Why Iran Should Get the Bomb

Foreign Affairs ^ | July/August 2012 | Kenneth N. Waltz

[andy58-in-nh]

Waltz is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley.

He is a leading proponent of the academic theory of "structural realism" in international relations, and accordingly, highly gifted in the art of rectal-cranial infarction.

[BilLies]

I think he is just faking a “Biden”.

“...one most likely to restore stability...”
Even the Stalinist traitors of the 1930s and 1940s didn’t use that excuse for stealing the secrets for the Atomic Bomb, though they used a similar excuse for invading and dividing up Poland in 1939. It also worked for the Stalinist sympathizers of the late 1940s, ‘50s and up to date as to why the Soviets needed to conquer eastern Europe, Korea, China and the World.

[Tenacious 1]

The point of this idiot is that if you give a homicidal psychopath the an atomic bomb, that will make them less likely to do something homicidal.

I recently made the argument like this to a liberal friend.

"Why don't you let your 5 year old play with matches? He knows not to set anything on fire with them, right?"

"Well in the case of Iran with Nuclear Weapons, they are building weapons that are designed to anihilate entire cities. They have repeatedly stated that they intend to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. This "child" nation is not planning to just play with matches, they intend to set something on fire, which is what the match is designed to do."

[nuconvert]

He dares to compare Israel having nukes to the IRI with nukes?

What color is the sun in his world?

[Tenacious 1]

So I should have a gun to insure peace, right?

That depends on who you are and what your intentions are. If you are a murdurous thug with a healthy rap sheet, I doubt your having a gun will bring about any peace. If you are a law abiding citizens looking out for the best defense of yourself and your family, I think it could ensure some personal peace.

Your premise is flawed however. For your hypothetical gun to be an effective peace maker, you would have to let all would be criminals that you have the gun and intend to use it with lethal intentions should you be attacked. Then, your gun could serve the purpose or intent of insuring peace.

The state may help you by making it legal for all good citizens to have and use weapons in self defense. In this way, guns can and do insure peace by deterence.

[null and void]

Darksheare ~ But Nully, you’re not a homicidal psychopath that daily preaches from the rooftops about martyring your friends and neighbors in the hopes of forcing some bigger psychopath to appear and destroy the world.

That's what you know think...

SampleMan ~ The equation does not change whether the weapon is a gun or an atomic bomb.

Precisely. According to Mr. Waltz, it doesn't matter if I'm nutz, if my Model Citizen neighbor has I gun, I need one to insure neighborhood stability.

[null and void]

That depends on who you are and what your intentions are. If you are a murdurous thug with a healthy rap sheet, I doubt your having a gun will bring about any peace.

But but but but, that's the author's whole premise!

[Wicket]

This writer shows signs of a rectal cranial inversion, I believe.

[dmz]

I think the the school of thought is called “defensive realism”. Nuclear weapons are “defensive” weapons that deter attack. And a stable balance of power is the guarantee of peace.

<><><><><

When all sides exhibit rationality, mutually assured destruction is indeed a fine guarantee of peace.

Does that sound like Iran to you? Rational, that is?

[History Repeats]

I think we should give the bomb to Iran. In fact, I believe we should give them a bunch of bombs. Dropped from very high and carpet bomb them into the stone age.

[Verginius Rufus]

Yes, after the Iranians kill half the population of Israel with nukes, and Israeli counter-attacks kill half the population of Iran, the survivors will join hands and sing “Kumbaya.”

[DuncanWaring]

But will they be singing in Yiddish or Farsi?

[American in Israel]

So with this logic, all criminals should be given guns to balance the power with police.

[PT57A]

[Wyatt's Torch]

So with this logic, all criminals should be given guns to balance the power with police.

Bravo!

[Darksheare]

Reminds me, I need a trebuchet.

[null and void]

I think sharky has a spare.

[null and void]

Or was that Swervie?

[Army Air Corps]

Need a trebuchet? Get your trebuchets right here!