re: #155 garhighway

I have yet to see a hawkish article on this point that gives a serious look at the downside of such intervention, let alone serious analysis over whether the intervention would work.

We lived with a nuclear Soviet Union, who had thousands of such weapons and the ability to deliver them anywhere, anytime, for 40 years. That was scary but we managed it. And yet we wet our pants at the idea that Iran might get a few. I think the guy is scum, but he’s a state actor, which means if he lobs a nuke, his nation would cease to exist. He knows it, we know it, everyone knows it. Does anyone think he hates Israel enough to sacrifice Tehran? I understand that if you are Israel, maybe you don’t want to make that bet, and Israel acts, so be it. But that’s not an argument for us to do it.

The Soviet Union was a different animal and yes, there was MAD as policy which worked with both things being equal.

The Iranian regime is led by religious fanatics well known for their suicidal attacks against the Western world and the murder of their own people well into these modern times.