Debra, I've been hearing that too. Maybe instead of making a video that explains free speech, the best way to convince people who grew up in dictatorships that the US gov't. really doesn't control what's put on the Internet/on the air/in paper publications is to show them some of the anti-Obama ads & videos out there. Once they understand that the president can't even shut those down, maybe they'll realize he & the rest of the gov't. can't stop an anti-Muslim movie either. Except the ones who don't want to be convinced or think they'll benefit by continuing to inflame those passions.

@ Chuzzlewit -

Boo hoo hoo...American decline...boo hoo.

If you believe that America is in decline while virtually every nation has at least partially entered into globalization for a minimum 30+ years - often using the American Neoliberal model - then when did this decline start?

@jgarbuz-
"That's why Israel admits to nothing and that policy has worked brilliantly well for it"

very funny!....don't you think it's worked "brilliantly well" because they are protected and funded by the USA?

"You don't take a little poison" Pfizer, drugs ( a little poison), good? These Randians seem to be the typical Sophists, cherry picking their arguments and evidence to support a self congratulatory philosophy. Warmed over protestant ethics without God (save us from Mother Theresa. Let'shave a nuanced discussion for a change.

And jg - you still didn't answer my question on you identifying German and American scientists, who happen to be Jewish - as Jewish first, therefore America supposedly owes Israel something?

About the attacks on US embassies by Arab locals - Ed Husain of CNN makes the excellent point that most of these people grew up in dictatorial societies, and cannot understand the concept that individuals in the US can produce a film without the explicit (or at least, complicit) approval of the US government. So they may believe that the US - government, citizens, everyone - condones the CONTENT of that movie. "Free speech" is a term that is bandied about as shorthand for a right that we hold dear, but it's an incomprehensible concept to many.

(If someone made a video explaining the concept of "free speech" to citizens of dictatorships - would it go viral in the same way that the inflammatory ones do? It'd be nice...but I think not. Those who like to inflame the passions of others found quite a vehicle in this film....)

Israel didn't break any treaties. Israel has never broken a treaty. It has disputed the applicability of the 1949 Fourth GEneva Accords as they apply to Judah and Samaria, but it has never broken a treaty.

Why does Israel not admit to having nukes? First of all, it doesn't have to. Why should it? Better to keep enemies guessing. But it does have the right to have them. Declaring itself a nuclear state would give Egypt, Syria, and all the other Arab states hostile to Israel, or still technically at war with Israel the excuse they would need to wriggle out of the NPT the way NOrth Korea did. That's why Israel admits to nothing and that policy has worked brilliantly well for it. And it is not illegal either.

What does he say about Ayn Rand going on Social Security & Medicare at the end of her life?

@jgarbuz- i didn't dispute your claim of jews inventing the science to build the bomb. who cares about that? you didn't answer my question...ok, they broke the treaty, now what? has the U.S. or Israel broken any treaties?
how come israel still doesn't admit to having nukes?

To Thomas Pinch

Saddam and Assad didn't get the bomb primarily thanks to Israel bombing their reactors. As for Qaddafi, he finally gave it up after Bush invaded Iraq, but the US was stopping Israel from bombing Libya's installations just as the US is stopping Israel from bombing Iran today.

So Jg - you can't have it both ways. Are you going to identify these men as Jewish first, instead of Americans, German emigres/refugees second, who happen to be Jewish?

To Bernie

The "Jews" who invented the atomic bomb are too numerous to list here. But the most important was Leo Szilard. Look him up for details.

"If it were only up to the US, then Saddam, and Khaddafi and Assad would all have a-bombs today."

It was and they don't! What's your point?

"...Jews invented the atomic bomb FOR America..." And no one had more regret than Mr. Oppenheimer since Mr. Noble invent gun powder. Now we know why. I'm with Mr. O and Mr. N. - this stuff is the worst thing to ever happen to this planet. We should all be ashamed.

Looks like a repeat of 1979?80, except Romney is no Reagan. Maybe Reagan was something of an illusion too, but a better one than Romney at least.
-
Ed from Larchmont,
I'm searching for a link to the Pope's comments right now.

Guys'
We should have left afghanistan 10 years ago...please enough of the propaganda

Jg - Who are these "Jews" that invented the bomb for America?

To bernie

Who asks why Iran can't have the bomb if ISrael does. The answer is simple Bernie, Jews invented the atomic bomb FOR America during WWII and anyone that wants one needs the permission of the Jews! Okay?
No, but seriously, Iran signed the NPT, and Israel, Pakistan and India didn't, and therefore the latter 3 can have them, but Iran can't. It's called the NPT, short for nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Joe, the film was the trigger (when it aired on a religious tv show over there), but it did uncover a lot of other grievences.

The Right doesn't want it to be about the film, because it would force them to defend one of their own far right religious nuts. I feel for them - we have our own far left nuts that republicams try to make it sound like we're all that way.

But the film was the genesis, no two ways about it.

Given Netanyahu's attacks on Obama and Romney's statements that he repudiates the two-state solution in the Mid-East, should we find it suspicious that, in the Mother Jones film, Romney says he is using the same campaign consultants as Netanyahu?

The US let North Korea get away with making bombs. If it were only up to the US, then Saddam, and Khaddafi and Assad would all have a-bombs today. Thank God, Israel is not America, and when Israel says it won't let anyone in its neighborhood have a bomb to threaten it with, ISrael MEANS it and will do whatever it takes to stop it from happening.

The bomb, I swear it's coming... THIS TIME.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1108/Imminent-Iran-nuclear-threat-A-timeline-of-warnings-since-1979/Earliest-warnings-1979-84

The pope was in Lebanon last week and spoke about how to achieve peace in the region. Well worth reading.

if israel and pakistan can have the nuclear weapon, why can't iran? it's pure hyperbole to say they will annihilate israel. they know the consequences of that. why hasn't pakistan bombed india yet if that's the logic?

the film caused nothing...we aren't children

Sanger doesn't know any more than you nor I do. Why is he the "go to guy" for all things Iran and Middle East now?

"...concerned about an emerging perception of declining American stature..."

Since when are conservatives concerned about what others think of this country? That's a new position for them. They are twisting themselves into knots while Romney implodes. Who's the "victim" now?

Seems to me that these non violent demonstrations are in fact tit for tat;free speech [film] meets free speech[mobs burning US flags and shouting pro-Osama slogans].That they managed to get an alquada like flag on top of a US embassy after 10 years of invasions, occupations, torture and murder, to say nothing of the billions spent -is a testasment to the reality of the 21st c-the century of the people-all people and the reality that the world and its people don't belong to us.They too will behave like free people.Burning flags of islamic countries is not on par, for them, with anti-mohammad expressions. That's our sacred cow-or was till our courts declared it legal and the right has had to capitulate to freedom of speech including flag burning[the right in america is always eventually made to heel to the left].

OK.....please ask Sanger if he is concerned about an emerging perception of declining American stature and leadership.

Every time an American flag is burned in Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Islamic Regime of Iran etc.

Slap 'em back and burn one of their flags. Burn a jihadi flag of Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Islamic Regime of Iran etc, and post on YouTube.