> From: Erik Reuter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Wed, Jun 16, 2004 at 07:11:56PM +1000, Andrew Paul wrote: > > > but then I am not Iranian. If I was, I would probably think > it was a > > damn fine idea, and do my best to make it happen cos, as > North Korea > > seems to demonstrate, once you have them, then the Big Bad Yankees > > leave you alone. > > Perhaps if you were a stupid Iranian, you might have that opinion. >
I guess the % of stupid Iranians is about the same as most other countries. That being so that would represent a lot of Iranians. Actually that reminds me of the idea that the Nazi nuclear weapons project was undermined by some of the scientists working on it. Was it true, or was it just a convenient excuse for intellectual failure and/or a chance to join the good guys after the fact? I am sure someone here will have some thoughts on the subject. > Otherwise, you would realize that Iran is not by any stretch > of the imagination a democracy, so if Iran had nuclear > weapons, they would be under the control of the oppressive, > and possibly insane, religious leaders of the country. Who > are quite capable of starting a nuclear war with a force that > would wipe Iran totally off the map in such a war. No, sane > Iranians would NOT want nuclear weapons until they have a > stable democracy in their country. > Firstly you are suggesting that logical thought applies in these situations. Much as is the case with the kidnapped child, I don't think it does, at least not for many people. I recall reading something about panic and fight or flight responses that suggested that a logical approach was not actually the best survival response in many circumstances (anyone know about this?). But regardless of that, you equate sane to logical, which is an interesting debate in itself. For want of a better reference, I would refer you to any number of Spock vs Kirk debates for more on this. Perhaps logical Iranians would not want nuclear weapons, I am not sure the same is true of sane Iranians. Secondly, your attitude to the leaders of Iran is exactly the reason why they probably feel the need for nuclear weapons. You are implying that the only sane Iranians want a stable democratic government. Cant we accord them the right to choose their own government? Like some want Christianity to be an inherent part of the US government why cant Iranians want Mullahs to rule their country? Sure, sounds crazy to me, but at least its their crazy, not some crazy imposed upon them by a foreign power. Perhaps they can see a home grown democratic movement arising, one that will lead to a true democratic Islamic state, and are carefully nurturing it, all the time living in fear of a US invasion which will destroy any chance of this happening. And perhaps, being indoctrinated by a totally different media, they don't think their leaders are mad or insane, or corrupt? In the same way that you don't think yours are. (as an aside, I am with you on this, but that may well be Mutually Assumed Delusion). Thirdly, I don't think Mr Kim is a shining light of Democracy, or sanity, but he sits there, happy and safe under his nuclear shield and watches the US pull troops out of South Korea. That must be a fairly tempting scenario for any person that loves their country, and wants something to protect it, and allow it grow in whatever way it chooses, just as the US demands the right to its own sovereignty, and will do some damn strange things to protect it. Andrew _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
