Written By : Ron Coleman

Iran’s nuclear arsenal is a problem for which the blame can be shared across all Western regimes.  And I don’t blame Russia, China or North Korea, really, because they’re doing exactly what Russia, China and North Korea will do.  But this is not a Republican or a Democrat thing; it’s a disaster thing and a lack of guts thing and a collective-action-dilemma thing.

So <a href=”http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091222/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear” target=”_blank”>here’s the thing</a>:
<blockquote>The international community can give Iran “as many deadlines as they want, we don’t care,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech to thousands of supporters in the southern city of <span id=”lw_1261504480_7″ style=”background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;”>Shiraz</span>.

Ahmadinejad dismissed the threat of sanctions, saying Iran wants talks “under just conditions where there is <span id=”lw_1261504480_8″ style=”background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;”>mutual respect</span>.”

“We told you that we are not afraid of sanctions against us, and we are not intimidated,” he said, addressing the West. “If Iran wanted to make a bomb, we would be brave enough to tell you.”

As the crowd cheered: “We love you, Ahmadinejad,” the Iranian leader lashed out at Washington, vowing Iran will stand up against U.S. attempts to “dominate the <span id=”lw_1261504480_9″>Middle East</span>.”</blockquote>
If you wanted to make up a scenario where a modern-day, psychologically dented, ideologically bizarre and, natch, antisemitic regime vaulted itself into great power status and the ability to threaten the whole world with (small H) holocaust … and said all the leader of that country had to do was follow the Hitler-at-Munich playbook <strong>to a T</strong> … in what <strong>possible</strong> respect would it look any different from how Iran looks right now?

<em>Cross-posted on Likelihood of Success.</em>

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