It Could Just Be A Jedi Mind Trick: "These Are Not The Basijis You Are Looking For..."

Although publicly denying that the United States is in any way involved with the Iranian protests, the White House is letting the truth be known through back channels:

Barack Obama did it.

Yes, apparently his Cairo speech, in which he was careful not to explicitly promote democracy, is the primary source of inspiration for the demonstrators demanding democracy.

Here at Planet Moron we believe it’s about time the President’s oratory gets the credit it deserves.  For example, while many believe the dramatic repair of the Hubble Space Telescope this past April was the result of years of preparation and training, it wasn’t really until the President’s speech at the graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th class where he told the newly minted police officers, “You knew the risks involved, you knew the sacrifices required, and yet you stood up and said, I'll take that risk.  I'll make that sacrifice.  I will do that job," that NASA, and indeed, the whole scientific community was galvanized to fix Hubble, saying as if they were one, “We’ll take that risk.  We’ll make that sacrifice!”

“And yes, we will do that job!”

You probably didn’t know that.

You also probably didn’t know that it was the President’s remarks with Archbishop Demetrios commemorating Greek Independence day in March that was at least partly responsible for an uptick in Canadian housing starts that month. And who will ever forget those stirring words he spoke at the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act bill signing? 

Not the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, that’s for sure.

And don’t get us started on the profound effect that Barack Obama's presentation for his fourth grade science class on “Our Friend The Earth” had on the stunning rise of the environmental movement throughout the sixties and seventies.

That is why we can only imagine what impact his words today will have on the situation in Iran in which he said, more forcefully than he ever has before, that we would “bear witness” to what was happening and “monitor and see how this plays itself out before we make any judgments about how we will proceed.”

It is precisely this steely determination to not only witness, but to monitor, that we should all find so inspirational, for who else can command the power to so profoundly influence events, without actually doing anything.

 
J.