Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Ahmadinejad
I don't have it in me to editorialize more thoroughly because my thoughts on the matter of Iran are still developing. The main comment that I can offer is that of all the lessons learned from Iraq, I hope our president (and America) resists the notion that this is a black-and-white issue. It's so tempting to say "we're good" and "they're bad."
But that doesn't make it right. If nothing else, Ahmadinejad's words remind me that the same old-school Cold War attitude that hurt us in Iraq still doesn't apply to this latest of the new 21st century struggles. New ideas and new directions are needed -- quickly.
Emphatically, no, I do not want Iran to have a nuclear bomb. And I would rejoice if the people of Iran showed their religious dictators the boot and returned that nation to acting once again like the jewel of a culture it has historically been since the time of Alexander the Great. But I also know we cannot impose a government on them that they do not want. And I realize it's a precarious position to be the world's largest nuclear state and then dictate to others that they cannot use that same nuclear power.
Ahmadinejad is not a fool. His words indicate to me that he's sharper than Saddam Hussein ever dreamed of being while he played dictator for 3 decades. We're in a tough spot here, especially after Iraq. I genuinely hope President Bush can navigate it better this time. Even the most bitter of this administration's critics should not want to see him mess up on this one. There's way too much at stake.
But that doesn't make it right. If nothing else, Ahmadinejad's words remind me that the same old-school Cold War attitude that hurt us in Iraq still doesn't apply to this latest of the new 21st century struggles. New ideas and new directions are needed -- quickly.
Emphatically, no, I do not want Iran to have a nuclear bomb. And I would rejoice if the people of Iran showed their religious dictators the boot and returned that nation to acting once again like the jewel of a culture it has historically been since the time of Alexander the Great. But I also know we cannot impose a government on them that they do not want. And I realize it's a precarious position to be the world's largest nuclear state and then dictate to others that they cannot use that same nuclear power.
Ahmadinejad is not a fool. His words indicate to me that he's sharper than Saddam Hussein ever dreamed of being while he played dictator for 3 decades. We're in a tough spot here, especially after Iraq. I genuinely hope President Bush can navigate it better this time. Even the most bitter of this administration's critics should not want to see him mess up on this one. There's way too much at stake.
# posted by Jeff Briscoe : 11:57 PM
