With news today that the British Embassy has been stormed and burned by radical students in Tehran, I found myself noticing the similarities between our incompetent Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and our incompetent President Jimmy Carter in 1979.
Both elected leaders were confronted by the confusing actions of a leaderless, and lawless mob. Both situations dragged on for an unbearable and unreasonable length of time. Both Villaraigosa and Carter acted by showing their weakness instead of their strength. Both of them will continue to be seen as bumbling fools for the rest of their lives.
Both Villaraigosa and Carter failed to act in a decisive manner, which eventually jeopardized not only their futures as political leaders, but their inaction also continued to jeopardize law and order in general.
The Jennerjahn Solutions
What Jimmy Carter should have done is what I would have done. I would have let the Iranians know through diplomatic channels that they had three days to release the American hostages, and if they would not comply, I would address the American people on television and let them know I was going to the Congress and asking for a Declaration of War against Iran starting on the fourth day.
My televised address would have included the phrase, "The attack and kidnapping of our Embassy staff is not only an Act of War against America, it is also an Act of War against the civilized tradition of diplomacy itself."
If Iran did not comply, the missles and bombs would have been flying by the end of the week.
Would Iran risk the destruction of its cities? Difficult to say.
But this situation would never happen again... I guarantee you that.
Villaraigosa needed to have gone to the media early and declared the Occupiers to be breaking the law. He should have warned them to leave, and then used force. But he should not have given them a specific hour. Just tell them to be gone by the end of the week or something.
Then, if they didn't leave... tear gas and fire hoses.
Their protests are violating the rights of others, and continue to be a safety and sanitation issue. And Villaraigosas incompetence in handling this issue shows that he should not be elected to another political office for the rest of his life.
Villaraigosa can't be trusted to handle the looters and lawbreakers in our society...because when it comes right down to it... he's one of them.
