Originally Posted by roachboy

regarding host's post above: there is little doubt in my mind that the explanation for the iranian political moves has been the shifts engendered by the american invasion of iraq and the collapse of the sunni domination of the space, which as host rightly points out was embodied by saddam hussein. the rhetorical offensive against israel is transparently a move to position iran as an ally in iraqi struggles against what was billed as a liberation but which is in fact an occupation. the nuclear program business is an attempt on iran's part to position itself as part of the nuclear superpower club, as if possession of nuclear power means an instant enlargement of the penis of realpolitick. and maybe it does. who knows about size and metaphors?

i have difficulty believing that even the bush administration as constituted up to this morning was as simple-minded asthe selling points it has been feeding the american people have been on this.

if anything of the above concerning iran turns out to be accurate (it seems pretty logical, but the real world is not necessarily logical) then it would be stupid--really really stupid--not to talk to iran and not to talk loudly and often about the fact of talking to iran. dickwaving in iran's direction only serves to increase iran's tactical advantage in the context of the fiasco the americans have engineered in iraq. period.

so gates' position on this particular question does not seem particularly novel or innovative, and is only reassuring because it is saner than what has preceded it.

as for what to do in iraq, i cant for the life of me see any good options.
it seems that no matter what the americans do, it will be problematic.
what concerns me really is that the solution that will appear "logical" is an increase in troop strength, using the line of increasing military presence as a way of decreasing it that worked out so well in vietnam.
i dont see immediate withdrawal happening.
i think the sanest thing would be to begin with working with iran.

some folk speculate that the scenario will be that the americans put saddam hussein back in power because they cant figure out any other option.
i wonder if even the right would swallow that one.
it seems the kind of move that would destroy the right immediately.
a suicide pill as it were.

it is a pretty grim situation.
lots and lots of people dead for nothing. less than nothing.