“We have no right to tell Iran what to do – we do have the right, however, to limit our ties to them if we don’t like what they’re doing.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~and limiting our ties with them won’t be that big a deal after they’venuked us into oblivion.
Iran is not North Korea. It is not controlled by one family that demand a cult like devotion. Whenever given a choice between an extremist and a moderate, the Iranian people have chosen the moderate. Ahmadinejad was an aberration who was elected because of his success as Mayor of Tehran. He had to steal his reelection. The first popularly President elected after the Islamic Revolution wasn’t a religious fanatic but a French trained economist, Abollhasan Banisadr.Iran currently has very large population between the age of 20-30. Many of them are well educated but the current Iranian economy cannot support them. Iran desperately wants to become part of the international community but they cannot engage in a complete surrender to Western demands. They have to save face.The Iranians have had a nuclear program since 1950s. The nuclear program had started under the Shah, which included a clandestine weapons program even though Iran had signed a non-proliferation in 1968.-http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Shah_of_Iran_building_two_nuclear_plants.jpg/428px-Shah_of_Iran_building_two_nuclear_plants.jpg-Jane’s Defense Weekly reported in April 1984 that West German intelligence believed that Iran could have nuclear weapons within 2 years; 29 years later, it still doesn’t have them.Ayatollah Khomeini stopped the weapons program because he considered nuclear weapons against Islamic teaching.He restarted the weapons program as the Iraq-Iran war dragged on.This is the unique nature of nuclear weapons; India has the bomb because China has the bomb; Pakistan has the bomb because India has it. Well, Iran had a weapons program because they believed Iraq may get the bomb. People make comparisons to 1938 Munich. Only problem is, Iran is nowhere near the military power Germany was. It’s Air Force still uses planes from the 1960s and 1970s and does not have access to parts to maintain them. It has a navy whose abilities are limited to the Persian gulf. The US has a larger naval presence in the Persian Gulf with the 5th fleet headquartered at Bahrain. Iran has never been a threat to Israel. There are 2 large countries – Iraq and Jordan – between Iran and Israel. Any attack on Israel can lead to a fallout on its Arab neighbors.
The majority of the Iranian population was born after the Revolution. The younger generation hates the regime and the system. Ayatollah Khomeini’s 2 grandsons are Muslim clerics who have spoken out against the regime that their grandfather founded and asked for greater democracy. One has traveled to the west and met with the Shah’s son, seeking reconciliation. Iran’s number one goal is creating enough jobs for a large work age population.Iran and it’s current leaders are not going to engage in behavior that will lead to it’s own self-destruction.
Past time for ALL our politicians to cut all those strings, and the ones to AIPAC here at home. It’s long been said that as long as there remains a Jew and an Arab on the planet, Earth will never see total peace. It’s “biblical”, and very much because of religious dogma from the “book of hate”. (especially the chapters in the Old “books” that set the real objectives for the “new”, and the final chapter.)
SkepticCal: Eisenhower warned us about the military/industrial complex – Obama embraced it. Obamacare is still Romneycare from the Heritage Foundation – hardly “moderate” but definitely Republican (and a month deep in Romneycare, Massachusetts had signed up 106 citizens – Obama even copied that detail). Obama has continued Shrub’s “out of the boardroom, into the bedroom” “security” apparatus. Sanders is a Socialist (and permitted to claim it when mayor of Burlington) – Clinton could have slipped into the Eisenhower administration undetected, but Obama could fit into Reagan’s if no one noticed his skin color. Greens and Socialists are the only liberal parties left in the country (not counting a few endangered Democrats in Congress who have to raise campaign money online because their party won’t).
False premise in this Luckovich cartoon—-it is Obama that attempts to be the “puppet master” of whoever leads Israel..!!-What Obama has done from Day 1 of his regime, is to ignore the fact that Israel is the victim and the target of most of her neighbors, plus the entire Muslim world. Iran is #1 due to its nuke program, with open targets “the little Satan”, Israel, and the “big Satan”, the USA. Others are Arab and Muslim nations such as Saudi Arabia. The Imams running Iran also plan to start WW3, for religious reasons.- Obama has chosen the wrong side of History and the wrong side of the Bible God, Creator of the Universe and Judge of all who mistreat God’s Chosen People, Israel and the New Covenant Christians (Romans chapter 11). That Judgement will be severe, and eternal.
ypoons7666 said, about 3 hours ago @disgustedtaxpayer Jeeeeezzzzz…‘Now I’m really depressed…(’no intentional dissing of your comments – ’just the big downer that they embrace…) =o(-Those who put trust in the God of the Bible and in the messages of the Bible, know that no matter how far God allows evil to expand, there is a Limit, and there is a day coming (sooner than ever before) when God the Son (Jesus, or as the Jews say “Yeshua”) will come back and right all wrongs. That will be a day of Victory and Celebration and the beginning of true Peace on earth, with a Just and Fair government by the King of Kings, for the entire earth, without Satan to tempt people to sin against God. To truly be “In Christ” by the rebirth of our spirit, is to be safe and happy no matter what happens before our resurrection into immortality!
Christopher Shea over 10 years ago
If you think Netanyahu is a “steadfast friend” you clearly haven’t been paying attention.
goweeder over 10 years ago
“We have no right to tell Iran what to do – we do have the right, however, to limit our ties to them if we don’t like what they’re doing.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~and limiting our ties with them won’t be that big a deal after they’venuked us into oblivion.
BE THIS GUY over 10 years ago
Iran is not North Korea. It is not controlled by one family that demand a cult like devotion. Whenever given a choice between an extremist and a moderate, the Iranian people have chosen the moderate. Ahmadinejad was an aberration who was elected because of his success as Mayor of Tehran. He had to steal his reelection. The first popularly President elected after the Islamic Revolution wasn’t a religious fanatic but a French trained economist, Abollhasan Banisadr.Iran currently has very large population between the age of 20-30. Many of them are well educated but the current Iranian economy cannot support them. Iran desperately wants to become part of the international community but they cannot engage in a complete surrender to Western demands. They have to save face.The Iranians have had a nuclear program since 1950s. The nuclear program had started under the Shah, which included a clandestine weapons program even though Iran had signed a non-proliferation in 1968.-http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Shah_of_Iran_building_two_nuclear_plants.jpg/428px-Shah_of_Iran_building_two_nuclear_plants.jpg-Jane’s Defense Weekly reported in April 1984 that West German intelligence believed that Iran could have nuclear weapons within 2 years; 29 years later, it still doesn’t have them.Ayatollah Khomeini stopped the weapons program because he considered nuclear weapons against Islamic teaching.He restarted the weapons program as the Iraq-Iran war dragged on.This is the unique nature of nuclear weapons; India has the bomb because China has the bomb; Pakistan has the bomb because India has it. Well, Iran had a weapons program because they believed Iraq may get the bomb. People make comparisons to 1938 Munich. Only problem is, Iran is nowhere near the military power Germany was. It’s Air Force still uses planes from the 1960s and 1970s and does not have access to parts to maintain them. It has a navy whose abilities are limited to the Persian gulf. The US has a larger naval presence in the Persian Gulf with the 5th fleet headquartered at Bahrain. Iran has never been a threat to Israel. There are 2 large countries – Iraq and Jordan – between Iran and Israel. Any attack on Israel can lead to a fallout on its Arab neighbors.
The majority of the Iranian population was born after the Revolution. The younger generation hates the regime and the system. Ayatollah Khomeini’s 2 grandsons are Muslim clerics who have spoken out against the regime that their grandfather founded and asked for greater democracy. One has traveled to the west and met with the Shah’s son, seeking reconciliation. Iran’s number one goal is creating enough jobs for a large work age population.Iran and it’s current leaders are not going to engage in behavior that will lead to it’s own self-destruction.
BE THIS GUY over 10 years ago
Of course, he isn’t an Israeli puppet; the Israeli puppet lost in 2012.
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
Past time for ALL our politicians to cut all those strings, and the ones to AIPAC here at home. It’s long been said that as long as there remains a Jew and an Arab on the planet, Earth will never see total peace. It’s “biblical”, and very much because of religious dogma from the “book of hate”. (especially the chapters in the Old “books” that set the real objectives for the “new”, and the final chapter.)
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
AND I’m aware that Iran is NOT an ARAB nation, but the conflict between Jew, Christian, and Muslim boils down to the same irrationality
pirate227 over 10 years ago
Or so bibi thought.
hippogriff over 10 years ago
SkepticCal: Eisenhower warned us about the military/industrial complex – Obama embraced it. Obamacare is still Romneycare from the Heritage Foundation – hardly “moderate” but definitely Republican (and a month deep in Romneycare, Massachusetts had signed up 106 citizens – Obama even copied that detail). Obama has continued Shrub’s “out of the boardroom, into the bedroom” “security” apparatus. Sanders is a Socialist (and permitted to claim it when mayor of Burlington) – Clinton could have slipped into the Eisenhower administration undetected, but Obama could fit into Reagan’s if no one noticed his skin color. Greens and Socialists are the only liberal parties left in the country (not counting a few endangered Democrats in Congress who have to raise campaign money online because their party won’t).
giancarlo.bellumori over 10 years ago
Bravo!
Robert H. Boyer over 10 years ago
Utterly and completely ridiculous, but that is par for the course with this political cartoonist.
disgustedtaxpayer over 10 years ago
False premise in this Luckovich cartoon—-it is Obama that attempts to be the “puppet master” of whoever leads Israel..!!-What Obama has done from Day 1 of his regime, is to ignore the fact that Israel is the victim and the target of most of her neighbors, plus the entire Muslim world. Iran is #1 due to its nuke program, with open targets “the little Satan”, Israel, and the “big Satan”, the USA. Others are Arab and Muslim nations such as Saudi Arabia. The Imams running Iran also plan to start WW3, for religious reasons.- Obama has chosen the wrong side of History and the wrong side of the Bible God, Creator of the Universe and Judge of all who mistreat God’s Chosen People, Israel and the New Covenant Christians (Romans chapter 11). That Judgement will be severe, and eternal.
disgustedtaxpayer over 10 years ago
ypoons7666 said, about 3 hours ago @disgustedtaxpayer Jeeeeezzzzz…‘Now I’m really depressed…(’no intentional dissing of your comments – ’just the big downer that they embrace…) =o(-Those who put trust in the God of the Bible and in the messages of the Bible, know that no matter how far God allows evil to expand, there is a Limit, and there is a day coming (sooner than ever before) when God the Son (Jesus, or as the Jews say “Yeshua”) will come back and right all wrongs. That will be a day of Victory and Celebration and the beginning of true Peace on earth, with a Just and Fair government by the King of Kings, for the entire earth, without Satan to tempt people to sin against God. To truly be “In Christ” by the rebirth of our spirit, is to be safe and happy no matter what happens before our resurrection into immortality!