...if Iran is stupid enough to actually go through with it.

And I can only point fingers so far, insofar as our own elections have at least the appearance of impropriety at times, if not outright dodgy. (2000/selection, for example)

Iran can have a nuke if they want. Maybe it'll make us think twice about continuing to fuck with them left and right.


(And the timing of this report is highly suspicious, what with Saudi Arabia kicking over furniture about us making DIPLOMATIC progress with Iran.)

good enough for the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., and is still good enough for India and Pakistan, why shouldn't it be good enough for Iran and Isreal/Saudi Arabia?

Sorta like the Christian Dominionists, they welcome a nuclear apocalypse. For MAD to work as a deterrent, all the sides have to actually NOT want the destruction. If one side decides "Hey launching a devastating war will bring back the twelfth Imam! That's freakin' awesome!!!", then people are going to die.

Since the U.S.S.R. Was formally atheist, they were supposed to be too crazy for nukes as well - no fear of God to still their leader's finger on the button, or something like that. The truth is, no nation is suicidal.

Adnan Oktar's meeting with the representatives of Iran Mahdi Institute (Bright Future Institute)

would you mind?

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/july-dec05/iran_12-9.html

LINDSEY HILSUM: Jamkaran, the shrine to the 12th imam, the Mahdi. The faithful write their prayers. He is their most revered saint, their only hope. One day, they believe, he'll return to Earth through the well which lies under the postbox.

~ snip ~

Now, it seems the Mahdi has become political. Iran's new president says he's a devotee of the 12th imam and of Jamkaran.

One of the first things Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did on becoming president was to allocate $17 million to this shrine to the 12th imam, the Mahdi. All Shias believe that one day the Mahdi will return, but some Iranians are beginning to worry that their new president is reorienting the country's politics towards that day

.

~ snip ~

LINDSEY HILSUM: The Bright Future Institute at Qom is devoted to the study of the Mahdi and other Messianic cults, they catalogue the literature and answer questions from the public sent in by e-mail, phone or letter.

The most common query is: How will we know that the Mahdi is about to return?

The children's books they design show what a wonderful world it will be afterwards. But just like fundamentalist Christians, Shias believe the messiah's second coming about be heralded by an apocalypse, war and chaos; they don't say it publicly but some Iranians worry that their new president has no fear of international turmoil, may think it's just a sign from God.

Ahmadinejad may no longer be the president of Iran, but the fact that he achieved that position at all indicates that this is not a rare or powerless sect. Whether we like it or not, there are people in powerful positions in Iran who welcome apocalypse. Let's hope the reformists can keep them in check and bring a new era of peace, prosperity, and tolerance to Persia.

and doesnt mean anything.
You may interpret it so, but
we all have so much in common with ants,
as we do with each other.
to pretend that "they"
are different than "us"
is just a self-serving lie.

Is your point that no one in powerful positions in Iran would be willing to sacrifice their nation so they can get to paradise and start deflowering virgins? I am sorry, there is just too much evidence to the contrary.

I realize it is totally fucked up, having to consider that there are SO MANY religious nutjobs in this world who have a desire to kill you because you don't worship their particular form of sky daddy.

Nevertheless, this is the reality of the situation. We need to hope that the sane of Iran - the non-bloodthirsty, non extremists, can finally put the dark forces of apocalypse fetishists under control, away from any ability for develop, deploy, and ultimately use nuclear weapons.

a much more believable form of deadly zealotry. Are you Exhibit A?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Mahdi#Reappearance

Reappearance

Twelver Shi'as cite various references from the Qur'an and reports, or Hadith, from Imam Mahdi and the Twelve Imams with regard to the reappearance of al-Mahdi who would, in accordance with Allah's command, bring justice and peace to the world by establishing Islam throughout the world.

Mahdi is reported to have said:

>> Shi'as believe that Imam al-Mahdi will reappear when the world has fallen into chaos and civil war emerges between the human race for no reason. At this time, it is believed, half of the true believers will ride from Yemen carrying white flags to Makkah, while the other half will ride from Karbala, in Iraq, carrying black flags to Makkah. At this time, Imam al-Mahdi will come wielding Ali's Sword, Zulfiqar (Arabic: ذو الفقار, ðū l-fiqār), the Double-Bladed Sword. He will also come and reveal the texts in his possession, such as al-Jafr and al-Jamia.

Shi'as believe that Jesus will also come (after Imam Mahdi's re-appearance) and follow the Imam Mahdi to destroy tyranny and falsehood and to bring justice and peace to the world. This will also be accompanied by the raj'a (return) of several other personalities for retribution of the previously oppressed against the oppressor.

Kind of boggles the mind.

I'm thoroughly tired of Israel's saber-rattling toward Iran. Israel already has nukes, let Iran and Israel reach nuclear parity - like India and Pakistan - and there would be a lot less loose talk about bombing Iran.

Israel has had Nukes for decades, threatened to use them on just about everyone. IF ANYONE IS INSTIGATING A NUCLEAR RACE, IT IS ISRAEL.

Maybe netanyahoo will bring another cartoon showing how inept and desperate the war hawks in Israel are to settle an age old conflict of prejudice and indignation.

Israel either joins the NPT, shuts up, or they are going to be surrounded by Nukes. What then? Who's to blame when the whole area becomes one big glass plate?

There was a time when you could impress the world that you were technologically advanced by popping off a mushroom cloud and then sit at the grownups table.

Kinda like on Star Trek when a civilization develops warp drive.

But these days with the Cold War over it's considered to be something troublemakers do.

otherwise the grown ups are just childish instigators whining about newcomers who want to join the club.

Ask the N Koreans.