Charlie Rose

OBSERVER  10/08/2010 11:50 PM Report

When do the US Policy makers learn not to repeat their mistakes? Apparently NEVER!! Iraq sanctions and invasion proved a disaster. And, blindly, it seems, it is followed exactly the same for Iran!!!US policy makers should realize that on top of everything else, they are facing a complex Regime which can always manage, with no respect for its people, with any means, at the expense of its people hardship. Sanctions only hurt people; Regime has control over oil money, even with $10 per barrel will survive and help any group it decides. Rafsanjany is part of the regime,

though has lost power. His past influence and green movement is dead. US needs to be inside Iran to see the realities, first hand, for a reliable foreign policy. SANCTION WORKS TO THE CONTRARY.

robdverity  10/08/2010 02:23 PM Report

INJUSTICE INDEED mutex. Starting in 1948.

mutex  10/08/2010 10:53 AM Report

I was going to launch into a vitriolic personal attack against Mr. Levey for being a dogmatic defender of the fatherland but then he said something that actually offers a glimmer of hope. A simple question that if answered truthfully would change the world forever...Where do terrorists come from?

Now, of course, his perspective on the answer to this question is flawed beyond redemption but at least he had the sense to bring it up. There is only one intellectually honest answer to this question and Charlie Rose, the U.S. government and sane people everywhere know it (even if their agendas don't allow them to acknowledge it) and that is INJUSTICE.

Instead of dancing around the issue why won't someone just answer another simple question:

Why does the United States support some corrupt regimes with money, weapons and even military intervention but attacks others?

The Romans at least were forthright enough to explain why they invaded, killed, plundered and set up puppet governments...

because they could.

JohnGelles  10/08/2010 06:26 AM Report

Please excuse the interruptions with these asides -- but the CR Show is described in the Guardian as follows:

"Thompson told Charlie Rose, who hosts a regular chat show on PBS,"

I like that. A regular CHAT show. That may be a hair below CONVERSATION.

JohnGelles  10/08/2010 06:19 AM Report

If we had post-send edit capability in this forum, Mr. Freedman could have corrected his extra keystrokes.

And I could have said "we would be far ahead of ourselves" where I left out the "be".

To continue a moment with my aside, let we offer this link to Mark Thompson and the Murdochs on pluralism in media:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/08/rupert-murdoch-bskyb-takeover-bbc

ShalomFreedman  10/08/2010 06:05 AM Report

Stuart Levey appears to be a dedicated and competent civil servant. He also shows a proper degree of modesty in understanding that the ultimate effect of his work is by no means certain. His unit is to be credited with greatly reducing Iran's commercial power. However Iran has to this point continued to move ahead on its nuclear program.

Levey is also to be credited with understanding that it is not the Iranian nuclear program which is the single problem with it. It is the world's largest single state- supporter of terrorism.

It is interesting to learn that Iran can no longer garner investments for its oil and energy sector.

This man is a dedicated fighter on the financial field, but the true field of battle may require other means.

ShalomFreedman  10/08/2010 06:04 AM Report

Stuart Levey appears to be a dedicated and competent civil servant. He also shows a proper degree of modesty in understanding that the ultimate effect of his work is by no means certain. His unit is to be credited with greatly reducing Iran's commercial power. However Iran has to this point continued to move ahead on its nuclear program.

Levey is also to be credited with understanding that it is not the Iranian nuclear program which is the single problem with it. It is the world's largest single state- supporter of terrorism.

It is interesting to learn that Iran can no longer garner investments for its oil and energy sector.

This man is a dedicated fighter on the financial field, but the true field of battle may require other means.

ShalomFreedman  10/08/2010 06:04 AM Report

Stuart Levey appears to be a dedicated and competent civil servant. He also shows a proper degree of modesty in understanding that the ultimate effect of his work is by no means certain. His unit is to be credited with greatly reducing Iran's commercial power. However Iran has to this point continued to move ahead on its nuclear program.

Levey is also to be credited with understanding that it is not the Iranian nuclear program which is the single problem with it. It is the world's largest single state- supporter of terrorism.

It is interesting to learn that Iran can no longer garner investments for its oil and energy sector.

This man is a dedicated fighter on the financial field, but the true field of battle may require other means.

JohnGelles  10/08/2010 06:02 AM Report

Stuart Levey is undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury Department.

The Palestinian people and incipient sovereign state, that we all may hope will take their place among the peace loving nations on planet Earth, will with other peoples and states be glad for whatever success America achieves in limiting the growth of terrorism of the type that caused an insane few to move to Islamist Heaven, and their imagined reward, by murdering more than three thousand innocent people more like Anton and Rob than like Israelis or others whom Anton and Rob may not support.

It is wholly inappropriate for Anton and Rob to ignore the conversation on Levey's mission and potential success against future terrorist attacks with their political take on the State of Israel and its war and peace experience.

Levey's work in intelligence and the financial side of anti-terrorism is important for us to support--for the sake of peace and prevention of nuclear threats and war. Palestinian interests coincide with our own in this work, and that appears to be one of the reasons for whatever progress there currently is toward peace in the Middle East.

Tangentially, a financial intelligence capability in the West Wing of the White House aimed at more than terrorism by the insane few -- that is aimed at the global deficit in civilian monetized demand in the global economy -- would make a lot of sense.

If we looked at economic slow downs, crises, and unemployment, etc., as the work of "enemy" forces, and developed intelligence enough to pinpoint recovery efforts to spend and lend effectively so as to end deflations and depressions ASAP, we would far ahead of ourselves in our quest for peace and prosperity in the current moment.

As an aside, tonight' show on 7 October featuring one hour with the editor-in-chief of the BBC, offered us the best conversation on pluralism and quality in media that we are ever likely to hear--until the BBC man speaks again. His name may be Jack Thompson (I can't remember). But his wisdom and words are unique. Charlie read one of his more eloquent paragraphs from a past event that stunned us all. It was as good as Churchill -- even if the event pertained to BBC quality, not the fate of the universe.

AntonGrambihler  10/08/2010 12:50 AM Report

If the United States was really interested in World Peace it would stop financing, arming, and protecting the Terrorist State of Israel. Instead the United States would impose sanctions on Israel until it returns to and abides by the conditions of the 1948 United Nations resolution which took land away from the Palestine People and gave it to the terrorists that rose up against the British Mandate of Palestine. This was no different than Neville Chamberlain expecting peace when he took land from Czechoslovakia and handed it over to the Nazis.

robdverity  10/07/2010 04:56 PM Report

Is any of this equitable? Israel has nukes. The Pals consider them state-sponsored terrorists. The kill ratios validate it compounded with insufferable living conditions. We not only enhance Israel's financial viability, we grant them $2-$3 billion annually for military purposes (when their debt to GDP ratio is better than ours).

Iran talks, Israel does. We're mere puppets.