The Iran Nuclear Program thread

[Mik]

To use a nuke to prevent nukes would be the height of hypocrisy.

[AndyD]

@Mik said in The Iran Nuclear Program thread:

To use a nuke to prevent nukes would be the height of hypocrisy.

That's an interesting statement. It must surely depend on intent?
Batant aggression, self defence etc.

When a person intends to kill you, has said so, written their intention for all to see, and is fastening a blade to a broom handle in order to kill you, is it wrong for you to use your spear to defend yourself preemptively?

And in our case we would only be destroying their spear making capabilities. In the hope that they could eventually change. Maybe spend the billions on agriculture instead of spears.

[kluurs]

@Mik said in The Iran Nuclear Program thread:

Israel wants peace

Many (most?) Israeli's do - BUT just as in America, there are some very powerful and influential Israelis who want that PLUS a lot of land and more. Israel, like he US, has some significant parts of its population who have very different (contradictory) objectives.

[jon-nyc]

@AndyD

As fragile as it might have been at times, there’s a clear unwritten rule since 1945 that you don’t use nukes.

How long after we did would Putin?

[Mik]

Not going to happen until someone has their back against the wall.

See “offramp”.

[Mik]

I suspect the Iranian people as a whole have lost their fervor for spreading Islamic revolution now that they see their utter vulnerabilities. If they ever really had it. My impression is those who signed on to that did it for personal power, not ideology.

[kluurs]

@Mik said in The Iran Nuclear Program thread:

I suspect the Iranian people as a whole have lost their fervor for spreading Islamic revolution now that they see their utter vulnerabilities. If they ever really had it. My impression is those who signed on to that did it for personal power, not ideology.

Iran is not the only nation where a group of religious fanatics have a degree of influence out of bounds with that of the majority of the population - part of the reason that Chris Hitchens had such disdain for religion.

[jon-nyc]

Cluster munitions used by Iran.

[taiwan_girl]

[Mik]

I don't agree with everything this guy says, but it's worth listening to.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-are-iran-s-retaliation-options-if-the-u-s-were-to-strike/vi-AA1H3KAp

[kluurs]

Contrarian view

Link to video

[Mik]

I hear what he says, but if you are not intending to enrich weapons grade materials, why do you go to the expense of hiding your facilities half a mile under a mountain where you have to build tunnels and power facilities into it? When your stated goal is death to <whoever we don't like today> and you are sponsoring attacks on that entity is it reasonable to believe you are not intending to develop the weapon?

[Mik]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/why-an-attack-on-fordow-could-be-a-strategic-gift-to-iran/ar-AA1H2Tqr?cmp_prftch=2

[LuFins Dad]

@Mik said in The Iran Nuclear Program thread:

I hear what he says, but if you are not intending to enrich weapons grade materials, why do you go to the expense of hiding your facilities half a mile under a mountain where you have to build tunnels and power facilities into it? When your stated goal is death to <whoever we don't like today> and you are sponsoring attacks on that entity is it reasonable to believe you are not intending to develop the weapon?

Same arguments regarding Hussein and the WMD inspections in 2004… Though, I still find it extremely hard to believe that there weren’t WMD… The only other explanation that I’ll entertain is that he pretended to have WMD programs to try and have some leverage…

[jon-nyc]

You don’t have to believe Israel or Trump. This is from the IAEA:

[Mik]

There ya go.

For me it's never been about believing either one. I looked at what Iran does, not what it, or anyone else, says.