I'm getting back to this late but what emotionally charged buzz word are we talking about? I didn't call names but pointed out a fundamental problem with some of the thinking from the left. Those in the Middle East are culturally different in many ways from us and trying standard western diplomacy is a fools errand.

Concessions can be taken as weakness and lead to further aggression. Strength can breed respect and cooperation. Many Middle Eastern scholars have pointed this out. The naive idea that we can just make friends by playing nice could very well lead to trouble.

If I repeat previously voiced ideas it is because they are applicable to the topic and still correct.

What you are repeating is not an idea. It is an emotionally charged buzzword designed to demonetize opposition. You know it, and I know it. If you don't know it, you are simply a tool, and I think somewhat more of you than that.

I could go around calling folks who supported Bush's wiretap program "fascists", but why bother? Its petty, it adds nothing to the discussion.

This is right ... look how much respect the Israelis have in the Arab world

Israel is respected, just not liked.

A definition, Respect:3 a: high or special regard : esteem b: the quality or state of being esteemed cplural : expressions of respect or deference
Somehow or other I doubt very much that anyone in the Arab world holds Israel in "high esteem".

Once again I think most people mistake "fear" for respect...

fear: 4: to be afraid of : expect with alarm
intransitive verb
: to be afraid or apprehensive

Except, fear is hardly what Hamas feels (take note of events over the past few days) or Hezbollah (and their sponsors, Iran)

So, if respect is out the door (it could be argued that Egypt and Jordan "respect" Israel, but that is it) and fear is not working (Syria may "fear" Israel... but then again, maybe they are just biding their time?) what can be expected out of the present dynamics?

More of the same. Neither Hezbollah nor Hamas respect Israel (they will not negotiate with Israel) nor do they fear them (kill as many civilians as you want, we will still be here).

What is left?

When will the appeasement proponents begin to understand the Middle Eastern way of thinking. Strength leads to respect and weakness leads to insults. It's all about perceived insults over there. In reality we are dealing with child like leaders who use playground rules.

Even if all Middle Eastern people thought the exact same way, which you seem to assume, our strength and muscle-flexing has not only accomplished nothing, but moved us backwards in relation to our goals. Whether it has earned us any respect is highly debateable; the policies of the last 8 years has demonstrably resulted in less cooperation from foreign countries.

I don't know exactly what your definition of appeasement is, but nobody, especially Obama, is going to "appease" Iran, if you mean let them destroy Israel. Again, I think there's a way to drive a wedge between the many moderates in Iran, who simply want to live in peace and prosperity, and the hard-liners who generally don't.

It has become the refuge of scoundrels to avoid actual debate and label competing ideas "talking points". You of all the esteemed opposition thinkers should know that.

If I repeat previously voiced ideas it is because they are applicable to the topic and still correct.

Instead of driving a wedge between moderates and extremists, you bring them together. But I suppose that's the goal for people like G.A. who want permanent war with Muslims.

Sabre-rattling and calling them part of the "axis of evil" has made things worse. That's part of the reason Ahmadinejad was elected.

lol, dang lets not call crazy ass terror nations names and rattle our sabre at them things might get worse lol, Dude why?

you get respect when you act like a human or human beings! thats why I don't give liberals any!

This is right ... look how much respect the Israelis have in the Arab world

Israel is respected, but it has brought them neither security or peace.

We need to keep our powder dry, and be prepared to use force when necessary. But we also need to find a new approach to the problems of the middle east. I do not want our country to fall into the cycle of violence/retribution/more violence/more retribution that Israel is trapped in.

Obama's interview was clearly aimed at eroding public support for Al-Qaeda and regimes such as Iran's. It is not a bad play. Can Obama extend his formidable skills to impact the situation in the middle east? Time will tell, but it is worth an attempt. His domestic political opponents got very unpleasant surprises when they underestimated him

This is right ... look how much respect the Israelis have in the Arab world

Israel is respected, just not liked.

What his did do, I hope, was to re-frame the internal dialog from "our lives suck because of American policy towards our country" to "our lives suck because of American policy towards our leader". The anthropomorphic reference to a "fist", enforces that idea.

Perhaps we will have a teachable moment for the neo-cons, though it is doubtful as they apparently learned nothing from W's long series of failures.

...

Why not fire up the ol' brain try and contribute something meaningful and move beyond warmed over talking points from the election?

Strength leads to respect and weakness leads to insults.

This is right ... look how much respect the Israelis have in the Arab world