Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Moskie
I take issue with that. I think Iran's motives for seeking nuclear energy and Iran's motives to help Iraq are one and the same: grandstanding. This is putting them on the world stage. Does Iran need nuclear energy to survive? I would guess not; there has to be a path of lesser resistance for them to have/produce the energy they need. Does Iran need to help Iraq? Again, I think not, and I extremely doubt they're just being altruistic. They want something, and as of now, I think it's just attention.
|
Iran is developing nuclear power because they understand economics: opportunity cost. Iran's reserves of oil are somewhere in the 133 billion barrel area, and at the current rate of 1.7 billion barrels per year. That will last maybe 70-90 years, depending on how quickly other nations are able to either slow down consumption by reserving or alternatives. Iran 1) doesn't want to be using up it's best and most profitable export and 2) doesn't want to base it's future on something that won't last the century. That's not grandstanding, it's smart economics. Also, nuclear power is a lot more efficient and it produces a lot less air polution.
As for why Iran wants to help Iraq: who was that that started the Iraq Iran war? Hmmmm....was it the same country that invaded Iraq and is now personally modling the new government and has hundreds of thousands of troops learning to hate Middle Easterners? Yes, it's the USA. The US is massively dangerous to Iran. Actually, we're dangerous to the whole Middle East, but right now all our guns are aimed at Iran. So why would they want their neighbor to become our lap dog? It's not altruism, it's self preservation. Iran can't afford to have a neighbor hate them again.