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Originally Posted by Thinkerbell Does anybody think Bush is laying the groundwork to take over Iran next? I'm starting to feel queasy about all the saber-rattling. It's all starting to sound verrry familiar... |
This is definitely not a poker topic, but at least it's posted in the right place.
(Although I suppose one could make a case for use of the terms "bluff", "showdown", and "rockets.")
At the risk of making enemies of people I've never met, I weigh in strongly on the side of Bush laying groundwork for an Iranian invasion or strike, and I think it would be a huge mistake to invade (or bomb or nuke) there. No, I don't believe that Iran just wants nuclear power for energy production; otherwise they wouldn't be enriching it in defiance of international opinion. I'm glad, however, that President Bush changed position and decided to extend an offer to talk, even if the offer did have conditions that are unacceptable for President Ahmadinejad.
That, at least, is more than our President did in regard to Iraq. I remember the U.N. trying desperately to get the U.S.
not to invade Iraq until all diplomatic options had been exercised and all the evidence had been examined. Despite that, President Bush pushed ahead with his agenda, without support from key allies like Germany and Russia, damaging the U.S. reputation in many countries abroad. When we didn't find the WMDs, and the independent investigation determined that the information justifying the invasion was false, that further damaged our reputation and solidified Bush's image as a loose cannon.
That said, even though I disagree sharply with the current administration's views on foreign policy and domestic spying/protection, I believe strongly in the right for people to express their opinions on these matters, even if I disagree with them.