Running with Scissors

The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive
his deception, the one who lies with sincerity
--André Gide

When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of,
he always declares that it is his duty
--George Bernard Shaw
________

"Everyone agrees that Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons; the only question is how to stop that form happening," so states The Week in their news roundup "U.S. Slaps new Sanctions on Iran."

To say "everyone agrees" Iran should not have nuclear capabilities is a myopic ethnocentric construct. Obviously Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah do not agree. For Iran, surrounded on three sides by a belligerent U.S. military presence, having a tactical nuclear weapon probably makes a lot of sense.

And who is the U.S. to slap sanctions on anyone? The only nation ever to employ nukes on living flesh is not exactly a neutral moral arbiter on the ownership or deployment of the device. The U.S. arguably possesses more nuclear devices than the rest of the world put together. Of course, at a certain point it is overkill.

So after the U.S. has invaded two countries and destroyed the fabric of their societies, the U.S. Secretary of State declares Iranian behavior "threatening." Threatening is a mite bit short of the activities conducted under the aegis of U.S. foreign policy.

Condoleeza Rice attempted to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and the China on board with economic sanctions, but she failed to convince. Asked Putin, "Why should we make the situation worse?" He compared the Bush administration to "mad people wielding razor blades". China suggested "dialog and negotiations" as a better approach.

There are more worlds out there than that conceived of by one gunslinger.

Dealing with the Devil

POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of
principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
--The Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce

"You can't sell rotten peaches"
--James Zogby (president, Arab American Institute)
___________

Iran is now doing an end run around U.S. sanctions by shifting its trade from West to East, specifically China, which will overtake Germany as Iran's biggest trading partner this year.

"Oil traders said that Iran does an increasing portion of its petroleum sales in euros and yen, instead of U.S. dollars, and often through third parties, to help its customers circumvent U.S. financial sanctions" (Iran Adapts to Economic Pressure.)

Is it possible this is Iran's greatest offense against GWB's overreaching foreign policy? The U.S. was willing to allow and in fact encourage the Shah of Iran to possess a nuclear capability. But he worshiped at the altar of the almighty dollar.

Would Iran's nuclear aspirations be less offensive to U.S. policy if they dealt in dollars, and purchased their nuclear capability from U.S. sources? It is o.k. for Israel, India and Pakistan, but not for Iran. Then again, Iran is evil.

Shaul Bakhash, a historian and author of The Reign of the Ayatollahs said, "Iran has a huge cushion of foreign-exchange reserves." What an interesting concept, to possess such a buffer, something absent from U.S. fiscal policy. A good reason to bomb them.

But the U.S. should not comfort itself that Western European allies are turning away from Iranian development in a show of solidarity; rather, "(France, Italy and China) are unlikely to move ahead [in Iran], in large part because of the commercial terms Iran is offering." U.S. policy is irrelevant to these countries when push comes to shove.

While Germany and France have been reducing banking ventures with Iran, "(b)oth countries still buy oil from Iran."

The EU countries have viable foreign policies and deal with the devil on an economic level. Their economies are robust and growing. Germany and France have learned that military aggression and wars do not favor geopolitical stability. For them, economic dominance is more important than military adventurism.

America is not the only superpower in the world. Our military is tied up in knots in the dueling sandboxes of Iraq and Afghanistan. Imagine an alliance of Turkey and Iran opposing the U.S. military over Kurdish conflicts. Imagine another war with Russia, China or even Germany. Hell, throw in Japan. Pick one -- any one. Now tell this Ranger that the U.S. is the only superpower in the world.

The U.S. is the only power willing to expend military coercion to force its spurious will upon third- rate military powers.