a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment
kleinbl00  ·  2275 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: I helped sell the false choice of war once. It's happening again.

I don't think so. Iraq was a pariah state whose principle contribution to geopolitics had been violating sanctions for ten years. Iran has been cooperating with monitors, is participating in operations with Russia and Turkey and whose soft power network is second to none in the Middle East.

Iraq became Iraq because Hussein didn't correctly read the trade winds about invading Kuwait. Iran is Iran because they've been outreading us and outplaying us in the Middle East since 1977. I mean yeah ZOMG someone is calling for regime change in Iran - like the entire western world hasn't been doing that since the Ayatollah swept in.

Yeah history rhymes but an oil-rich military dictatorship under sanction for 12 years isn't the same as a complex theocracy just coming out from under them, even if they are both full of brown people who speak funny languages.