At the risk of sounding like Rodney King, can't we simply learn to get along with Iran? Then again, maybe we do. This might be one more sign that our government is out of control.
As any ten people you encounter at random what they think of Iran and our relations with them. Chances are the majority of those ten people are going to look at you funny and then go about their day without discussing it with you. Apathy. Of those who do have an opinion I think you will find that most of those know little truth about the country, they really only know what Rush Limbaugh or CNN tell them.
You can be sure that the majority of the people aren't all fired up to get into a war with Iran. While the latest action in Iraq might have had motives that are now being examined, the fact is that we all understood the problem with Kuwait and the majority felt we had unfinished business. But Iran? Most of us could care less.
I would imagine that the average Iranian could really care less about you and I. It's easy to imagine that they wish we would just go away, sit down and shut the hell up.
So why not?
If our government is "by the people, for the people" then why not just walk away from Iran. When their government says stupid things, why not just put our fingers in our ears and go about the business of our daily lives? If we did that then maybe we could realistically hope that they would do the same when our government says stupid things.
Suppose Iran were to launch one of their new toys at Isreal. No, scratch that. Don't suppose. Wait for it. If it happens then we can consider whether we need to be involved. Until then the only thing we accomplish by inserting ourselves into the equation is to aggravate lots of people, especially the Iranians. If it's war you're looking for, then continued aggravation like this is sure to get us there.
Comments
Leave them to Isreal
I am a firm believer we need to remove our presence from the world militarily. I would have no issue, however, with letting our allies handle their issues. Isreal has the capability to hand any Iranian problems.
Freedom of Expression...quantified
Dependance Upon Foreign Defense
Absolutely. I wouldn't want to abandon Israel for sure and I totally understand why we had to be there in the past to help defend that whole situation. However....they're big boys and girls now. It's time to wean them off of foreign defense, much like we need to be weaned from foreign oil.
You know I've said before that if we bring our troops home we'll increase our global popularity while decreasing our costs, all while finally being able to defend our own borders instead of someone elses. You gotta love that.
update on Iran
My source tells me that its not if we invade Iran, its when. My source is a Staff Seargent in the US Army. He just returned from his third tour in Iraq and Kuwait. Dont know how he got his info, but from the sounds of it the decision has been made at the Pentagon. Its just a waiting game now. Lets all wait and see! I do agree with Thor and Bill, we need get out of the middle east and worry about our own borders. We can be there to help other countries in time of crisis, but we dont need to lead the fight. It makes the US seem trigger happy to the rest of the world.
IMPEACH BUSH!
OBAMA FOR 2008!
bleeding heart vs. irritated conservative
Although my comments are sometimes construed as being that of a disheartened liberal, they are most assuredly not. I have absolutely no problem becoming a complete isolationist. When I say I want to withdraw our nation from world affairs, I also mean (and primarily mean) financial assistance of any kind to include foreign aid. Our Congress just approved another 41 billion dollars to fight aids in africa. How about we put that towards our national debt instead. If I owe the cable company 150 bucks, I am not going to send my buddy 15000. We have no use for a ground war. It is not our responsibility to be a nation builder. In Iraq, we should have gone in with the Air Force and leveled everything then left. Afghanistan should have been leveled several times. Israel will level Iran if necessary, then we just lob patriots at them whenever they get lippy. There is no reason to put a man on the ground with the technology we have.
Freedom of Expression...quantified
Total Money Makeover - Foreign Policy Style
You've got a great point! Maybe we need to ship copies of Dave Ramsey's book to the joint chiefs, cabinet, president and congress. We really should take care of our own debts first.
Here's a proposal for a new law: No shipping container is to ever leave this country with any available space in it. No exceptions. That would solve a lot of financial problems.
Anyway, it's never made sense to me that the "conservatives" want to play in other people's foreign policy and tell others how to live their lives. And yet the liberals want to spend less and bring our troops home?
In WWII we were forced to crush Germany and Japan to the point where they could not support themselves. That was the choice of their leaders, not ours. For a lot of reasons, not the least of which was the avoidance of a repeat war, we were obligated to rebuild those nations. Evidentially we did that and did it well enough to deserve the pride we took in it. But you're right, we took it too far and now we seem to think we have to rebuild every nation to our specifications. It's wrong. We should only be rebuilding when asked for assistance or when it is necessary for defense. Nothing in Afghanistan or Iraq required or obligated us to the task of nation building.
If Israel and Iran want to party, let them. I completely agree that we can send presents to that party without ever leaving home. We put all that money into perfecting the ICBM, let's get some return on the investment. But again, only if it's really required and not because of one persons agenda or knee jerk reaction.
Iraq - Airforce
"In Iraq, we should have gone in with the Air Force and leveled everything then left. Afghanistan should have been leveled several times." I couldnt agree more! I have always thought that! Great minds think alike!
Freakishly Correct
I'm sure your source is right. I know that I was part of the shift from Soviet threat to preparation for war in Iraq back in 1988, even before the USSR collapsed. So what does that tell you?
Even so, the administration set things up and crafted a lot of public support prior to whoopin up on Saddam. They felt it necessary then even at a time when they were sure they had evidence of WMD available to justify things in the end.
G. W. Bush is about the only person I can imagine who might be foolish enough to think that there is public support enough for another military action in the Middle East. That's a good thing. Better yet is my hope that we just leave Iran alone because they are irrelevant to us, as we are to them.
Obama '08
Political Transcedence
My only worry is that Iraq will become a literal colonization project for Iran and Syria. You think the world is pissed at us now...wait until that happens. But, alas, Iraq has asked us to leave, therefore we must, I think we should leave on our own terms...not some timetable set up by a weakling nation.
Freedom of Expression...quantified
Someone elses empire
So long as we leave, that's the important thing. Who really cares about who sets the schedule? We impressed the world with our mobilization, let's impress them again with the speed of our demobilization.
When it comes to the world being pissed at us, that deed is done. Count on it. Whatever happens in Iraq, the world will be pissed at us, so it doesn't really matter. If another country colonizes and assimilates Iraq then both countries might be better off in the end. Who's to say? One thing is for sure, we don't need another colony, especially one that far away.
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