Saturday, February 5, 2011

Pajamas Media » "Obama’s 2015 State of the Union Address" #tcot

"The Statue of Tolerance."
February 5, 2011 - by Howard Rotberg

“And now, turning to our policy towards the Middle East and the sweeping changes that have occurred there, I want to again pledge that while America is not willing, after Iraq, to ever again wage war in the Middle East, we are more than willing to assist in refugee resettlement.

“When Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria experienced their Islamist revolutions, I clearly stated that the United States under my administration would respect Arab efforts at self-determination. Never again would the Western world take up the cause of colonialism as a screen for trying to enforce our values on those who do not want them. I pledged that we would respect a Muslim perspective on democracy that differed radically from our own.

[applause]

“While the United States, given its history, adopted a constitutional democracy, I have always taken the position that we cannot force the rest of the world to act like us, and that different cultures are as deserving of respect and tolerance as we are.

[applause]

“Accordingly, we accept the will of the people in the Middle East to act to restore and enhance their Caliphate.

[applause and standing ovation]

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