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Another "starry eyed optimist" weighs in: Though the administration has often been portrayed as divided over military options against Iran, an official denied there are now any sharp rifts. "There is uniformity across the U.S. government about the way to proceed with Iran," the official said. "Everyone from this White House, including the vice president's office, is in agreement that the military option is not the best option at this point, and we should pursue diplomatic and economic pressures."
Steve Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love,
to respect and be kind to one another,
so that we may grow with peace in mind.
(Native American prayer)
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Good article, Joe. And I think spot on. Money quote: Writing in the International Herald Tribune last week, Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council, and analyst Anatol Lieven, argued that insisting Iran give up its right to any uranium enrichment is untenable, and instead suggested that the Western powers base their demands on the rights and limitations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty — which would allow the international community "to place a verifiable cap on Iranian enrichment and other nuclear capabilities well short of weaponization."
Dr. Etemad agrees that the NPT, which governs the peaceful pursuit of nuclear energy under the supervision of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, holds the key.
Steve Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love,
to respect and be kind to one another,
so that we may grow with peace in mind.
(Native American prayer)
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I think I have been arguing the case from the perspective that a cap is verifiable and thus crossing that limit would be definitive "proof" that Iran is/was working on nuclear weapons program. Until that time, it borders on paranoid fear to accuse a nation of doing something when there is no evidence of it.
Of course this is precisely the mindset of many ultra conservatives i.e. paranoia, who wish to preserve an American (their American lifestyle) way of life by preemptively attacking sovereign nations. It would be in our national interest to medicate these folks while reasonable people take on the responsibility of conducting our foreign affairs.
Yes these folks weigh heavy on me.
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I saw a quote this morning that seems apropos to your post, rporter. Plato I believe. Something like: The consequence of good men having no interest in politics is that they are governed by lesser men.
Where do you suppose these "reasonable people" would come from? And how would they manage to win elective office?
Steve Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love,
to respect and be kind to one another,
so that we may grow with peace in mind.
(Native American prayer)
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I am not sure we have had any reasonable men working in the field of foreign policy, certainly not men who are grounded in the real world.
Are there any men who are independent of AIPAC or big business? I suspect there are but it is not likely they would be nominated for any appointee position nor could they elected.
I just don't feel the power brokers will allow American foreign policy to breathe the air of a broader view. As we have seen in recent financial news the players have been "saved" by us, the people, while they continue on their merry way using us, the people. What happened to free market capitalism? Did it die in the 20th?
There should be a center of gravity for all concerned where business makes money and the people don;t feel like they have been violated.
The darkness I see has been seen by generations past and it appears that in each case eventually the light of progress prevailed. Perhaps that is the long view but I fear 500 years of darkness should not have to be endured for some small increment of progress to triumph.
Where are the heroes of our age?
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8-8-8: Lucky? The SS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Ronald Reagan are headed to the Gulf. Is it coincidental that this movement coincides with the start of the Beijing Olympics?
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Let's see....Russia is fighting in the Caucasus. China is occupied with the Olympics and internal problems.
Am I overly cynical for wondering if this is the perfect opportunity for the United States and Israel to pull some stunt in the Middle East?
____________
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Let's see....Russia is fighting in the Caucasus. China is occupied with the Olympics and internal problems.
Am I overly cynical for wondering if this is the perfect opportunity for the United States and Israel to pull some stunt in the Middle East?
____________ At what cost? I doubt the US economy and the world economy as well can absorb another oil delivery shortage or increased instability in the Middle East. Israel won't do anything with out the backing of the US and I just hope there is someone in the inner circle of GW Bush telling him to stay put and work on his pardons and let the next president deal with the world problems.
A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. ~Chinese Proverb
The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. ~Jon Hammond
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Unfortunately, kap, someone high in the Bush Administration did make a statement: Condoleeza Rice said last weekend that the US would look the other way if Israel attacked Iran.We don't say yes or no to Israeli military operations. Israel is a sovereign nation. And an oy. And an oy. And an oy oy oy. But I agree with your assessment of the US position on the US attacking Iran.
Steve Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love,
to respect and be kind to one another,
so that we may grow with peace in mind.
(Native American prayer)
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