So history repeated itself. As in the 1930s, an anti-Semitic demagogue broke his country's treaty obligations and armed for war. Having first tried appeasement, offering the Iranians economic incentives to desist, the West appealed to international agencies - the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Security Council. Thanks to China's veto, however, the UN produced nothing but empty resolutions and ineffectual sanctions, like the exclusion of Iran from the 2006 World Cup finals. ...As depressing as this vision may be, I find little to argue with. We will not stop the Iranian nuclear program. It's too late for that. And Iran is not building the Shi'ite bomb just for decoration. They plan to use it. As in the '30s (that "low dishonest decade") the villains have told us what they want to do but we are too "sophisticated" and "nuanced" to believe it.
As in the 1930s, too, the West fell back on wishful thinking. ... So in Washington and in London people crossed their fingers, hoping for the deus ex machina of a home-grown regime change in Teheran.
This gave the Iranians all the time they needed to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium at Natanz. The dream of nuclear non-proliferation, already interrupted by Israel, Pakistan and India, was definitively shattered. Now Teheran had a nuclear missile pointed at Tel-Aviv. And the new Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu had a missile pointed right back at Teheran. ...
The devastating nuclear exchange of August 2007 represented not only the failure of diplomacy, it marked the end of the oil age. Some even said it marked the twilight of the West.
Dark days are ahead, my friends. Dark days.
15 comments:
I think he may be right about the paralysis in the face of the leftist assault over military action. The left wants us to be vulnerable and hates the fact that we took out a vicious threat. Sure we stopped the nuclear development, which the Arabs had moved to Libya. And we now have evidence that Saddam was training terrorists in 3 locations during the last four years of his regime. But the Big Lie is working on the American people with the help of the media and the constant chant of the 5th column.
But Bush might act! One of the things he’s said in the past is that people always under-estimate him. I did in 2003. I thought by going to the UN, they’d keep stalling Bush and he’d never act. I was wrong. Of course, France blundered and said they would never approve military action under any conditions--thus showing the sham of a negotiation. But Bush did it. That's the bottom line.
Thomas,
If you're wrong and either America or Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities, you are going to owe me dinner at one of L.A.'s finest restaurants.
If I'm wrong, and we end up in the situation Mr. Ferguson describes, I'll cook you some roast opossum over an open fire, out in the middle of nowhere.
;-)
Bad now or worse later.
Take em out.
Use the leading half of the Coulter doctrine (I don't care if they convert), along with wiping every site we can find.
Then KEEP repeat as needed.
If they become a failed state:
I
Don't
Care
Everyone on the Guardian Council Is Yassin.
They put Sherman in the nuthouse when he told them it would take 5 years and half a million men.
They won't relent, they can't, to them it's God's will.
Yes, bomb, and repeat as needed. That ought to be the directions.
Who cares if they become a "failed state?"
What are they if not already a failed state? That's a functioning state?
Yeah, I guess people eat and stuff.
Lot,
Be careful, if you turn and face your own vision, you may turn into a pillar of salt.
You say that because of your Christian faith, you are excited about these hopeless times (your view of the times, not mine). I hardly think the God of the Bible wants His people to be rooting for the End Times, when one-third of the oceans will be turned to poison, one-third of the sky land will be scorched, and one-third of humanity will suffer and die horrible deaths.
Does that sound like something to be excited about.
I am a Christian, and I started this blog with a Jew. Some of the guys here are Christians, some are Jews, and some are atheists, but we are all infidels, and we all realize we had better fight, because hopelessness is the losers choice, and, according to my faith, God created us in His image, which means we have Free Will, and we are supposed to do everything we can to help Him build His Kingdom of Love and Righteousness here on this green Earth.
I don't agree with your scenario of what would happen if we attack Iran either. There are a lot of oil producing nations in the world. And, in fact, the U.S. produces half of its own oil.
The more likely scenario is that Iran, as it is an evil nation, will fight with the other evil nations, because that's what evil does, and that's why it ALWAYS LOSES. More than likely, they will overplay their hand, do something stupid and make all of us infidels frighteningly angry. That's what evil does. That's what Hitler did, for instance.
We will win. Thomas the Wraith may not think so, but, at least, he's not rooting for one-third of the world to go up in flames.
Pastorius - We may indeed bomb them but, as I'll discuss further in a future post, I don't that will stop it. At best it will slow them down. At worst, well ... at worst we misjudge their progress and bomb them after they have one or more working devices.
If in fact we (or the Avengers or Luke Skywalker) take out their nuke program, we will certainly celebrate. I might not make it to LA but would a bottle of fine bubbly do?
Sure. A bottle of bubbly will do.
And, if I am wrong, should I FedEx you a roadkill opossum?
Who else produces oil? Venezuela, Mexico, (aforementioned Norway), Russia (hey, we get to make them rich by buying from them instead of a destroyed Iran), and why does the tap have to be shut off if there's a war with Iran by the other oil producers? Destroying a nuclear program does not = occupation. It didn't when Israel bombed Saddam's nuke program in the 80's.
I'm afraid we're at a point of striking them and possibly having them destroy us, vs. not striking, and having them destroy us for sure anyway. I wish to God this wasn't necessary, but the U.S. proved that it won't conquer anyone who doesn't threaten it.
We all forget that if Saddam didn't play that hiding game from the nuke inspectors and violate those UN resolutions, and allowed free inspections, he'd still be in power. Was there a nuke program? Who cares if the answer is no, he led us to believe there was something to hide. Never point a gun at someone unless you can and will use it: he pointed an unloaded gun at us, and we shot, later to find an unarmed man, but at the time seeing the barrel of a nuke gun and not wanting to "trust" it's not loaded. We don't know 100% if Iran is getting an a-bomb or if they're bluffing, but they're doing everything to lead us to think that they are, and will use it the second it's ready, so we should act as if they are. No need to carpet bomb the country, it seems they know where the sites are.
Lot,
Here's some stuff to think about:
The Great Commission has not been completed yet. Who has witnessed unto the Middle East?
Do you have children? Would you like to watch the looks on your childrens faces, as the world goes up in flames around them?
God loves us as His children, literally:
"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel,
the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.
Hosea 11: 1-4
Yes, we know the end of the story, Lot. It's in the Bible. But, it is our responsibility, as followers of Christ, to love our fellow man, the same way God loves us.
It's hard to do, but, we can start with some principles. One good principle to start with is to not wish destruction upon them.
MTS,
Iran produces 4 million barrels of oil a day.
America is the 3rd largest oil producing nation at 8.59 million barrels a day.
Iran is the 4th largest oil producing nation.
We produce twice the amount of oil Iran produces.
We use 20 million barrels a day, which means we import 12 million barrels a day.
Saudi Arabia produces 10 million barrels a day, and Russia produces 9 million a day.
Russia exports almost 7 million barrels a day.
There are 14 oil exporting nations which export more than 1 million barrels a day. Half of them are non-Opec countries.
However, as you note, Venezuela is one of the major exporting countries, as 2.3 million barrels a day.
America imports oil from over 100 nations.
Iran represents less than 2% of the total oil in the world. In fact, I believe it is somewhat less. I am not clear on this.
I do believe that Venezuela might go along with Iran and quit selling oil to us, if we attack Iran.
But, I don't think the rest of the OPEC countries would support Iran.
So, there are the facts, and my opinion on the extent of the hit we would take.
While your sarcasm towards me may have seemed a valuable argumentative tool, even better would have been to look up the info, which I had done months back, because I get so tired of Lefty defeatism, and I find it is wrong at ALMOST EVERY TURN.
I am not saying you are a Lefty by the way. However, you seem to have been swayed by their fallacious arguments.
Now, I will concede that, if OPEC shuts off exports to the United States, we would have a pretty serious problem. I guess you and I would have to stop driving.
Worse stuff happened to everyday Americans during WWII. I almost think it would be a good thing for Americans to be effected by this war. Then, maybe they would take it a little more seriously.
Well, you and I disagree. That's the way it is. At least you got to state your case clearly, as did I.
Pastorious,
You misread me, I was agreeing with you that there are a lot of oil sources from which the U.S. can draw. I was not being sarcastic at all. I was pointing out that Iran and the Middle East aren't the sole sources of black gold. Please reread my 1st paragraph - it's quickly written, but clearly says why feel hopeless, when there's other sources, plus no guarantee that even opec oil would be lost by this? The remark about making Russia rich means that why would they block us if they're not hurt financially by a hit on Iran, that they could make a buck off of this. It's really a cold, hard way to look at things, but Russia will act in its economic interests.
I say that it's going to be a rough haul no matter what the decision, but don't mistake that for defeatism at all. As for me being a lefty in terms of foreign affairs, a trip to my blog will disabuse any inkling of that, for sure. Having a lefty accusing me of being paid by the Bush administration in one of my comments was one of my highlights of blogging so far! With home gas prices so high this winter I wish Bush was paying me.
Anyway, Pastorius, your comments are great, and always backed by the "sweat equity" of research.
MTS,
I'm sorry I misread you. But, please let me be clear, I did not think you were a lefty. I know lefties cuz I used to be one.
I don't know how I made the mistake. Again, I'm sorry.
Oops, now I know how I made the mistake. I mistook one of Lot's comments for one of your comments, MTS.
How stupid of me.
All's cool, no prob. Don't beat yourself up, mistakes happen.
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