Posted on 04/23/2006 11:15:18 PM PDT by familyop
Iran is a sticky subject. It is no wonder that the Bush administration doesn't want to talk too much about Iran, why they felt it a good idea to shed any talks or discussions with Iran to the supposed EU3 (Germany, France and Britain). With the work going on in Iraq right now, the Bush administration doesn't need a mess in Iran, too. That is for certain.
But, the Iranians are forcing the issue with their attempts to develop nuclear weapons. So, what should we do? We certainly cannot allow the Iranians to get a nuclear bomb the way their society and country is now led. It is becoming ever more clear that the Iranians are not "sensible" with their current leadership. It is also obvious that they cannot be treated diplomatically as if they are "sensible" like one might negotiate with any number of other nations that are guided by the normal principles of economic and national interests.
Economic Interests
In a world of logic a nation is propelled by its economic interests, and in that vein it would be a far easier thing to expect diplomacy to work with Iran. But, Iran is not propelled by the economic interests and logical policy decisions and goals as a reasonably sane country would so be.
Iran has a persistent unemployment rate the hovers around 20 percent and they have little by the way of industry or internal improvement. They have but one real asset: oil. And the only benefit they get from it is export sales because they don't even have the capacity themselves to process it into usable products. They simply export crude and that is about it. So, to imagine it would be effective using economic sanctions as a bargaining chip in any discussions with Iran is just ridiculous. The Mullahs simply have no interest in economic realities. That dog won't hunt, as they say in Texas.
National Interests
Certainly, nationalism is one of the Mullahs' tricks. It is doubtful, though, if that trick would last too long. Every report out of Iran says that the lower classes and the youth of Iran are increasingly turning against the Mullahs. The Islamic revolution that the Mullahs said would spread all across the world never happened, the Mullahs seem to have failed at about every turn in Iran and this has undermined the once blind loyalty that the people had for them.
We can expect the people of Iran to eventually get past their current nationalist spirit guided by the Mullahs and turn to restructure their society and government over the constant failures of the Mullah's reign.
Unfortunately for all of us, such a revolt is not on the verge any time soon, though. It could take a long time for this internal change over to occur. It may even take the death of the entire revolutionary generation and their own protégés before a new era of rulers might come to power. And we cannot afford to wait for that to happen. A nuclear-armed Mullah state would be too dangerous in the intervening time.
Also, and this is not said enough, it absolutely is in Iran's national interests to get a nuke. Let's face it. A nation has every sovereign right to acquire a nuclear arsenal. So, to attempt to negotiate with Iran by pretending they have no right to the bomb is just not a legitimate position to take. We can try to convince them that they do not need a nuke, but to act as if they do not deserve one is on its face, absurd. (Of course, they have no moral right to one because of their extremism, but they have a legitimate sovereign right to get one if they so desire)
Religious Extremists
And here is the stumbling block, why they cannot be allowed to get the bomb. This is the first time in a very long time that the world has seen a nation with such power so infused with a wild -eyed, apocalyptic religious certitude. Those currently in control of Iran are entirely sure that wide spread destruction for the sake of purifying the world is their charge. They do not need any 'logic" or any 'interests" based in real world reasoning to justify their aggressiveness. God has told them to do it.
As I mentioned, they have no moral right to such power. They have been the main exporters of terrorism for decades both directly and by offering financial support for many different groups perpetrating terror across the world. They have repeatedly said that they wish to bring genocide to the Israelis and they constantly threaten nearly every western nation.
But, their religion tells them they are in the right and no amount of diplomacy can make a dent in such a concept.
Bomb Them Soon
So, here is the best plan of action. Bomb their nuclear facilities. Bomb as many of them as we can find. Put their capacity to make more as far back as we can. If we destroy much of their current capacity it will take them no less than 3 to 5 years to rebuild. They will also have to rebuild with greater security in mind and that added need will make it even more difficult. If we are lucky we may even get 10 years of safety out of it.
Yes, it will cause them to hate America. But, they already hate America. They cannot hate us any more than they do. In the mean time, another monumental failure by the Mullahs — the one that would be shown by our successful elimination of their nuclear facilities — will certainly drive the internal strife faster along. Maybe it could even be a pivot for great change and force the Mullahs out sooner than anyone could imagine. It is hoped the religious extremism will be ended as a catalyst for government afterwards.
But, even if the Mullahs do not get thrown out, we will have made the area safe from unprincipled nuclear attacks for another 5 years or longer. It is a game for time but we are fast running out of time to play it. If we do not do this soon the window will have passed and a nuclear-armed Iran will be a reality.
Warner Todd Huston's thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as renewamerica.us, townhall.com, opinioneditorials.com, and americandaily.com, among many, many others. He has also written for several history magazines, and appears in the new book "Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture," which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions at igcolonel@hotmail.com
Bomb Iran
(to the tune of "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys)
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, BOMB IRAN!
Let's take a stand, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Went to a mosque, gonna throw some rocks.
Tell the Ayatollah..."Gonna put you in a box!"
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Ol' Uncle Sam's gettin' pretty hot.
Time to turn Iran into a parking lot. Bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Call the volunteers; call the bombadiers;
Call the financiers, better get their ass in gear.
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Call on our allies to cut off their supplies,
Get our hands untied, and bring em' back alive. Bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, BOMB IRAN!
Let's take a stand, bomb Iran.
Our people you been stealin'
Now it's time for keelin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Can't afford to keep waiting and waiting and endlessly talking like we did with Iraq.
Sometimes I wonder if all it would take is a cruise missile up Ahmadinejads ass. But I guess that makes too much sense huh?
Their time will come in some way for sure.
Time to give the hysteria a rest, more like it
Hysteria \Hys*te"ri*a\, n. [NL.: cf. F. hyst['e]rie. See
Hysteric.] (Med.)
A nervous affection, occurring almost exclusively in women,
in which the emotional and reflex excitability is
exaggerated, and the will power correspondingly diminished,
so that the patient loses control over the emotions, becomes
the victim of imaginary sensations, and often falls into
paroxism or fits.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The chief symptoms are convulsive, tossing movements of
the limbs and head, uncontrollable crying and laughing,
and a choking sensation as if a ball were lodged in the
throat. The affection presents the most varied
symptoms, often simulating those of the gravest
diseases, but generally curable by mental treatment
alone. Hysteric
...hysteria--we in the USA? No. You must have another, more socialist, anti-defense, Euro-identity people in mind.
How well I know.
I know, too. It's easy to advocate all of this bombing when you haven't seen the other side of the results of that.
I have seen it now.
I used to be guilty of the "nuke 'em 'til they glow" or "bomb them back to the Stone Age" mentality and I DO believe Iran needs to be dealt with and with FORCE, but I think it is incumbent on us to keep the innocent civilians in mind when we implement our reaction.
Only communist and fascist countries (Iran's current allies, for example) plan and carry out indescriminate bombings. We in the USA use smarter technologies and try to avoid civilian casualties, while our enemies and their collaborators among us project their methods and apathy upon us. We will use our own methods in Iran to take nuclear weapons capabilities away from its leaders in the next significant and necessary step in the War on Terror.
["We in the USA use smarter technologies and try to avoid civilian casualties..."]
Yes, I know, and if there's a mistake the innocent casualties are referred to as "collateral damage"...I know, I've seen toooo much of it.
Are you with the DoD?
So have I. We need to be careful about knocking out the power to major cities for extended periods of time as well.
I have also learned that economic sanctions are not the way to go. The innocent suffer greatly from that while the leadership does not suffer at all.
["I have also learned that economic sanctions are not the way to go. The innocent suffer greatly from that while the leadership does not suffer at all."]
You are right on target...how about starting with Saddam?
Do we need go any further?
In the summer of 2001, the Iranian workers, be it the cleaning lady or the gardener, were more honest than I had ever expected. These women and men, while not literate enough to write, were articulate about their experiences, explaining that after all these years they were still waiting for their oil money � as if waiting for the messiah.
For them, the oil money is as unreachable as the democracy the majority of Iranians desperately seek.
Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran's rogue regime are a grave threat to the security of the Iranian people, the international community and especially the United States, the well-identified foe of the Islamic Republic.
If Churchill's assertions were right and "the United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative," then the U.S. administration must maintain full speed with the agenda of establishing democracy in Iran.
...more background info on Iranian sentiment.
Iran’s “Nuclear Nationalism”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1620371/posts
That is precisely the example from which I've learned. I've heard horror stories about the lack of food, medicine, car parts and basic life essentials.
However, Saddam and his henchmen were not deprived of anything and were living the good life.
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