Misblog

Originally Published June 2, 2008; Updated and Republished June 13, 2008; Updated and Republished July 02, 2008; Updated and Republished July 10, 2008; Updated and Republished July 16, 2008; Updated and Republished August 13, 2008; Updated and Republished September 26, 2008:

If you are sitting down to "talk some sense" into the Iranians you are not talking to them—you’re trying to impose your ideas and perceptions on them—we don’t want McCain sitting down to “talk some sense” into the Iranians, either.

McCain and others demagoguing Iran¹ will find it helpful to seek out other information like these photographs from California and Tehran photographers of the very beautiful and typical Iranians: After the Revolution: Contemporary Photography from Tehran and California.

Unfortunately, the world is currently more inclined to impose an international boycott on Israel—of course someone suggesting you only talk with the aim of “talking sense into another” may be unable to perceive this inclination.

Res: Iran's Political, Demographic, and Economic Vulnerabilities (500K pdf)

"...At least in the near term, the Iranian regime is likely to be relatively stable and resistant to external pressures for dramatic change. But societal conditions for a more-constructive relationship with the United States exist: In contrast with the Arab Middle East, the United States is popular in Iran. Long-term trends suggest that Iran is likely to become more democratic and less obdurate."--Iran's Political, Demographic, and Economic Vulnerabilities @ page 21--

It is worth pointing our that Rick Steves did not need a "study" to arrive at the same conclusion, only his camera and an excuse to visit with Iranians. (see Rick's blog below.)

Blog:

• UPDATED 06/12/2008 Travel with Rick, Iran Slideshow and Iran postings. I think Rick Steves also has an PBS travel show on his Iran travels (properly "minded" of course), scheduled to show in January 2009 (see note from Public Radio International, The World which recently interviewed Rick.)

  "We can talk to whomever we like — but it reminds me of my early trips to the USSR, when only those with nothing to lose would risk talking openly to us (at least when our “guide” was present). So many who've commented on the blog have assumed I am not troubled by the lack of freedom here. Civil liberties for women, religious minorities, and anyone who chooses not to embrace this self-described “revolution of values” are, to me the mark of a modern, free, and, I believe, sustainable democracy. Those both for and against my trip here all agree with that. A key word here is sustainable. I believe — given time and a chance to evolve on their cultural terms — the will of the people ultimately prevails. For now, this country is not free (and no one here claims it is). A creepiness that comes with big government pervades the place. I wonder how free-minded people cope. I am excited to sort this out as our trip goes along."--Rick Steves, May 19, 2008--

  

  "...By the way, our government guide has not stopped me from going anywhere or talking to anyone. We haven't been able to film just anywhere, but I've been free to roam about on my own without him and have fun connecting with locals. And I have absolutely never traveled to a place where I had such an easy and enjoyable time connecting with people. Young, educated people speak English. Locals were as confused about and fascinated by me as I was about them. ..."--Rick Steves, May 29, 2008--

  Rick's great slideshow photos are numerous, varied, larger, and higher resolution.

Web:

• UPDATED 09/26/2008 AP->Yahoo, US warns Iran as nuclear talks yield no deal.

• UPDATED 08/13/2008 Guardian, US warns against Israeli plan to strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. America tells Israel their planned attack on Iran is not in our interest and refuses to provide military assets.

  Additionally, we must publicly make crystal clear to Israel that any attack of Iran will immediately truncate all American military support, loan guarantees, and non-humanitarian financial or in-kind aid.

• UPDATED 07/19/2008 AFP, US warns Iran as nuclear talks yield no deal.
• UPDATED 07/16/2008 Reuters, Paper says U.S. to establish Tehran presence. What took us so long?
• UPDATED 07/16/2008 AFP, Iran accepts nuclear talks but has 'red lines": Khamenei:.

• UPDATED 07/15/2008 AP, Official: US envoy to meet Iranian nuke negotiator. Why do we threaten and bully before we talk?

  We are drowning in both civilian and military grade plutonium and currently have no economically feasible way to dispose of this balefully toxic substance. Worldwide military grade plutonium stocks are currently estimated at 155 metric tons.

  The "plutonium pit" (²³⁹Pu) of today's unimaginably destructive nuclear weapons is like a terminally toxic lead tennis ball² that will be with us for 24,100 years. Uranium (²³⁵U) decays to thorium (²³¹Th) in 704,000,000 years!

  All because we are frightened of each other—how many tons of weapons grade plutonium will we have to accumulated before we stop fearing one another? Could it be the more tons we accumulate the more frightened we become?

• UPDATED 07/12/2008 AFP, Iran says talk of US attack 'craziness'.

• UPDATED 07/09/2008 AFP, US plays down fears of war with Iran.

  "The reality is there is a lot of [sic] signalling going on, but everybody recognizes what the consequences of any kind of a conflict would be,"--US Secretary of Defense Gates--

• UPDATED 07/09/2008 AFP, Defiant Iran angers US with missile test.
• UPDATED 07/02/2008 AFP, Negotiated end to nuclear standoff possible: Iranian FM and WP, Chairman of Joint Chiefs Says More Troops Needed in Afghanistan.

• UPDATED 06/13/2008 Reuters, Big powers to offer Iran "generous" deal. EU's Javier Solana heads to Iran (hopefully not to talk some sense into them) to meet with Iran's negotiator Saeed Jalili.

  He hopes to convince Iran to modify their access to the NPT nuclear fuel cycle in exchange for incentives offered by the United States, China, Russia, Britain, Germany and France.

  Unfortunately, in the current environment it will be difficult to convince Iran that any agreement will not impede their legitimate access to nuclear power, which Iran will need as their relatively small oil reserves are depleted.

• UPDATED 06/04/2008 UPI, Remarks by Sen. Obama at AIPAC meeting. Obama clarified that Jerusalem's status must be negotiated between the Jews and Palestinians (WP, Obama Backs Away From Comment on Divided Jerusalem). We have made clear to both that our embassy will not be moved to Jerusalem.

  America currently gives $3 billion a year to Israel. The total of all US aid to Israel 1949-2006 is a whopping $98.7 billion dollars. See U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, CRS RL33222, (2007)—not a bad return on Israel's lobbying efforts!

• McCain criticizes Obama on Iran. Those wanting more information on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, (AIPAC), should read John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, (2007) and a rebuttal by Abraham H. Foxman, The Deadliest Lies: the Israel lobby and the myth of Jewish control, Palgrave Macmillan, (2007)

-----notes-----

1. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not the only one calling for the destruction of Israel. Our president and his Christian "fundamentalist base" are also calling for Israel's destruction—it's part of their practiced and professed Christian belief and a predicate to the "Second Coming of Christ".

Amazingly, as recent as last week some of Israel's leaders and supporters expressed their support for one of those calling for its destruction—fundamentalist American preacher and McCain supporter, John Hagee (every Christian "fundamentalist", including our president share Hagee's belief).

Of course when Hagee expressed his belief very publicly and McCain wanted to "pass the hat and plea for votes", at AIPAC, he denounced Hagee (ironically the Israeli leaders and supporters did not), although not in the same terms as he denounces Ahmadinejad.

Educate yourself—it's the universal vaccine against demagoguery and demagogues, not to mention protection against electing them as our leaders! [If you need a place to begin, but not end, check-out what University of Chicago Professor of History of Modern Christianity, Martin Marty, has to say. Marty also participates in the Martin Marty Center for Advanced Study of Religion.]

2. If we assume a tennis ball has a diameter of 2.75 inches (6.985 centimeters) and a plutonium matrix density of 19.83 grams/centimeter³ then a spherical pit weighs 7.8 pounds, significantly more than a lead tennis ball’s 4.46 pounds.

Plutonium's density varies significantly by matrix type and temperature but in all cases its density is greater than lead.