Love in Iran...

Recently I was discussing the movie Munich (which I highly recommend by the way) with my friend. We both agreed that the movie excellently described the FUBAR situation in the Middle East but then my friend said something that stuck me deeply. He said, "No saying I'm taking their side, but damm! the Arabs get no love." I thought about it and then woefully nodded my head. "No love. Word."

Today Iran threatened to end their nuclear inspection program to the chagrin of the Western world, as it has leaked out how far along their program has progressed. Last night on Hardball Chris Matthews discussed with Andrea Mitchell Iran's reasons in going through with their program, stating that its almost illogical for Iran to go nuclear. After all, if estimates are correct and Iran does develop about 9 airborne nukes in 5 years what good would it do? Any preemptive strike by Iran on any nation would guarantee their complete annihilation. In the case of the old USSR and the US there was at least the MAD policy to hold both sides in check, but in the case of Iran their meager stockpile would be (in a global sense) only an annoyance and any use of them would be suicide. So why continue? Well David Kay, head of the UN Nuclear Inspection team, theorizes that becoming a nuclear power would help Iranian Ayatollahs consolidate the power within their own borders. Right now the theocratic regime is very unpopular with a population that cries out for modernization and secularism (or at least that's the US's view), and Kay believes that having nuclear weapons will deter Western powers from interfering with their domestic agenda. Kay might have a point, if Western powers are truly interested in the domestic policies of the Middle East. Yet we have a horrible track record of doing business with countries with human rights violations (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China...), and so I don't see how Kay's logic works in this situation, since it seems to me that we'll continuing buying Iranian oil no matter what the Ayatollahs do to their own population.

Frankly I believe Iran continues on their program for the very point my friend made. Right now Arab nations aren't shown love by the rest of the industrialized world (read that as Western Society). They feel ostracized and threatened, especially with what his happening in Iraq and our uneven support of Israel. When this happens people have the tendency to feel humiliated and weak and will look to almost suicidal means to "toughen up." I don't believe that people in Iran (or anywhere in the Middle East for that matter) are stupid or insane. They know exactly what the implications of using their weapons would mean for Iran. But at the same time having nukes allows them to maintain their international dignity, while becoming a potential pinyata of trouble for the Western world, meaning that if attacked, or punctured, nuclear technology will come popping out, landing in every terrorist's pocket in the region. It is quite a mire that is developing over there, and it has to be handled with a delicate and caring hand. Although knowing our President he's most likely to take a sledgehammer to the whole country and call it a tenderizing.

It might be time to show a little love.

Read more about Iran and the whole situation here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran