primitives naturally Blame America First

[USA4ME]

eridani

The notion that Iran is any kind of a military threat to anyone is just bullshit

Keeping everyone guessing is much cheaper than actually pursuing nuclear weapons. The US, Saudis and Israel whining about that remind me of burglars whining about homeowners who "attack" them by installing burglar alarms.

Israel and the US are real nuclear powers that represent a considerable threat to Iran.

http://www.thenation.com/article/iran-is-not-the-greatest-threat-to-world-peace/

Turning to the next obvious question, what in fact is the Iranian threat? Why, for example, are Israel and Saudi Arabia trembling in fear over that country? Whatever the threat is, it can hardly be military. Years ago, US intelligence informed Congress that Iran has very low military expenditures by the standards of the region and that its strategic doctrines are defensive—designed, that is, to deter aggression. The US intelligence community has also reported that it has no evidence Iran is pursuing an actual nuclear weapons program and that “Iran’s nuclear program and its willingness to keep open the possibility of developing nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy.”

The authoritative SIPRI review of global armaments ranks the United States, as usual, way in the lead in military expenditures. China comes in second with about one-third of US expenditures. Far below are Russia and Saudi Arabia, which are nonetheless well above any western European state. Iran is scarcely mentioned. Full details are provided in an April report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which finds “a conclusive case that the Arab Gulf states have…an overwhelming advantage of Iran in both military spending and access to modern arms.”

Iran’s military spending, for instance, is a fraction of Saudi Arabia’s and far below even the spending of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Altogether, the Gulf Cooperation Council states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—outspend Iran on arms by a factor of eight, an imbalance that goes back decades. The CSIS report adds: “The Arab Gulf states have acquired and are acquiring some of the most advanced and effective weapons in the world Iran has essentially been forced to live in the past, often relying on systems originally delivered at the time of the Shah.” In other words, they are virtually obsolete. When it comes to Israel, of course, the imbalance is even greater. Possessing the most advanced US weaponry and a virtual offshore military base for the global superpower, it also has a huge stock of nuclear weapons.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7156074

Martin Eden

9. Here's what The Nation has to say:

From the article:

 Other concerns about the Iranian threat include its role as “the world’s leading supporter of terrorism,” which primarily refers to its support for Hezbollah and Hamas. Both of those movements emerged in resistance to US-backed Israeli violence and aggression, which vastly exceeds anything attributed to these villains, let alone the normal practice of the hegemonic power whose global drone assassination campaign alone dominates (and helps to foster) international terrorism.

Those two villainous Iranian clients also share the crime of winning the popular vote in the only free elections in the Arab world. Hezbollah is guilty of the even more heinous crime of compelling Israel to withdraw from its occupation of southern Lebanon, which took place in violation of UN Security Council orders dating back decades and involved an illegal regime of terror and sometimes extreme violence. Whatever one thinks of Hezbollah, Hamas, or other beneficiaries of Iranian support, Iran hardly ranks high in support of terror worldwide.

That assessment may or may not be a bit biased, but so is the notion that Iran poses a major terrorist threat against the United States. Most of it has to do with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and without a doubt Israel has wreaked considerably more death and destruction on civilians. When it comes to our own history with Iran, the US has been the worse villain. In 1953 we helped overthrow their democratically elected government, imposing a quarter century of oppressive rule by the Shah. After he was overthrown in the Islamic revolution, we backed Saddam Hussein in his bloody 8 year war against Iran. They have less reason to trust us than we them.

Which is the more logical path towards a peaceful future -- keep Iran isolated with sanctions and give them every reason to believe they need nukes as a deterrent, then bomb them -- or proceed with this nuclear treaty that is the best chance to ensure they don't develop a nuclear weapon, and let them become more engaged economically with the rest of the world? Iran has a history of democracy and a large population of young people who are enamored of Western products & culture mostly reject the old conservative Islamists.

The biggest threat to peace are the warmongers in our own country and Likud in Israel.

America is soooooooooooo evil.

Oh, and JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

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[DUmpsterDiver]

The Creepy Pete democRats at the DUmp are just like the ones in reality ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvEVBsM3JM0

[miskie]

Okay - answer this, primitives -

a ) Why would a country that is sitting on a gigantic field of oil be so determined to enrich uranium ?

b ) Why would a country build new uranium reactors when thorium is safer, more productive, and can't be weaponized ? - with the windfall of US money that comes with the deal, they could have easily went the thorium route and not have to worry about inspectors at all, as there would be nothing to inspect.

[SarasotaRepub]

DUmmies are DUmb as rocks. 

[SVPete]

Okay - answer this, primitives -

a ) Why would a country that is sitting on a gigantic field of oil be so determined to enrich uranium ?

b ) Why would a country build new uranium reactors when thorium is safer, more productive, and can't be weaponized ? - with the windfall of US money that comes with the deal, they could have easily went the thorium route and not have to worry about inspectors at all, as there would be nothing to inspect.

Libs & Progs have been denying the existence of those dots for years - no dots, nothing to connect.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Massive Iran isn't a threat with its support for Hezbollah, Hamas and its shadow war against the US during OIF.

But tiny Israel poses some sort of threat to Iran.

They are the proverbial "swallow camels while choking on gnats" imbeciles.

[SVPete]

But tiny Israel poses some sort of threat to Iran.
They are the proverbial "swallow camels while choking on gnats" imbeciles.

Israel is obstinately refusing to go along with Iran's and the Arabs' plans to wipe out the Jooooooos, so Israel is a threat to Iran.

It wasn't just Hitler's non-Marxian Socialism that wanted to wipe out the Jews. Stalin was about to purge Jews when he died, and many/most DU-folk are still mourning the demise of the USSR. They decry, maybe, Joseph Vissarionovich's purges of fellow Bolsheviks, but not the purges of other political parties, business owners, and farm owners. Had his plans worked out, they would not decry his purge of USSR Jews.

[I_B_Perky]

Okay - answer this, primitives -

a ) Why would a country that is sitting on a gigantic field of oil be so determined to enrich uranium ?

b ) Why would a country build new uranium reactors when thorium is safer, more productive, and can't be weaponized ? - with the windfall of US money that comes with the deal, they could have easily went the thorium route and not have to worry about inspectors at all, as there would be nothing to inspect.

Dummies:
 

[Ptarmigan]

Dummies: