What do we do when Iran drops the big one on...

Great Debates
121

I’m sure we’d make up some excuse for it. That doesn’t mean there would actually have to be a provocation any more than Iraq really had WMDs.

122

I’m reasonably certain that we would never initiate a nuclear first strike on a lesser (read: Not China or Russia) nation and probably not on them. The results both diplomatically and environmentally would not be pleasant for the USA for a very very long time.

Overwhelming conventional first strike? Yeah, we do that lots.

Now let’s go back to that OP. If Iran managed to get a bomb onto US soil and nuked NYC or DC? Oh to be sure, there would be anger and outrage that makes the reaction to 9-11 or Pearl Harbor look like those were only someone looking at us wrong. There would be a huge demand to turn Iran into a sea of glass. I would only hope that our President and his staff have the intelligence and wisdom to pause and look at the consequences of doing so, and would instead revert to my little speech above.

123

I believe that.

Every time we sand a carrier group to the gulf it’s partially to send a message that we’re here, and we’re ready for whatever crap you pull. And anyone who thinks a carrier isn’t armed with nuclear weapons ( a fact they neither affirm or deny) needs to stop and think just what kind of ship a carrier is. It’s a damn war ship. Whether we use it or not, the threat is real and it’s there.

124

That would be a good idea.

If you want to open a separate thread to discuss the ways in which the U.S. has moved away from what you believe its ideals should have been, feel free to do so. We welcome all sorts of discussions in this forum.

However, I have only opened two threads, so far, today, and you have interjected into both of them off-topic rants that were only marginally related to the actual discussion.

That sort of hijacking will not go well, here.

[ /Moderating ]

125

I’d like to think this would work, but the mullahs would just paint our restraint as a showing a lack of resolve and that we were a paper tiger. A regime that casually slaughters its own people wouldn’t be deterred, or impressed, by the threat of somebidy else doing the same–especially since the ruling thugs would be safely ensconced in their Holy Bunker long before they launched the initial attack.

Also, exactly how could we destroy the Iranian regime in a way that wouldn’t also include the mass slaughter of the Iranian people and the devastation of the country? Do you really think that the regime’s obliterating Tel Aviv or New York would cause another revolution? After all, the most recent one failed bloodily, and the repressive mechanisms would still be fully intact.

126

I honestly don’t think Iran would ever do it. They’re crazy, but they’re not that crazy.

And I don’t think Mnogo Nukes would be an acceptable response on our part if they did do it. The impact of 200 nuclear weapons going off simultaneously on Iran would effect a lot more than just Iran. I’m not a scientist, but I have to think it would have an immediate, devastating impact on Earth’s entire biosphere.

Besides which… if Iran bombs Israel or the US, and we retaliate by bombing Iran, Russia would retaliate by bombing us. Then we’d retaliate by bombing Russia, and then China would get involved, and India and Pakistan would be, “Oh, what the hell, all the cool kids are doing it” and release nukes towards each other…

And you can kiss the human race goodbye.

127

Addressing you and the rest of the pile:

I suppose I should have said functional democracy. Indonesia doesn’t qualify. Neither does Turkey, now that they’ve democratically (supposedly) elected to return to the twelfth century. Tunisia–that remains to be seen. I know there are Muslim countries that CALL themselves democracies, but none actually are, in terms of pluralism and the rule of law (as opposed to the rule of religion). (And perhaps I shoudl clarify: I refer to states, not with large Muslim populations necessarily, but those where an Islamic theocracy is the ruling government–whether or not it does call itself a “democracy”).

How can democracy persist in the face of Islam’s crushing restrictions on even the tiniest aspects of personal freedom? (Of course, I should concede that if a people democratically elect to forfeit their freedoms, as, for instance, Egypt recently did, the resultant tyranny COULD be said to be an expression of democracy, in that the Egyptian people democratically voted to crumple up democracy and toss it in the wastebasket.)

128

Which is a completely different thread than this one.

Probably doesn’t work to say that while 500 American aircraft, a hundred or so drones and about a hundred American ships are in the process of obliterating everything remotely resembling ‘infrastructure’ in your country.

129

Probably not. But I was responding to a hypothetical scenario postulated by a poster who said that if we, in effect, said we were really really mad (after an Iranian nuclear strike on an American city) and intended to obliterate the regime responsible, that would cause a popular revolution out of fear. Before we did any kind of retaliating.

I also wonder if our blowing up every kebab stand in Iran wouldn’t harden the people against us and provide ample support for the mad mullahs’ constant painting of us as “The Great Satan.”

130

Lack of resolve? I think you missed the part about truly and completely destroying Iran but without nuclear weapons.

That’s showing great resolve, in a responsible manner.

131

It might, but who cares? They’ll be functionally gone from any discussion or action for a long time.

132

So, you are not refuting the fact that we are a Constitutional Republic?

Regarding Republics and Individualism are all of these researchers, historians, constitutional scholars also “making up” the same definition?

  • What Is America? - Republic vs Democracy
    - YouTube

  • “Democracy or Republic, Which is it?” by Benedict D. LaRosa
    About the author: Benedict LaRosa is a historian and writer with undergraduate and graduate degrees in history from the U.S. Air Force Academy and Duke University, respectively.

http://lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/aspects/demrep.html

A poster had suggested that I'm wasting my time. I have concluded that he is absolutely correct and I shall heed his sage advice to leave this forum. I was unable to find the link to unsubscribe/unregister from the forum. Perhaps someone can tell me how I may do that. Don't all of you jump up at once. :D

Good luck to all you truth-seekers. May you all achieve your goal sooner rather than later.
133

So the way to be “responsible” would be to utterly destroy the country, but without using nuclear weapons? What’s the distinction?

134

Just stop hijacking the thread! We’re discussing nuclear policy in this thread, not individualist republicanism.

Start your own thread or go here:

135

You have already been told to stop hijacking this thread.

You have also been told in two separate threads that this sort of off-topic pushing of a personal agenda is not appropriate.

This is a Warning that you are on thin ice.

If you want to discuss the wonderful ideals of various tax evaders and their long-discredited beliefs, you are welcome to do so in your own thread.
Stop hijacking other threads with off-topic personal beliefs.
[ /Moderating ]

136

I received this as a private message also and the following was my response to you, also via private message:

Tom, I have already requested, via private message to C K Dexter Haven, that my registration to this forum be deleted. Would you be able to comply with this request? Or tell me how I may do that myself. I was unable to find an deregistration link.

I have no “personal agenda”. If you truly want to censor me then delete my registration to the forum. It’s really that simple.

Warning indeed … you’re funny! :smack:

137

I’m pretty sure that a nuclear attack on an American city by Iran would result in the quick and complete destruction of Iran’s ability to wage war anytime in the next century. The intent of the retaliatory strike would be just that, not sending the Iranian people back to the stone age.

138

I can’t imagine Russia coming to Iran’s defense if they chose to launch a preemptive strike. Putin isn’t going to put his nation’s ass on the line to defend a bunch of wannabe martyrs - he’ll tell them “Sorry, fellas, you’re on your own on this one” and express his absolute grief that a peaceful compromise couldn’t be achieved after the US does what needs to be done.

139

Considering that there are few, if any “kebab stands” in Iran that would be rather difficult to do.

Kebab is certainly a popular dish in Iranian restaurants but I’ve never heard of any “kebab stands” there. The closest I’ve heard of are some amongst Iranian-American communities in LA, though for a variety of reasons they’re not all that representative.

140

I dunno. “If you insist on living in the 12th century, we’ll be happy to return you there” works for me.