Sanctions on Iran?!?!?!!! FUCK!

[YourSupremeExcellency]

We'd never nuke them. Why nuke someone and incur the immense political fallout and strategic fallout (once you nuke someone everyone else thinks they can too) when you have the ability to destroy the country with conventional bombs. We'd make a quick massive bombardment of their whole fucking country, accept the few missiles they send upon Iraq and terrorist acts they'd commit in the Mid-East, Europe and POSSIBLY the US, and just watch their whole military crumble and society turn to chaos all without stepping foot on the country which we have learned our lesson from. Doesn't sound too great but it sure sounds better then Allah's nihilists running around with nukes.

[summit]

We are only talking about using nukes in a second strike after a hypothetical Iranian first use of nukes.

We are NOT talking about using nukes in a disarming first strike. If necessary, that could hopefully be accomplished with conventional weapons as you stated.

Let's not forget that these sanctions are also greatly aimed at deterring/preventing Iran from its continued meddling in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq.

[Bungholio]

Let's not forget that these sanctions are also greatly aimed at deterring/preventing Iran from its continued meddling in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Fuck sanctions.

[likwid]

terrorist acts they'd commit in the Mid-East, Europe and POSSIBLY the US

Lets just get this 100% clear.
If they wanted to commit terrorists acts in the US they can and will.
There is NOTHING stopping willing terrorists from entering this country.

[UTdave]

Summit - just how much time do you spend thinking about nuclear war? Maybe a switch to decaf?

Seriously - some of the comments in this thread are so stupid it scares me -who are we to tell them they can't have nukes? We're the ones (or our allies)that they would most likely use them against. Our security is more important than being nice.

[Jer]

Seriously - some of the comments in this thread are so stupid it scares me

You gotta rememer that most of the geniuses making those comments are living in a magical fantasyland with gum-drop trees and giant teddybears giving everyone geat big hugs. Then in the afternoon everyone joins hands and talks about thier feelings. It's really nice.

[MrZach]

how old are you, dude?

iran has had it out for the u.s. and israel since before i was born in 1980...

Old enough to know that I have absolutely no confidence in our current administration's foreign policy - albeit Iran, Iraq, Sudan, whatever. I don't think I'm in the minority with this opinion, either. Do you honestly think that any decision our current executive branch makes regarding foreign policy is going to have a positive outcome on our future* and the future of those outside of our country that we act upon?

*I'll define "our future" as that of the country as a whole, not those few "cronies" managing the ancillary services which support the respective foreign relations actions.

[likwid]

how old are you, dude?

iran has had it out for the u.s. and israel since before i was born in 1980...

Come back after you actually know ANYTHING about the history of the middle east.

[MeatPuppet]

Come back after you actually know ANYTHING about the history of the middle east.

Do you have an opinion about the sanctions? Are they good? Are they bad? Why? What would you rather happen?


For the record, I think the stronger sanctions are a good thing. There is a large percentage of the Iranian population(mostly younger) that doesn't like the radical religious leadership currently running things. If we can put the squeeze on Iran's economy we might, just maybe, get lucky and the younger generation will reach a breaking point and remove the hardliners without us having to do anything else.

What do you think?

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Do you have an opinion about the sanctions? Are they good? Are they bad? Why? What would you rather happen?


For the record, I think the stronger sanctions are a good thing. There is a large percentage of the Iranian population(mostly younger) that doesn't like the radical religious leadership currently running things. If we can put the squeeze on Iran's economy we might, just maybe, get lucky and the younger generation will reach a breaking point and remove the hardliners without us having to do anything else.

What do you think?

I know that wasn't aimed at me, but...

I think it would be really nice if the sanctions had that effect. Unfortunately, the older hardliners are the ones with the guns.

[MeatPuppet]

I think it would be really nice if the sanctions had that effect. Unfortunately, the older hardliners are the ones with the guns.

True. They are also the ones who came into adulthood fighting in the Iran/Iraq war. Their world view was shaped by war and carnage. Which makes them that much more dangerous. If a revolution were to be attempted, it would be very ugly and the non hardliners would almost certainly need assistance from outside Iran to pull it off.

[Tourette Dude]

Come back after you actually know ANYTHING about the history of the middle east.

Actually very little of what is going on TODAY and in the coming months and years is being steered by history. For whatever reason(securing "stablilty" in the global oil markets, attempting to prevent a change from a petrodollar global economy to a petroeuro economy,preventing China from becoming the dominate consumer of mid-east oil resourses, preventing Russia from having major regional influence over natural gas and oil pipeline routes, developing forward bases for what is going to be a lifelong war with fundementalist extremeists and other reasons we will probably never know about) the current administartion took a fork in the road that is now driving strategic moves.We cant let wildcards have nuclear weapons. We had a chance to try and work with the Iranians to help develop a more stable region but either by mistake or by design that option is currently gone. The here and now is driving events not history. And morality never drives long term strategic policy.The world would be a better place if it did but that will never happen. Lets just hope that the everyday joes in Iran decide to overthrow Amidinijad and Irans theocracy. If that happens we may even end up with an ally to deal with the Sunni radical fundementalists(ie Saudi and Pakistani wahabai freaks) If it doesn't happen, get ready for the draft.

[YourSupremeExcellency]

Lets just get this 100% clear.
If they wanted to commit terrorists acts in the US they can and will.
There is NOTHING stopping willing terrorists from entering this country.

So what are you saying then, no one currently or in the last 6 years has wanted to commit terrorist acts in the US?

[Rooster]

colorado is so red

[RootSkier]

If we can put the squeeze on Iran's economy we might, just maybe, get lucky and the younger generation will reach a breaking point and remove the hardliners without us having to do anything else.

Alternatively, it just might make it that much easier for the hardliners to recruit the moderates.

"Do you SEE what AMERICA has done to us?"


Sort of like how one terrorist attack made it so easy for OUR hardliners to trick people like you. ZING!

[woodstocksez]

I'm trying to follow this interesting foreign policy discussion and one thing I'm wondering is why no one seems to be taking the dance-off suggestion very seriously. What style(s) should we insist on and who should be on our team (other than Sophie Merry and Napoleon Dynamite)?

[MeatPuppet]

Alternatively, it just might make it that much easier for the hardliners to recruit the moderates.

"Do you SEE what AMERICA has done to us?"

In an alternate reality you would have a point. But in the here and now, the younger generation in Iran is very Western friendly and blame the religious radicals for the current troubles. So Sanctions should work in our favor, as long as we don't go too far, too soon.

Sort of like how one terrorist attack made it so easy for OUR hardliners to trick people like you. ZING!

First off, you can't "zing" yourself. If your comment is zingworthy, somebody else will do it for you.

Secondly, have you forgotten every conversation you and I have ever had on this subject? You must have, since you are not including me in the "hardliner" camp. Saddam should have been removed circa 1994 when he started(continued) firing on our planes in the no-fly zones. No terrorist attack needed. I believed that then, I believe that now.

[RootSkier]

So then we would have been embroiled in a pointless war for 12 years so far instead of 5 so far?

Quality logic. ZING ZING ZING!

[Rooster]

Your opinions mean nothing.

[MeatPuppet]

So then we would have been embroiled in a pointless war for 12 years so far instead of 5 so far?

The sooner it starts, the sooner it ends. Do you want to fight this war or do you want to pass it off to your kids? C'mon dude, step up and take it like a man.

Quality logic. ZING ZING ZING!

You are devaluing the institution of zing, you zingbusive motherfucker

[Cyber Cop]

C'mon dude, step up and take it like a man.

I'm guessing you heard that a lot as a child.

[MeatPuppet]

I'm guessing you heard that a lot as a child.

Naaa, much more recent than that. My ex had a thing for leather whips, handcuffs, and small wooden blocks(preferably with yellow duckies painted on them). But that is a story for a different thread.

[Jer]

What do you think?

C'mon, meat - I thought you had this all figured out already. Dipshits like likwid don't have to think when they can just parrot some lame talking points they got off some leftie blog or from MSNBC.

First off, you can't "zing" yourself. If your comment is zingworthy, somebody else will do it for you.

Again, this rule doesn't apply to the resident Librodouches. Somebody's gotta validate thier oh-so-insightful comments - who better then themselves? Root has been "zinging" himself ten times a day ever since fourth grade.

Your opinions mean nothing.

Pot? Hey, this is the Kettle. You're black.

[hemas]

Saddam should have been removed circa 1994 when he started(continued) firing on our planes in the no-fly zones. No terrorist attack needed. I believed that then, I believe that now.

So, you truly believe Iraq and Saddam had something to do with 9/11.

Before you peeps start fixing other countries, how about fixing your OWN COUNTRY 1st... Like getting rid of those religious extremists leading your country.

It's rather funny that you view Iran as a country lead by a religious zealot, when to foreigners your country is just that... And I'm actually Christian (be it Lutheric, but still).

[Tourette Dude]

The sooner it starts, the sooner it ends. Do you want to fight this war or do you want to pass it off to your kids?

So you actually want it to happen, huh?