Cal Thomas - Dealing with the devil

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, March 24th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Here now is commentator Cal Thomas.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: When you sit down to make a deal with the devil, he usually wins. That’s because he’s “crafty,” as Genesis tells us.

The United States and Iran appear on the cusp of a deal with Iran. President Biden and his diplomats claim it will prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon in the short term. In exchange for guarantees that won’t be worth the paper they’re written on, Washington appears ready to release huge amounts of cash to the Ayatollah Khamenei, who still wants America and Israel eliminated. The Biden administration also appears ready to remove Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from its list of international terrorists. This is self-delusion at its worst. And to make this potential deal even more incredible, Russia remains a primary negotiator despite war crimes it’s committing against Ukraine.

Just one among many quotes from the Ayatollah ought to be taken seriously: “Today, America poses a threat to peace and security in the world. Therefore, the slogan ‘Death to America’ is no longer used only by our people. Today, you see throughout the world people setting fire to the effigy of the American president and chanting the slogan ‘Death to America.’ This is because of the American regime's exaggerated demands, its arrogance, its vanity, and its desire to control, and because it is a pawn in the hands of the Zionists.”

How can someone who has called America “The Great Satan” be trusted to honor any deal?

Iran has consistently denied it’s developing a bomb and claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Does anyone believe that?

We are sitting down with leaders of a nation who not only do not share American values, but who wish to destroy those values. That means we will leave the negotiating table with a deal that guarantees a further step down the road to instability at best and at worst, our destruction.

Even some Democrats oppose the deal. In a speech last month, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey noted the proposed deal still doesn’t address some of our most serious national security concerns. And he questioned why we would return to a deal that was insufficient in the first place.

It’s a good question and deserves an answer. A deal should come before the Senate for ratification. But if the administration doesn’t call it a treaty, it could bypass the Senate. That would be a big mistake on several levels.

The Biden administration seems desperate for any victory in light of a string of failures: The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Inflation at the highest point in 40 years. A fluctuating stock market hurting retirees. High gas and food prices. And a continuing decline in the president’s favorability ratings.

But making a deal with the Iranian devil will not reverse Americans’ view of the administration’s failures. It can only make them worse.

I’m Cal Thomas.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.