Political analysis
Giving "Peace" a Chance
- By NotYourDaddy
- July 17, 2008
I was told yesterday that we should “give peace a chance,” and that the sanctions against Iran are working. We just need to give it time. I asked the person who told me that what makes them so certain the sanctions are working, even as Iran continues to amass and enrich uranium and conduct missile tests? I asked what are the criteria for success? I did not get an answer. Ahmadinejad is openly laughing at the U.N. In a televised interview four months ago, he said “If they want to continue with that path of sanctions, we will not be harmed. They can issue resolutions for 100 years.”
While we are “giving peace a chance,” Ahmadinejad is building a nuclear arsenal.
Another person told me today that, if we were to take military action against Iran, the world would condemn us because they already think we’re a bully. Apparently, some people believe we need to wait for Iran to make the first strike, so the world will “approve” when we retaliate. How many American and/or Israeli lives are we willing to sacrifice to world opinion?
It’s frustrating to know what your enemy is up to (because he has brazenly told you), but be unable to do anything about it because you don’t want to look bad to somebody else, while your enemy gloats because he knows your hands are tied by public opinion.
Within the past three months, Iran has been installing 6000 new super high efficiency centrifuges for enriching uranium, that work five times faster than the old centrifuges. Some people are willing to believe Ahmadinejad when he says he’s going to use all that enriched uranium for nuclear energy just to produce electricity, but are unwilling to believe him when he declares the time is very near when America (the Great Satan) will be destroyed and Israel will be wiped off the map.
I’m not suggesting we should jump into a war with Iran tomorrow. But I have a great deal of concern over the confluence of:
- Their recent dramatic increase in uranium enrichment capabilities.
- Their mounting increase in apocalyptic rhetoric against both the U.S. and Israel.
- Their recent saber rattling exercises, indicating that they feel invincible.
All of this concerns me a great deal. It also concerns me that so many people seem determined to ignore these facts, or refuse to consider their potential underlying significance. Any one, by itself, might be dismissible but, taken together, there appears to be a certain momentum building.
I acknowledge that we’re too overextended militarily right now to be able to effectively engage in direct military action against Iran. I see that as a huge problem, as Iran shores up it’s military might in obvious preparation for a conflict we are not prepared to undertake. I also grasp the urgency to take some kind of action to thwart their build-up of nuclear capability before it gets to the point that we cannot, without exacting a retaliatory strike. (Or first strike, as some would have it.) Once they have a nuclear arsenal in place, it’s too late.
How ironic that “giving peace a chance” might lead us down the path to a nuclear war that could have been avoided…
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The Middle East is drifting toward a new and great confrontation in 2008-2009. Iran must come to understand that without a real diplomatic solution soon, a dangerous military conflict is very likely to begin. It is high time for serious negotiations to begin or else….
127 days ago by Americana
And don’t forget they shot some missiles into the Persian Gulf a few days ago and said they would retaliate if they were attacked. Just who do they think they are? A sovereign nation with the freedom to build up its military? Ha! We’ll show them!
126 days ago by Clint
Clint: I’ll take that argument on. The problem with your sardonic logic is that you are talking about a country (Iran) that consistently informs the world of their intent to annihilate Israel off the face of the planet. Their explicit telegraphing of future events which are so plausible by even the commonest of men suggests to me that they must immediately come into line with the world’s demands or be dealt with by the Super Powers.
Are you suggesting we have to wait for casualties before anyone can take action? Is that how our own criminal system works? If I threaten to kill someone soon will I not be brought up on charges?
126 days ago by SnopDawg
Of Course, Iran working towards Nuclear weapons.
Can you blame them for it? Two national governments on their borders have been overthrown. Israel has threatened them with air strikes…
A Nuclear Weapon is a defensive weapon.
Ever notice that North Korea and Pakistan can resist the United States,,, What do they have in common?
They are both Nuclear Powers.
It is simple bigotry that Iran is not being allowed to develop atomic weapons. Why shouldn’t an Islamic hereditary theocracy be allowed to build I.C.B.M.s?
A nuclear middle-east will be a peaceful middle-east because of Mutually assured destruction. Mutually assured destruction kept the peace between the United States and the Soviet Union for decades.
Atomic bombs are defensive weapons because they make victory impossible for anyone.
Nuclear proliferation is going to happen sooner or later any way.
Technology always spreads. Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese, but now everyone has it. Even the most isolated illiterate tribesman carrys an assualt rifle when he goes to war.
In the future, every Mullah, Latin American Generalismo, and African Warlord will have the ability to hurl nuclear weapons at one another. But, they will also be threatened with the same thing coming back at them. War shall become obsolete and peace shall prevail.
Support Iran, Support Nuclear Proliferation, Support World Peace.
124 days ago by Thinking Dove
Snopdawg, Israel has nukes and a pretty darn good military. If Israel decides they need to attack Iran, they should do it. We have no business being in the middle east (or any other foreign place for that matter). We mucked things up over there starting in 1953, and it’s been a downhill slide ever since. Bush has changed the standard for going to war, and it has changed things forever. The standard used to be that if you got attacked, you went to war. Now the standard is if you feel threatened or you THINK such and such is so, you invade. I do hope that when we invade Iran we at least declare war this time.
124 days ago by Clint
Thinking Dove –
You’ve got to be kidding me? Iran needs a nuke for defense? How is REGULARLY threatening to blow up the Jews defensive? Seriously. You sound retarded.
Your examples of North Korea and Pakistan “resisting the US” exposes that fact that you are not paing attention to world events (at least in this last 10 years). Pakistan does exactly what we wish them to do with few exceptions. Bush has Musharraf’s ear on all issues of great importance to the US. Have you not read any of the news reports about our secret partnership for targeting terrorists in that country? There’s only hundreds if not thousands of them. Try a google search. Try reading.
And North Korea? Please.
122 days ago by Biz Markie
“Building a nuclear arsenal,” really? This is WMD all over again, and you’ve been fooled twice—shame on you.
108 days ago by moda