Obama’s Now Ruz Greeting - Tu Quoque

تبریک عید از اباما

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Participants •Government •Context •How We Got Here •Theory •Coordinating Collaboration •
Posted by Rezwan • Mar 20, 2009 • (0) Comments •
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Nowruz 2009, US President Barak Obama wished Iranians a happy Now Ruz.

He also gave Iranian leaders some "choices". A move that will, no doubt, inspire an immediate "Tu quoque" reflex and be dismissed.

What is "tu quoque", how does it kill conversation, and how might a Foreign Policy Museum on the Washington Mall change that? Let's explore.

First of all, props to Obama. I like this new, friendly president, seeking to restore what's right about America: the friendly America, with everyone's best interests at heart, not just the interests of a few shadowy conspiratorial special interests.

In his speech, however, he set up a tu quoque situation. He addressed Iran's leaders directly but in a way they can easily reflect back to him:

You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right -- but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization. And the measure of that greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to build and create.

Yes, America, that cuts both ways. The true greatness of the American people has been marred by the American use of terror and arms in its often underhanded dealings with the world. (See "Blank Spots on the Map", a book about covert ops. When you get to the page on Amazon, it will direct you to more books in the large body of literature on this topic.)

Two issues are raised here: Tu Quoque, and the need for a Foreign Policy Museum on the Washington Mall (among other places).

Tu Quoque

Tu Quoque means "you also" in Latin. In rhetoric, a "tu quoque" attack redirects the focus from thinking about the idea to thinking about the person holding the idea. The goal of a tu quoque attack is to discredit your opponent in hopes that it will discredit whatever they're saying.

It is a false argument. If someone accuses you of sponsoring terrorism, the answer "Well, so do you" is no proof one way or the other.

Nor is it a justification, one way or the other.

However, the primary use of "Tu Quoque" in politics is justification.

So, here we have a couple of nations. And, of course, nations will be nations. So they go around doing shadowy, nefarious things, and covering up, and never facing up to their own role in the matter, always pointing towards the adversary to address their wrongs first/at all.

Actually, this is a great racket. It works for both sides, who can continue in their nefarious dealings for as long as the other side doesn't admit to their own. They never have to change, they just have to puff up and point to the other side's nefarious dealings with outrage.

This can continue indefinitely.

Or, we can attempt to bring this sorry chapter of history to a close.

The only way to do this is through some sort of "Truth and Reconciliation" ("TR") approach.

Which brings us to one of my favorite projects. As part of some sort of TR approach, we can build a multi-national Foreign Policy Museum, with chapters/franchises in every country. A global museum network. It will link all the sites where historic events (whether good or bad) occurred, and the main museum offices will have the documentation.

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