Repent...the end is near

[p kirkes]

An old cliche from the cold war where a white bearded monk in robes carrying a sign with the above inscription announced the end of the world because the superpowers were bent on MAD (mutual assured destruction).

Well, it may be time to resurrect that old geezer because Iran and America seem to be hell bent for war.

Events are unfolding fast, hardly time to analyze the situation when a new development rears it's ugly head.

We should either have a standoff (ala cold war) or fighting withing 12-18 months.


The line up: USA + some EU nations vs everybody else that doesn't declare neutrality.

 

[busara]

it truly is the beginning of the end

 

[dilloduck]

An old cliche from the cold war where a white bearded monk in robes carrying a sign with the above inscription announced the end of the world because the superpowers were bent on MAD (mutual assured destruction).

Well, it may be time to resurrect that old geezer because Iran and America seem to be hell bent for war.

Events are unfolding fast, hardly time to analyze the situation when a new development rears it's ugly head.

We should either have a standoff (ala cold war) or fighting withing 12-18 months.


The line up: USA + some EU nations vs everybody else that doesn't declare neutrality.

What we they be fighting over? The right to have nuclear weapons ?

 

[Tech_Esq]

p_kirkes:

The problem with trying to have a stand off with Iran ala the Cold War (and frankly, the problem with Iran having nukes in the first place), is that for all their faults and foibles, the USSR was a rational actor and Iran isn't. The USSR (mostly because of Russian history) was xenophobic, not without cause. And, it made them act in particular ways. One of the ways they acted was with a strong sense of self-preservation.

A penchant for self-preservation has not been particularly well demonstrated by any country or citizen/subject of a country in the middle-east that I can think of. Therefore, if you let Iran get the bomb, why would you think they wouldn't use it on Israel even though they know they will be nuked to kingdom come? Isn't just a suicide bombing on a macro scale? What in all the things you have learned by watching this conflict unfold would lead you to believe the Iranian government wouldn't be okay with making that trade-off?

 

[p kirkes]

Tech Esq;

Your differentiation between USSR and Iran is a good point. The single factor that comforts me in thinking of a stand-off with the USA and EU is the Iranian people themselves not the leadership. I don't believe Iranians have a death wish or embrace suicide as a weapon. That seems to be an Arab technique, not Persian.

There is a big disconnect between what the Iranians aspire to and hope for and what their clerical leadership is promoting through their bellicose posturing.

I think the Iranian leadership is counting on that very thing in the US. A disenfranchised populace vis a vi President Bush and his administration.

This could be a bigger bluff than Saddam's WMD thing but with more tragic consequences. Because Israel might jump the wrong way and we are thus guilty by association.

My hope is that the Iranian people can rise up and be "heard" by their leadership. I'm not saying revolution, but a strong disaffection expressed publicly. Much the same way American's are embracing "change".

 

[Diuretic]

What worries me is that in both the US and Iran the leaders fervently believe in an after-life.

 

[AllieBaba]

Yeah, our leaders are so like the leaders of Iran, who call for jihad.

 

[Charles_Main]

The problem with Iran having nukes is the fact they are led by Religious Extreamist who would just love to bring about the end of he world, and the return on the 12th imam.

This is why Iran is so troubling. Because I do not think they have reason to fear our inevitable massive retaliation if they attack us. In fact I think some of them would welcome it.

 

[Diuretic]

Yeah, our leaders are so like the leaders of Iran, who call for jihad.

Did you deliberately miss the point or was it just one of those things Ali?

 

[dilloduck]

Did you deliberately miss the point or was it just one of those things Ali?

I think she was referring to the fact that they aren't trying to get to the afterlife at the same pace nor for the same reasons.

 

[Jeepers]

The problem with Iran having nukes is the fact they are led by Religious Extreamist who would just love to bring about the end of he world, and the return on the 12th imam.

This is why Iran is so troubling. Because I do not think they have reason to fear our inevitable massive retaliation if they attack us. In fact I think some of them would welcome it.

The best way to handle Iran is to just sit tight until the next election... I'm not all that sure the people are still behind their leader...

 

[Diuretic]

I think she was referring to the fact that they aren't trying to get to the afterlife at the same pace nor for the same reasons.

I would hope there's no rush.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Did you deliberately miss the point or was it just one of those things Ali?

You haven't a point. It is another one of those Liberal bullshit claims we are as bad as them. It wasn't true the several hundred times you have practiced it before and it is not true now.

 

[indago]

"I'm still trying to recover from the LAST END!"



-

 

[Diuretic]

You haven't a point. It is another one of those Liberal bullshit claims we are as bad as them. It wasn't true the several hundred times you have practiced it before and it is not true now.

It was a remark, not a claim.

 

[editec]

I believe you folks who imagine that Iranians don't have the same sense of self preservation as the rest of the world are fucking nuts.

 

[Charles_Main]

Sense the start of time people have been telling other people the End is Near.

They are just as foolish today as they were then.

 

[editec]

The end is near, again?

Will this end of the world never end?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I believe you folks who imagine that Iranians don't have the same sense of self preservation as the rest of the world are fucking nuts.

The Crazy one would be you. You are aware of the following?

In the Iraq- Iran war the Iranians had unarmed people, children included walk ahead of the armed troops to clear land mines.

The leaders of Iran support suicide attacks and have created an office to train and provide materials to citizens to defend the country if attacked and to train others how to make the bombs and strap them on for attacks in places like Israel.

The leaders of Iran believe the world will end in a fiery war, similar to the Christian beliefs, BUT they think they can bring it about and cause paradise to be brought forth.

The leaders of Iran are Fundamentalist Religious leaders that actually believe they can do things and not pay the consequences for it because God will protect them. Nuking Israel probably falls in that catagory.

 

[Tech_Esq]

Tech Esq;

Your differentiation between USSR and Iran is a good point. The single factor that comforts me in thinking of a stand-off with the USA and EU is the Iranian people themselves not the leadership. I don't believe Iranians have a death wish or embrace suicide as a weapon. That seems to be an Arab technique, not Persian.

There is a big disconnect between what the Iranians aspire to and hope for and what their clerical leadership is promoting through their bellicose posturing.

I think the Iranian leadership is counting on that very thing in the US. A disenfranchised populace vis a vi President Bush and his administration.

This could be a bigger bluff than Saddam's WMD thing but with more tragic consequences. Because Israel might jump the wrong way and we are thus guilty by association.

My hope is that the Iranian people can rise up and be "heard" by their leadership. I'm not saying revolution, but a strong disaffection expressed publicly. Much the same way American's are embracing "change".

Not to be harsh, but that's kind of naive. If the people in Iran demonstrated a strong disaffection publicly, their government would kill them in large numbers and quickly. There must be something about repressive dictatorships that people don't understand anymore.

You heard Ach-I-need-a-job at Columbia saying there are no homosexuals in Iran right? He was trusting his eradication program was working effectively when he said that.