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The United States of Hypocrisy
This country is known around the world for robust protection of free speech. What changed in 2016?
I have this from the Times of Israel, Reuters, and Al Jazeera — I haven’t got around to The New York Times or the Washington Post yet, so I guess the president would say I’m relying on foreign “fake news.” I’ll take the risk, because the absurdity being reported has to get in line behind even greater trespasses on the normal practice of foreign policy by our government. The allegation is that this country, the United States of America, our country has denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif requested to attend a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
This violates a major reason the U.N. exists: to keep adversaries talking rather than shooting and, failing that, take every opportunity to dial back the shooting. While the visa was requested before the current unpleasantness kicked up by a targeted assassination, there is perhaps a clear and present danger that Zarif would make a complaint to the Security Council about our violation of international norms.
The Hill reported what I hope is fake news that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wishes to deny visas to Iranian officials “to prevent their ability to bring their message to the U.S. public.”
