It has been said by many others, but I have also mentioned that in the Arab world (and Iran is not Arab, but many of the cultures criss-cross Persia due to trade/religion/history - and one that is of greater importance than diplomacy is honor. An element of honor is the idea of pride of ones culture / system / clan / tribe, and this honor would prevent one from negotiatimng at any time, unless one was in the inferior position, and consequently, the superior army would negotiate a surrender on their terms, and would be reasonable in their governance.
The elites in the US, no different than the elites in Britain / France, disregard these ancient beliefs and plow ahead with negoitiating as an end in itself. For the Arab world, negotiating is only undertaken when one is losing / inferior to the other. We never figured this out. For the el;ites, what THEY (Arabs/Persians and others) think, is immaterial to what our goals are - we want to negotiate regardless, and do not feel any compunction to avoid this quagmire, because we believe we are the superior and regardless of what they may think, we are not in the inferior position, and why not let them think whatever they wish - if it gets us what we want - peace.
THAT sums up the left and their desire to negotiate.
Iran says Obama's offer to talk shows US failure
Jan 31 09:16 AM US/Eastern
US President Barack Obama's offer to talk to Iran shows that America's policy of "domination" has failed, the government spokesman said on Saturday.
"This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed," Gholam Hossein Elham was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.
"Negotiation is secondary, the main issue is that there is no way but for (the United States) to change," he added.
After nearly three decades of severed ties, Obama said shortly after taking office this month that he is willing to extend a diplomatic hand to Tehran if the Islamic republic is ready to "unclench its fist".
In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a fresh tirade against the United States, demanding an apology for its "crimes" against Iran and saying he expected "deep and fundamental" change from Obama.
Iranian politicians frequently refer to the US administration as the "global arrogance", "domineering power" and "Great Satan".
Tensions with the United States have soared over Iran's nuclear drive and Ahmadinejad's vitriolic verbal attacks against Washington's close regional ally Israel.
Former US president George W. Bush refused to hold talks with the Islamic republic -- which he dubbed part of an "axis of evil" -- unless it suspended uranium enrichment, and never took a military option to thwart Tehran's atomic drive off the table.
The new administration of Obama has also refused to rule out any options -- including military strikes -- to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies any plans to build the bomb and insists its nuclear programme is solely aimed at peaceful ends.
Iran
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