It is perfectly evident now that force is the only argument Germany understands... heaven knows I don't want to get back to alliances but if Germany continues to behave as she has done lately she may drive us to it."
Wishful thinking is an illusory defense strategy, especially in the nuclear age.
© Michael Gaynor
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