President Obama campaigned on a policy of engagement with hostile countries, most notably Iran. Since his inauguration, he has tried to make nice with Iran and, as predicted by yours truly, it has come to naught. Oh, but since we showed that Iran was unwilling to engage when we offered the carrot, it makes us all that much stronger now that we must resort to the stick. Actually, no. The Chinese will not allow meaningful sanctions. Nor, in all likelihood, will Russia. The skeptics of Obama's strategy said that he was simply giving them a year or more to pursue nuclear weapons with no threat of action. Now we will seek toothless sanctions that will do virtually nothing to curb Iran's thirst for nuclear weaponry. Look what our sanctions have achieved against Cuba. As the Obama Administration will not use military force against Iran to prevent that nation from going nuclear and will strenuously urge Israel not to do so, it is now fairly certain that Iran will join the nuclear club. Won't MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) contain Iranian belligerence like it did with the USSR, especially since there is nothing Mutual about the Assured Destruction? Maybe. I'd rather not put it to the test.
Ahmadinejad has said that Israel must be "wiped off" the map. That will be much easier if he has some nukes. Is he just bluffing or should Israel take him at his word? The stakes could hardly be higher?
2 comments:
What really matters is that Iran and other "unfriendly" countries think of us as a different, more friendly country. The previous, evil administration made these countries out to be the bad guys, when Obama has made it clear: they are just misunderstood.
For the sake of discussion, let us say that Obama is correct in viewing Iran as merely misunderstood. Has Iran's actions/policies changed on account of Obama's keener insight? It appears that Iran is no less bellicose than it was during the prior 'evil' administration. If we measure from results, Obama has had no more success than his predecessor.
Why is it you are willing to declare the Bush Administration 'evil' but Iran is just 'misunderstood?'
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