There are two questions that always percolate to the top of my mind when I read stuff like this.

1. Are these people really as batshit crazy as they appear to be? Lots of these guys are western-educated, sophisticated men; they must know that what they're spouting is bullshit of the purest ray serene...right? But I might have said the same of Hitler or Stalin had I lived half a century ago; they were messianic nutballs, but highly functional messianic nutballs.

2. What options does the U.S. have vis a vis Iran and Syria? Diplomacy doesn't seem to be working in either case (as it did not work in Iraq) -- but what options does that leave us? Israel may desperately want to strike Iran, but in order to have any hope of success they will need the connivance if not the outright support of the US. (We will be blamed for helping them whether we do or not, so it loses us nothing to lend a hand.) The question is: how substantial a military response will we mount? Will Syria be part of any military action against Iran?

Iran is playing an absolutely senseless game of chicken here. They must be gambling on the intertia of the West to prevent an attack; one would think an Iran desirous of nuclear weapons would walk much more quietly and do everything they could to avoid the public limelight. And yet here is the Iranian president himself proclaiming hatred of Jews and a desire to see them wiped out.

This whole situation could get very bad very quickly.

The latest from Ahmadinejad: Diplomacy is useless

If they want a bomb so badly, let's send them one. Show them some baseball games, give them a glove and tell them to look up at the sky and say, "I got it, I got it."

Now they're cracking down on the press.

No way does '06 pass without something big happening in Iran. For better or worse.

Damn, this guy's starting to sound like Pat Buchanan.

The latest from Ahmadinejad: Diplomacy is useless

So much for the Europeans' superior skills in diplomacy. Their refined approach has brought them to the exact point predicted by conservative blog pundits for years. These two articles (Iran Focus & Persian Journal) taken together appear to be nothing less than a call for an arms race. Maybe it's the mood I'm in after reading Steyn's piece, but it seems to me that if Europe doesn't decide to answer that call, their fate is clear.

It'll be interesting to see how the draw-down of forces in Iraq proceeds in the first months of 2006. If they stay in-theater (staged in Kuwait or Turkey), then Rumsfeld may have plans for them in Persia. I'd also like to see what happens in Afghanistan (interesting, isn't it, that Iran has borders with two countries that the US has recently invaded).

I've heard some people opine that an air campaign like the one we conducted in the Balkans would do the trick. I don't think so -- Iran didn't make the same mistake that Hussein did with Osirak. They've dispersed their facilities and put the most critical ones in fortified underground bunkers. If we want to be sure to take them out, we're going to have to use nukes. There is a whole class of tactical nuclear weapons whose whole purpose is to knock out fortified bunkers. The question is: do we dare? Do the Israelis dare? If we hit first with nukes, what fallout will continue? How will Russia react?

If we take tactical nuclear strikes out of the equation, that leaves only invasion or a sustained and heavy air campaign, and maybe a naval blockade to boot. And it's not clear that even this would work; Russia would be sure to complain -- and it's not impossible that they'd try to break the blockade.

This is a very scary geopolitical situation. I don't think most people appreciate just how dangerous it is. (Well, most Americans anyway. I think most Israelis are very much aware of how dangerous Iran is.)

enable Europe to liberate itself from the Jews

My absolute favorite anti-semitic slur.. Jews are an infestation to be purged from our home.

I'm with you ace. I don't want a war with em. But the bomb, in their hands?

No.

The jews were told they were getting showers but it sure wasnt water it was ziclon B

Ace,

I'm with Allah on this one.

The Iranians appear determined to inflict or create a catastrophe. Worse still, there does appear to be any logic or reason behind their motivations beyond their delusional grandiosity and homicidal (read genocidal) ideation.

They are not asking for anything in return. There is no bargaining position.

A somewhat similar problem with Islamic terror is discussed by Roger Kimball in the New Criterion (link absent).

Many in the Iranian and Arab world seem to want to "get it on" with the Great and Little Satans.

???

Not many good choices, here.

Allow them to kill millions of Jews and Arabs in Israel?

Allow the US or the Israelis to kill tens of thousands (or more) Iranians?

What will the Chinese and Russians do when this gets hot?

Not good.

And not going away.

This is gonna be bad.

Really, really bad.

So much for the Europeans' superior skills in diplomacy.

The US diplomacy under Bush has achieved regress with respect to:

Central and South American trade

North Korea, probably the best example to convince Iran to pursue nuclear weapons

trade with Canada

plenty more

Anyone recall how that diplomatic effort with Iraq came out? The US allowed the UN inspectors to finish their jobs, right? And once it was clear that Iraq posed no threat, the US insisted on containment and continued inspections, right?

Or did it spend $250 billion to further destroy the infrastructure, open it up to chaos and division, then abandon the rebuilding effort, with electricity and water even worse than prior to invasion?

Yeah, you just can't beat that US diplomacy. I'm sure the Europeans would love to have that track record.

The Middle Ages in Europe were the Dark Ages largely because of the rejection of Arabic and Classical knowledge as pagan (non-Christian).

The Renaissance was arguably jump-started by the reintroduction of classical knowledge and tradition, maintained by the Arab world.

If the Christian fundamentalists have their way, the US will lose its role as scientific leader while the non-Christians surpass.

The US may not always be on top. The Flying Spaghetti Monster may fly high again.

Iran could be a center for learning once again.

anonymous,

Hello.

Iran could be a center for learning once again.

Taking all bets! Taking all bets! 20-to-1 that the raving leftist nutter falls on his ass! Who's in?

Iran could be a lot of things. It chose to be a third-world squat-hole with raving Islamic looneybirds as leaders. The Iranian people could choose to rise up and overthrow these retards before they end up doing real damage; but the history of the past half-century leads me to think that they'll stand there like headlight-dazzled deer while the country burns down around them.

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, chucklehead.

Anonymous' Hitler-esque quote of the day:

If the Christian fundamentalists have their way, the US will lose its role as scientific leader while the non-Christians surpass.

Hear that, my fellow Americans? We better stop the Christians before they ruin our country.

If the Christian fundamentalists have their way, the US will lose its role as scientific leader while the non-Christians surpass.

Christian Fundamentalists...is there anything they can't do!?

Brew is my brother from another mother.

Brew is my brother from another mother.

Word.

brother nuther mother

I think this is the first CD I ever bought.

And I can't believe I'd admit it here.

Dave, you too, man.
The three of us are kindred spirits. It's like we are connected.

Make that four. Spurwing is one of us, too.

Laugh all you want about religious fundamentalism. It fucked up Iran and it can fuck up the US.

Intelligent Design = science???

Not only can it happen here, it IS HAPPENING. Unless you think Kansas isn't the US. Jeez, don't you read those polls showing the percentage of US citizens who believe in fairy tales and the supernatural? Flying Spaghetti Monster time!
---------------------------------
Hey anyone know how to spell Mel Gibson's name?

Ya know, HOLOCAUST DENIER?

Ain't it fun to point out what's wrong with other countries while ignoring your own?

What next, a post about how those evil furriners torture people? Have corrupt politicians? Lock up their own citizens without due process? Have presidents who lie to their people about spying on them?

I do laugh, anonymous.

I do.

...And as for them becoming a learning center it's going to be remedial learning because any way you slice it a psychotic nuclear bomb wielding Iran will become a threat to it's neighbors as well as Russia, China and India. Iran won't care who they piss off at that point. It's going to get ugly and the sooner the lunatic "lets fix our stuff first because we are so much worse than they are " BDS salad tossing crowd gets a frickin clue the better.

We may not want to misunderestimate the strong opposition Arab and other Muslim states have with Iran having the Bomb. They'd love it if we or Israel takes out Iran's nuclear ability. They'd condemn it, of course, but secretly they'd be delirious with joy. Nonetheless, they'll likely not actually do anything.

When a (formerly Pakistani) cousin of mine found out that A. Q. Khan helped Iran, he was very shocked. He exclaimed,"Why would he help Iran of all countries? It's like shooting himself in the foot!" Pakistan does not like Iran one bit. Oh, and guess what? Pakistan has the Bomb.

Maybe we should make a deal with North Korea: we help them out with food, water, etc., if they nuke Iran and agree to thereafter give up their nuclear program. Win-win!

Pakistan, India, North Korea, Israel, the US - this would be an excellent anti-Irani coalition. Sad thing is that this would come to be only in my dreams.

*sigh* This does not look good one bit. The thing that frustrates me the most is the uncertainty. With Iraq, we knew what would happen: at some point, we would attack. We even had an idea how we would invade. Iran is nothing but a big question mark.

According to GQ, though, none of this is a surprise to the Administration. GQ said that the Administration had been preparing for war with Iran for years: it is not a question of whether the US would strike but when.

One lesson I learned from Herr Hitler: never. trust. a. maniacal. leader. Every word is a lie, including "and" and "the." Munich never again! (The first Munich, with Chamberlain's appeasement, not the Olympics massacre. Interesting how both happened in the same city.)

Forgive me, Lord: I'm not feeling very charitable towards Irani authorities and other militant Muslims.

Hey who do you have to blow to get a Jack Abramoff thread around here?

you have to ask?

Not only can it happen here, it IS HAPPENING

Why, I hear the cry of the yellow-bellied bigot! Look out, anonymous! There's people who are different from you out there! Build a fort out of sofa cushions, quickly! IT IS YOUR ONLY CHANCE.

The only difference between Muslims and Nazi Germany with regard to Israel is that the Muslims so far are less organized less technically proficient. Israel should not count on that continuing indefinetely.

Unless you think Kansas isn't the US.

Well, you've got to admit, that illusion is not without its charms.

That's very true. You've said my point already. I totally agree with you.

enable Europe to liberate itself from the Jews

This actually pretty accurately describes how many Europeans regard the Holocaust as well.

IRAN and SYRIA run by hardline extremists they still practice slavery there and still stone people to death for minor crimes