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Iran: More gunboat diplomacy

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by jgmacg, Oct 25, 2007.

  1. jgmacg

    jgmacg Guest

    The death spiral with Iran tightens.

    http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-US-Iran.html?hp

    And having read that, take the time to watch this, which is an even-handed indictment of what we've done wrong.

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/showdown/
     
  2. Maybe Iran deserves it?
     
  3. andyouare?

    andyouare? Guest

    Iran's leaders or Iran's people? They're two different things.
     
  4. Beaker

    Beaker Active Member

    The only things sanctions do is solidify the Iranian middle class' support for their leadership. They may not love their leaders, but actions like these redirect their frustrations to the U.S.

    Fareed Zakaria's thoughts on sanctions (though he's discussing Burma in this case):

    http://www.newsweek.com/id/42456
     
  5. So, basically, the U.S. should never do anything? What do you suggest?
     
  6. andyouare?

    andyouare? Guest

    from the story:

    By design, sanctions shrink a country's economy. But the parts of the economy they shrink most are those that aren't under total state control. The result, says Robert Pape, a University of Chicago professor who has authored a wide-ranging study on the topic, is that "the state gains greater control of a smaller pie. And it shifts resources in the country toward groups that support [the state] and away from those that oppose it."

    In other words, the government gets stronger. We can see this at work from Cuba to Iran. "Even in Iraq," says Pape, "there were far fewer coup attempts in the era of sanctions than in the previous decades."
     
  7. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    And then there's the most recent Zakaria column on Iran...

    http://www.newsweek.com/id/57346

     
  8. jgmacg

    jgmacg Guest

    I'm guessing you didn't watch the "Frontline" program I posted.
     
  9. Beaker

    Beaker Active Member

    Here's another interesting piece about moderate middle class Iranians:

    http://www.newsweek.com/id/41886

     
  10. Beaker

    Beaker Active Member

    I'm not sure that there's a clear cut answer. In fact, there isn't. But the solution isn't through military action or economic sanctions; the solution, if there is to be one, has to be political and cultural.

    There have been signs that Iran is willing to negotiate concerning their uranium programs; we need to take advantage of that. And we need to cut the blustery language and instead take part in some kind of diplomacy that encourages Iran's moderate, not ant-Western middle class. Only then can we create the good will necessary to promote democracy in Iran as their certainly are those elements within Iran who want a more democratic system.
     
  11. "Speak softly and carry a big stick" still has resonance.
     
  12. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    Since when does "speak softly" equate to "rattling sabers and dropping hints about military action?"
     
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