Terrorism also works on the US because the US is used to being the ones employing the terrorism, as opposed to having it used on them. (See David Neiwert's brilliant series on eliminationism in US history for some really good examples, starting with the genocide of the Native Americans.) Half the reaction is "Bu-bu-but-but...you can't do that to us!!" straight out of good old American Exceptionalism.
I have to agree with Leo here. Like China would care if Iran did anything to them, whatever "doing anything to them" might entail. Me, I'm still not entirely convinced that Iran is in any substantive way, at a state level, connected with terrorism. Sure, I hear a lot about Iran being a "state sponsor of terrorism," but I hear that in the US media, and apply grains of salt liberally. Name some names. Show some connections. Or, as we used to say in debates, "State your sources." More bluntly, put up or shut up. Otherwise, it's just more of the same Colin-Powell-at-the-UN bullshit. I feel sorry anyone who believed that at the time; they need their gullibility meter reset, and the service fees are a bitch.
I'm also not entirely convinced that Iran is as after Israel as all that, either. It seems to me as though Ahmadinejad's rhetorical excesses (and please see Juan Cole or another actual Farsi speaker for an accurate translation of that "wiped from the map" thing, which is not what he said; the actual phrasing was a metaphor from a classical poem and wasn't even close in meaning) is what some people would call "fronting." He's got an image to maintain, and while he probably doesn't like Israel all that much, I'm not so sure he's dumb or crazy enough to push the Israelis too far. (God knows, when one of the neighbours does something dumb and provocative like that, I can hear the sound of millions of Israeli eyes rolling and muttering "Oi, ma pitom!" or the Hebrew variant on "Bitch, please!" -- and I'm in Canada.) All this latest anti-Semitic stuff Iran has been doing reads to me like a bid for credibility with the other Islamic states in the region -- keep in mind, they're Arab, Iran is not.
I think that's basically what North Korea has been doing, too. As soon as that stupid bastard (good frickin' riddance to bad rubbish) Frum put the "Axis of Evil" thing in Bush's mouth, Kim got all nervous, and not without reason -- he knows that the US' favourite pastime in international relations is replacing people like him with "Christian heroin warlords most friendly to the West." Funny how that is, you scare someone really badly like that, when he's already in a desperate situation, and he does something stupid (see also Fidel Castro jailing dissidents in the wake of threats from the US and after decades of economic embargo and several US-planned assassination attempts).
The US should absolutely talk to anyone and everyone. They should also quit acting like they own half the world and have a lien on the rest...but like either of those two things are going to happen any time soon...
(no subject)
I have to agree with Leo here. Like China would care if Iran did anything to them, whatever "doing anything to them" might entail. Me, I'm still not entirely convinced that Iran is in any substantive way, at a state level, connected with terrorism. Sure, I hear a lot about Iran being a "state sponsor of terrorism," but I hear that in the US media, and apply grains of salt liberally. Name some names. Show some connections. Or, as we used to say in debates, "State your sources." More bluntly, put up or shut up. Otherwise, it's just more of the same Colin-Powell-at-the-UN bullshit. I feel sorry anyone who believed that at the time; they need their gullibility meter reset, and the service fees are a bitch.
I'm also not entirely convinced that Iran is as after Israel as all that, either. It seems to me as though Ahmadinejad's rhetorical excesses (and please see Juan Cole or another actual Farsi speaker for an accurate translation of that "wiped from the map" thing, which is not what he said; the actual phrasing was a metaphor from a classical poem and wasn't even close in meaning) is what some people would call "fronting." He's got an image to maintain, and while he probably doesn't like Israel all that much, I'm not so sure he's dumb or crazy enough to push the Israelis too far. (God knows, when one of the neighbours does something dumb and provocative like that, I can hear the sound of millions of Israeli eyes rolling and muttering "Oi, ma pitom!" or the Hebrew variant on "Bitch, please!" -- and I'm in Canada.) All this latest anti-Semitic stuff Iran has been doing reads to me like a bid for credibility with the other Islamic states in the region -- keep in mind, they're Arab, Iran is not.
I think that's basically what North Korea has been doing, too. As soon as that stupid bastard (good frickin' riddance to bad rubbish) Frum put the "Axis of Evil" thing in Bush's mouth, Kim got all nervous, and not without reason -- he knows that the US' favourite pastime in international relations is replacing people like him with "Christian heroin warlords most friendly to the West." Funny how that is, you scare someone really badly like that, when he's already in a desperate situation, and he does something stupid (see also Fidel Castro jailing dissidents in the wake of threats from the US and after decades of economic embargo and several US-planned assassination attempts).
The US should absolutely talk to anyone and everyone. They should also quit acting like they own half the world and have a lien on the rest...but like either of those two things are going to happen any time soon...