some thoughts for Dan re his comments.

Submitted by bos (United Kingdom), Dec 13, 2007 at 07:31

Dan,

if you increase the economic wealth of Iran you would increase the income of its government thus enabling its already scarily succsesful weapons developments to really get under way, can you be sure that the nation would rationalise due to prosperity and throw out the mullahs before the Mullahs felt ready for succsesful war? prosperity never diminished islamic fervour before, why so fast and complete this time?

If economic prosperity was to threaten the power base of the ruling elite in Iran do you not think that the ruling elite would scupper that prosperity to protect its authority, perhaps by taxing it into non existence before its people have even noticed the abundant cash, then blame it on exploitative western investers and the expense of defending the people and faith from the great and little Satan. one of the earliest tools of the intifada was the enforced strike, designed to destroy the relative prosperity of the Palestininian working class. Both Sunni and Shia insurgents (with Iranian backing) seek to destroy any chance of Iraqi prosperity because they know they can make the people blame the west.

You dont need any significant number to volunteer for state suicide (though they could probably get them) you just need a few at the top who think that everyone who dies will be a martry and wake up somewhere better shouting woo hoo thanks dude (or just doesnt care, bit like, erm Saddam Hussein, Nassrallah, Mullah Omar, Hitler, Sheik Yassin, Barghouti, pol pot, Ahma dinner jacket? - point is there not in short supply) Also liberal Christians, agnostics, westerners in general need to finally realise what it means when you are dealing with a people of whom a significant number truly believe in Divine intervention, Martydom, an imminent day of judgement etc. The Iranian leadership really believes that angel armies have fought alongside Muslims on days Allah decreed they must win, are you sure non of them have a sneaky suspicion angels will toss back Israels Nukes or the trees and rocks will call out, Muslim missile come quick there is a Jewish nuke behind me.

Also a nuclear attack doesnt have to mean a missile exchange. who would Israel or America nuke if someone walked a bomb into tel Aviv or new york, or walked one across the texan border. Would America turn Iran to glass if Hizballah destroyed a third of the Israeli army with a wave of Nuclear Suicide attacks inside southern Lebanon next time they provoke a war. And who would they bomb as the faithfull came to power all over a destabilised North Africa after Nuclear bombs were taken across the deserts to attack tourist centres (like the conventional explosives used inSinai)? wheres the danger for Iran, wheres even the potential tragedy for a Mullah who thinks all the faithfull caught in blasts would be transported to a martyrs reward? after all its not Irans role to be the front line, its Irans role to be ready to recieve and be led to battle by the Mahdi when he arrives, and yes Ahm a dinner jacket believes that, he is actually decorating the Mahdi's projected route to Tehran.

If your going to think outside the box you need to be sure your'e fininshed, and have properly considered the other guy doing the same before you espouse a route to world peace that involves the globalized financial equivalent of hippies 'throwing love and flowers at the haters man'!

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