[QUOTE=FRDE]
North Korea is doing a complicated mating dance with South Korea
They are not really a threat, but they want to look like one.
Iran is a problem. I am sure that they could get their hands on a few nuclear warheads from the ex-USSR states, but that is not really much use to them, unless they were crazy enough to try a pre-emptive strike, which would be very easy, just stick it in the hold of a commercial airliner.
There is a lot of posturing going on, and it could turn nasty.
However, except for a complete maniac, nuclear weopons are not really much use.
[/QUOTE]
looks like a group was crazy enough to attempt to stick bombs into commercial airliners…fortunately they were caught.
We are not always going to be this fortunate. If and when the terrorists succeed, one can thank Iran for supplying much of the destructive equipment.
[QUOTE=handsomeharry]
I don’t know if I can swallow this. Back in the day, that may have been the case. Now, there would be too many people calling for a diplomatic solution,a measured response, a cooling off period, etc…
[/QUOTE]
And we’d ignore them. If Iran was stupid enough to use a nuke on us, the Bushites would have a collective orgasm at the excuse and carpet bomb Iran into a glass wasteland with our nukes.
[QUOTE=OliverTwistofLime]
We are not always going to be this fortunate. If and when the terrorists succeed, one can thank Iran for supplying much of the destructive equipment.
[/QUOTE]
Whoah, Wait, What? Iran supplied bombs to the airplane bomber folks? Or any other major terrorist attack on the west? Or they have plans to do so in the future? Cite?
[QUOTE=Sunspace]
Here’s a thread from SkyscraperCity showing the city of Tehran (warning: many, many pictures). Looks like the “westernisation” thing is already working…
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that link. A few nights ago I mentioned to some conservative friends that Iran is quite modern. They looked at me as if I had just proclaimed the joys of pedophilia. Your link will help me uncloud their minds. (Well. May help me. My friends are pretty committed to their notions, and mere facts may not sway them.)
[QUOTE=Der Trihs]
Of course not. For one thing, I don’t know anyone who recommended handling Saddam by labeling him as part of an imaginary Axis of Evil. I also don’t think we were supposed to handle Iraq by rattling sabers after having tied ourselves down militarily so we can’t back it up. As well, I certainly don’t think we should have handled Iraq by shredding our reptuation so no one trusts or respects us, and destroying all our political capital so no one wants to help us. I also don’t think anyone said we should handle Iraq by making vaguely nuclear threats against it, and then expecting them to give up the quest for one of their own.
So no, we aren’t handling Iran like we were supposed handle Iraq; we’re just screwing up again. Inevitable, given the that we have the Incarnation of Incompetence in the Oval Office.
[/QUOTE]
On the other hand, you don’t seem to have noticed that we are not doing any of the things to deal with Iran that you identify as wrong when dealing with Iraq. Which is what I said.
Not that it will do any good to repeat things, but we are allegedly handling Iran as we should have handled Iraq. And the results to date are mildly underwhelming.
I realize you have no reaction to anything but reflexively labelling anything that Bush does as wrongwrongwrong, but I don’t see how that addresses my point.
[QUOTE=Shodan]
On the other hand, you don’t seem to have noticed that we are not doing any of the things to deal with Iran that you identify as wrong when dealing with Iraq.
[/quote]
Of course we are; that’s what I was pointing out.
[QUOTE=Shodan]
Not that it will do any good to repeat things, but we are allegedly handling Iran as we should have handled Iraq.
[/quote]
No, we aren’t.
[QUOTE=Shodan]
And the results to date are mildly underwhelming.
[/quote]
Because at this point they’d have to be stricken with collective suicidal mania to stop trying for nukes. Short of an impractical conquest and occupation, nothing will stop them; Bush has destroyed all other options.