…of “diplomacy“:
Ahmadinejad understands perfectly well that confronting Iran is out of sync with the “new era of engagement” that is the trademark of Obama’s foreign policy. “Engagement” looks like this: The president of the United States keeps talking about “extended hands” and “open doors,” and the president of Iran keeps building nuclear weapons. As recently as September 19, even Secretary Hillary Clinton told Christiane Amanpour, “We’ve said to the Iranians all along…we still remain open to diplomacy. But it’s been very clear that the Iranians don’t want to engage with us.”
Ahmadinejad, therefore, took the opportunity provided by the U.N. to slam the door once more in President Obama’s face. While he lectured about the “lust for capital and domination” and “the egotist and the greedy,” the American U.N. delegation sat stoically in their seats. They had instructions to tough it out until Ahmadinejad really got offensive — though what would count as sufficiently offensive was never publicly announced.
The tripwire turned out to be Ahamdinejad’s suggestion that 9/11 was an inside job. “The U.S. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grip on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime.” With that, the Obama representatives finally hauled themselves out of their seats and put engagement temporarily on hold.
Not for long, though. These fools will soon be knocking at the door again.
[Update a while later]
Is Israel already starting to attack Iran?
Ahmadinejad is a kook in many ways, but I can’t help but admire his firm grasp of reality in his assessment of U.S. foreign policy. He’s playing us like a drum (Iran pounds on us, we make noise, ad infinitum). And he always makes me chuckle with the ease at which he shows our government to be pasty quivering eunuchs.
Not that it takes any considerable mental acuity to read Western Civilization’s suicidal political philosophy. I’m sure if they could speak a dog would provide the proper answer for our situation (defend yourself already and kill them). I think we humans may be unique in our ability to delude ourselves that we live in a land of make-believe.
But don’t get me wrong, I’d put a bullet in his head (and his master’) given the opportunity. I may admire some of the qualities of the St. Bernard, but Cujo needed to be put down.
He’s giving us ammunition for military action, which becomes more likely the crazier he acts. In fact, if he and his government go too far, even just rhetorically, a coalition action becomes more probably, which increases the probability of some sort of military response.
Why we’re even bothering to meddle so much in Middle Eastern affairs is beyond me. It’s not our problem and not our oil, for the most part. But so long as we do, we’re not going to be able to ignore Iran forever.
Uh, Iran has been at war with the U.S. since 1979. In that time they have trained and funded multiple attacks on our country, countrymen abroad, trade interests, and allies. Since then they have continuously advocated and threatened our destruction and have acted to bring it about.
We already have more than enough justification to defend ourselves against them militarily. I should have been born in a world in which Iran would never be threatening. We should have squashed them in ’79.
You mean under Jimmy Carter, Ryan? Ha ha.
Anyway, FWIW I kind of disagree with fretting over Iran. I would do three things:
(1) Offer to sell them, for, say, their entire oil output for one year (in advance) a dozen Hiroshima-sized “Little Boy” atomic bombs. Seed them with some unusual trans-uranic “signature” isotopes so that their use can be definitively proved by post-blast airborne collection analysis from anywhere in the world.
(2) Explicitly subsidize, lavishly, the Iranian opposition, and rebroadcast their accomplishments (coming in via Twitter, cell phone camera, et cetera) on powerful TV and radio stations that can reach all of Iran.
(3) Openly retarget a hundred-odd 300kt nuclear warheads to Iranian cities, and announce a policy of 100:1 (in megatonnage) retaliation for any nuclear attack on a US ally. Released detailed calculations of probable Iranian civilian deaths due to initial blast, firestorm, lingering radiation, et cetera. Publically fund a small number of grants to study wind patterns and such in the area to minimize fallout over allies in the region.
(4) Leave the UN. Eject all diplomats from New York City and redeed the land under the UN center to New York City.
(5) Stop worrying. Give no further speeches on Iran, do not visit the place, and let US diplomats leave the room when any Iranian diplomat enters it.
It will sort itself out, one way or another, almost certainly by the wrath of the Iranian people visited on their foolish leaders, and totally cut off the oxygen to prima donnas and circus clowns on both sides. You can’t live your life in fear, either as a man or a nation.
Pro Libertate,
Who do you think would be in the coalition? I gotta tell you, after the way Barry-Zero has treated us, I don’t think there will be a lot of support for it. I despise Gordon Brown, but he was representing our country and was repeatedly treated miserably by ‘The One’. Mind you, I think the Royal Navy would like to get their own back…
Don’t get me wrong; Americans, American Ideals and the American Military, I have the utmost respect for, but this cipher of a President – not so much.
And Carl, your plan works for me.
For some reason I can’t link his individual posts but Gerald the Internet Anthropologist has been all over this for some time.
http://warintel.blogspot.com/
I like you Carl.