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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Friday, June 13, 2008

Quote

Mr Berlusconi offered his country's "inside knowledge" to help in talks aimed at persuading Tehran to abandon uranium enrichment. Italy has recently become the Iranians' largest European trading partner.

"Our offer is based on the fact that we know Iran very well from the inside - we have some leading companies that are operating there," Mr Berlusconi said.
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posted by mikevotes at 7:22 AM

6 Comments:

  • This is the polar opposite of the Bush Administration's approach, which is that we will shun you and refuse to talk unless you give us ahead of time exactly what we would achieve through talks.

    Isolating and dis-investing in a nation literally throws away all of your leverage in advance, and makes a military option your only option.

    Is this what you were implying with this quote?

    By Blogger Todd Dugdale , at 8:31 AM  

  • Good points, Todd. But I also find it interesting that Berlusconi seems to be conduction foreign diplomacy through corporations. Sort of the privatization of foreign affairs... Something you'd think would be right up Bush's alley.

    By Blogger -epm, at 9:02 AM  

  • It's a very sensible approach but first Bush would have to allow US firms to do business with Iran. Then he'd be accused of appeasement.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:58 AM  

  • Todd, that's the main reason this jumped at me.

    Plus, one of Bush's last friends on the world stage is bragging about his relationships with Iran at the same time Bush is on tour looking for tighter sanctions.

    (Maybe also because with the IRGC terrorist designation, doesn't that make Italy terrorists?)

    ...

    EPM, I think it's not unreasonable to argue that Berlusconi conducts corporations through foreign policy.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:59 PM  

  • Well my observation that Berlusconi, like our Republicans, see all things through the prism of commerce... The almighty dollar, or lira, as the case may be, is THE guiding principle.

    By Blogger -epm, at 3:41 PM  

  • Right, but remember one of the things that first drove Berlusconi to run was that while PM he couldn't be prosecuted for some of his corporate misdeeds, and while in office, he destroyed the case.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 3:46 PM  

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