By PAUL SCHNEE

In his “INFERNO” Dante wisely reserved the most scalding corners of Hell for those who, in a moral dilemma, tried to remain impartial. If Barack Obama had been a character in Dante’s Divine Comedy we would have known exactly where to find him. You will recall that when Russia invaded Georgia, during our election, the best Obama could do was to issue a statement saying “both sides should show restraint” thus drawing a moral equivalency between the attacker and the attacked. The inability to distinguish between the arsonist and the fire-fighter is a hallmark of the appeaser. Those of us who are unable to remain impartial between the fire and the fire department believe that a firm and immediate statement of moral support saying that the United States, as a beacon of freedom and democracy, stands with the Iranian people in their desire for fair elections, civil liberties, and the rule of law, should have been issued at once. This would not have smeared their protests with the “taint” of Americanism which so concerns the reluctant champions of democracy. Such a declaration of solidarity may seem a bit like stating the obvious but it is akin to “Give me liberty or give me death”. It has the salutory effect of stiffening the spine and focusing attention on freedom from tyranny.

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