Obama's No Different From The Rest

The New York Times has an op-ed mocking Obama's statement about Hizbollah. (It ends with an interview with Obama which shows that he's really no different on defense as a strong Republican.)

Why mock Obama when Bush, Kissinger, the State Department and all but the most determined of Israel's nationalists say basically the same?

Barack Obama issued a statement in response. He called on “all those who have influence with Hezbollah” to “press them to stand down.” Then he declared, “It’s time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment.”
That sentence has the whiff of what President Bush described yesterday as appeasement. Is Obama naïve enough to think that an extremist ideological organization like Hezbollah can be mollified with a less corrupt patronage system and some electoral reform? Does he really believe that Hezbollah is a normal social welfare agency seeking more government services for its followers? Does Obama believe that even the most intractable enemies can be pacified with diplomacy? What “Lebanese consensus” can Hezbollah possibly be a part of? (complete article)

The entire premise that one can negotiate a deal, peace etc is based on the same mistaken idea.

Is Obama naïve enough to think that an extremist ideological organization like Hezbollah can be mollified with a less corrupt patronage system and some electoral reform? Does he really believe that Hezbollah is a normal social welfare agency seeking more government services for its followers? Does Obama believe that even the most intractable enemies can be pacified with diplomacy? What “Lebanese consensus” can Hezbollah possibly be a part of?
If Obama believes all this, he’s not just a Jimmy Carter-style liberal. He’s off in Noam Chomskyland.

The same goes for Hamas, PLO etc as for as I'm concerned. Honestly, what's the real difference between them and Hizbollah?

As far as I'm concerned, if you think that it's possible to negotiate with the terrorists who are trying to destroy Israel, you really do live in some "Noam Chomskyland." All those Arab terrorists are the same and that includes Bin Laden. Don't tell me that the only dangerous ones are the ones America fears and the ones attacking Israel are the nice ones. An Arab terrorist is an Arab terrorist. Don't think that by letting Hamas play bombing Ashkelon it won't get hungry for New York.