Agreement with Iran

I know that when someone I know only slightly criticizes someone or something in my family, I get upset and angry. You probably do, too. So when the Prime Minister of Israel starts criticizing my President, I don’t like it. And when there’s a chorus joining him, here and abroad, I am suspicious of base motives.

In this case, of course, we’re talking about the nuclear agreement reached with Iran in the last 48 hours. The specifics of the agreement haven’t been released as of this writing, but that has not slowed much less stopped the flow of incessant criticism and worse coming from many of the usual suspects.

Foremost is Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who denounced the Iran deal in the hardest terms. He is certainly welcome to his views, but he speaks out of self interest only. And frankly, America’s self-interest is what concerns me. Mr. Netanyahu does not speak for Americans though he tries. He speaks for his country, and he speaks loudly. But what he says is hardly the course this country needs to follow.

Worse is the response of people like House Speaker John Boehner, who condemned the agreement without even bothering to read it. That follows the Republican course set six years ago in which the party’s legislative leaders vowed to oppose every single action taken by President Obama during his administration. Think the Republicans debate on Obamacare, narrow-minded and bull-headed opposition, in spite of overwhelming public acceptance. Nothing has changed, it seems. If it comes from the President, it must be defeated.

And wore than that is the response of the Republican presidential candidates. Consider Jeb Bush, who called the agreement “appeasement” in a shameful echo of Nazism. How disgusting. Ted Cruz, Scot Walker and Donald Trump and the rest of the heavyweights are only now chiming in with their thoughts. We can expect little of substance, just more campaign rhetoric. What a pity. This agreement is far-reaching and it deserves — requires — serious discussion. I doubt seriously we’l get anything resembling that from the Republican party. Watch for it.