Quick Thoughts on Iran...

I originally wrote this on November 4th, which was just after President Bush asked Congress for funds to save us all from imminent death by bird flu. It seems equally applicable in light of more recent Middle Eastern events:

...and I do mean "quick". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said some stupid things lately, he's coming across a little crazy... crazy like a fox! Controversial? Yes. Divisive and hostile? Absolutely. That's the point. "All politics is local," the saying goes, and Iran is no exception. My read on the situation is that a president under pressure, beset by global condemnation, decided to energize his base and divert attention from his own doings. Does it sound familiar? Of course. Because the $7 billion dollars sought to prevent the impending and inevitable Asian bird flu pandemic came at a perfect time for President Bush.

The world may be doing a disservice to the Middle-East peace process by acknowledging (granted, with properly felt indignation) Mssr. Ahmadinejad's sophomoric comments. At a time when Iran stood to become increasingly isolated from its Muslim neighbors, Western and Israeli outrage over politically charged remarks could galvanize the region. Mssr. Hussein tried this strategy before, by firing Scuds at Jerusalem and praying that Tel Aviv would fire back.

I do not believe we should give these comments the credibility they have been receiving: treat them the same way as our president's weak attempts at changing the subject. All this is, is a way for an embattled leader to say "oh yeah? oh yeah?? well... what about them!? They're not like us... forget me, fear them!!". Don't let Bush get away with that nonsense, and don't let Ahmadinejad get away with it either!

I don't recall why I didn't publish that then, perhaps I planned to add more links, but as I revisited the issue today, I was pleased to learn that I may have been onto something when I wrote those words.