A clear, stark division of reader opinion on my yesterday posting about Iran
getting nukes. Group A says of course I am right, we don’t have the guts to
do what needs to be done;
“As much as I trust the President, I don’t believe he has the will to do
what would be necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The Iranians have learned the lessons of Iraq and North Korea and are
playing the International community for time with endless discussions while
doing nothing to overtly undermine credible deniability as to their true
intentions. This will probably continue even after they have nuclear
weapons. With the record high demand for oil due to the Chinese economic
boom, they are immune to serious economic sanctions. Military options
ranging from blockades to airstrikes on their known nuclear facilities to
actual invasion are either not practical or effective or both. The
likelihood of a democratic pro-western revolution to replace the Mullahs
before they acquire the bomb appears to be nil. Its seems obvious to me
that if he can’t eliminate the physical means of producing nuclear weapons,
the only way that Bush can make good on his promise is to eliminate the
people who are desiring to build them. This is likely hundreds or thousands
of people who must be located and killed. The only practical means of
accomplishing this task without invasion is with a nuclear first-strike on
Iran. Everyone knows this, but dare not speak it. And if it is not to be
spoken of, then it is certainly not to be done. This is why I believe
Bush’s words are only bluster and not serious. God help us!”
Group B points to my previous skepticism about US willingness to go to war
in Iraq and
argue that W is a determined man who does not shrink from the unthinkable.
I dunno. Just look at that transcript again:
O’REILLY: Would you allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon?
BUSH: We are working our hearts out so that they don’t develop a nuclear
weapon, and the best way to do so is to continue to keep international
pressure on them.
“The best way to do so…” Does the President truly think that
international paper-shuffling is “the best way to do so”? I am afraid,
awfully afraid, that he really does.