Confronting Iran in public impresses naive American voters who think that sort of thing works. Putting together an international embargo with teeth involves both private behind-the-scenes diplomacy and public activity. The strategy for getting the international embargo may or may not include a public confrontation with Iran.
If tough talk and a refusal to negotiate with axis of evil members worked with Iran or North Korea, we would have results already. Bush tried it and it didnt work.
When Khruschev pounded the desk with his shoe at the UN, it may have played well in the USSR but it stiffened US resolve against the USSR. If Obama disses Iran at the UN it helps him with American nitwits who do not believe in diplomacy, but gives Ahmidinijad priceless footage to show over and over again in Iran to bolster his support -- something the Iranian really needs right now.
We have been tough with Cuba for just about half a century now, and it sure worked really well. Fidel will be gone any year now; he cant live forever. Maybe the Cubans will put his embalmed body on display, and patriotic Cubans can go pay their respects to a guy with economic ideas that didnt work, but at least he had the cohones to stand up to the gringos.
