Byron – It’s also worth adding a few other points.
First, Speaking broadly, liberals considered the nuclear stand-off with the Soviet Union idiotic, immoral and terrifying. Atrios seems almost nostalgic for it.
Second, the President of Iran is reportedly a member of a cult which believes in sowing chaos in order to hasten the arrival of the twelfth Imam. This inclines one not to put too much stock in his rationality. One might also note that Holocaust deniers who wish to “wipe Israel off the mape” shouldn’t be given the benefit of the doubt as rational actors.
Third, Atrios and his kind are normally full of bile and ad hominem when it comes to Christian fundamentalists. But about totalitarian Islamic fundamentalists, he’s suddenly willing to given them the benefit of the doubt that they’ll be rational. That’s an interesting double standard.
Fourth, relatedly, Iran is the chief sponsor for numerous terrorist groups. Even if they get nuclear technology and the regime adheres to deterrence for its own explicit foreign policy, there are less than ample assurances that it wouldn’t supply terrorists through the backdoor. Or, that elements within the regime might.
Last, this is hardly a conventional left-right debate. I don’t know of many serious Democrats or “liberal” foreign policy experts who don’t think this is a really big problem. Even Hillary Clinton has been trying to get to the right of Bush on the issue. But it would be interesting to know if there are any Democratic politicians who take Atrios’ view.