Meaningful consciences...

I was watching the McLaughlin Group on Sunday, and, while discussing the US treaty with India that allows the US to share Nuclear technology with the Indians, Elenanor Clift made the statement that the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty is hopelessly outdated. I completely agree and I think the events of the last month or so have proven her point.

It seems to me that nuclear power is a natural offshoot of mankind's intellectual evolution. From fire, to the wheel, to calculus and so on, all the nations of man will eventually go on to nuclear power, and then hopefully anti-matter reactors, warp drives and then we'll meet the Vulcans. (If you don't know Star Trek then forget the reference). In any event the entire matter of dispersing nuclear technology needs to be rethought from the top down. One way or another, any country desiring nuclear power will find a way to get nuclear power.

The US has rethought it, and have changed their stance, although our leaders remain as Janus and arrogant about their new policy as the old. Before, the UN Security Council dictated who would have the power and who wouldn't. Now the US, as shown with their India treaty, seeks to be the sole marketers of nuclear technology, while at the same time putting their feet down in regards to Iran.

This schism is now reflected internationally. Most of the EU and the US supports a ban against Iran if they continue their program while Russia and China seek to move the program to Russia where they will oversee Uranium enrichment to make sure that it is used for research and not weapons. Do they have ulterior reasons for wanting to keep Iran's atomic program running? I'm sure they do, even it's just for the juicy contracts for Russian and Chinese energy companies (Much like GE should be moving into India right about now). There's also a geo-political strategy going on here, seeing as how Israel creates a nice buffer for the US in the Middle East, I'm sure Russia would like to have a close ally down there as well. And considering its historical anti-Semitic views I don't think Russia has a big problem with Iran's hatred of Israel.

Today Cheney said that should Iran continue its enrichment program there will be "meaningful consequences." I don't even know what that means. Surely Cheney isn't talking about military action. We're stretched to the limit already, and I don't think we should start a new war until we've finished with our last war. Maybe Cheney means that he's going to invite the Ayatollahs hunting. Now that's a meaningful event with serious consequences. But his war horn is squeaking right about now, and the tough rhetoric isn't even respected on a world stage where our own President has to slink around like a snake in the grass. His words reflect the old era of American foreign relations, and he's writing checks we just can't cash. Either we make a one-eighty on our policy, or our ancient methods will leave us in the dust.