> From: iaamoac [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Well, I happen to know that there are a number of critiques of Bush's > foreign policy on this List. Thus, I thought that it would be > interesting to solicit recommendations for what to do about Iran > here. I look forward to your thoughts. > > Here is a summary of the current situation: > I know I should read the rest of the thread before I reply, but well, its Wednesday.
Do we have to "Do" anything" about Iran? And then what do we "Do" about North Korea, And China, and France, and Israel, and the UK? Who is allowed to have nuclear weapons, And who gets to decide this, and on what basis do they make such decisions? I would prefer that Iran did not have nuclear weapons, but then I am not Iranian. If I was, I would probably think it was a damn fine idea, and do my best to make it happen cos, as North Korea seems to demonstrate, once you have them, then the Big Bad Yankees leave you alone. Russia seems to have drifted off everyone's screen, and I am not a soviet expert by any means, but from what I do see, its not exactly blossoming as a free speech loving democracy. What are we going to "Do" about Russia? Maybe we should leave the Iranians alone, and let them sort things out for themselves, just as we would request them to do for us. No amount of force is going to remove their desire to be able to protect themselves and their nation. So, either we try to scare the living crap out of them, until they turn to other means of protection (as demonstrated perhaps by events in NYC in 2001)or we somehow provide moral leadership and show them that's it's a silly waste of money trying to build them, cos, as long as they avoid genocide and invading neighbours, they don't need them. Wasn't it a bunch of folks sitting around in some cave in Afghanistan deciding what to "Do" about America that started all the recent troubles? Perhaps less doing and more respecting is called for. This whole right to pre-emptive strike concept worries me. Its just to arbitrary, too open to abuse, and just not a good basis for international relations. How would the US feel if someone decided to remove its nuclear capabilities because they thought it was a danger to their people and their sovereignty (which it almost certainly is). My guess is that it would react with righteous indignation, and extreme violence. Why do we assume the Iranians would do anything less? Perhaps what we could "Do" about Iran is to stop invading nearby countries and throw all our nuclear weapons into the sea. And then hold a love-in :) Andrew "Idealist Fool" Paul _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
