I know I said that I was going to get more into blogging, but I’ve been pretty busy lately. I had jury duty last month, and was sequestered for a few days, and then ended up being very busy with work and travelling, and had no time to write. I apologize to all my readers for not updating as often as I should!

Anyhow, today’s blog is about the “deal” that was concluded between the West and Iran. As usual if you have any comments, do feel free to chime in below!

The big news recently is that Iran, whose former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad infamously threatened to “wipe Israel off the map” recently struck a deal with the nations of the world to halt their national nuclear weapons program. While I’m not the conspiracy-minded type, nor am I one to question the actions of our civic leaders, I am skeptical that this deal will really work.

First off the “deal” only caps enrichment but does not freeze it or roll it back. This means that Iran can still use existing material to make a bomb. In essence what this means is that the West played into their hands of accepting its so-called “right” to enrich uranium. Furthermore, uranium enrichment capabilities are not dismantled, as had been demanded by U.N. resolutions. Also, the deal includes “sanctions relief” which is essentially a reward for Iran’s 30 years of bad behavior. Moreover, the so-called treaty does nothing to limit Iran’s conventional weapons stockpile, standing army, or naval/air capabilities. Lastly, the “deal” only lasts six months – with no guarantee of being continued in the future.

At best, the deal just buys Iran more time. It’s been common knowledge in the military and intelligence community that Iran has been quite close to developing nuclear technology for the past decade, and this deal only gives them time to stall while possibly continuing covert activities. Make no mistake: Iran is one of the world’s most dangerous regimes, and is allied with equally heinous and repressive nations such as Russia, China and North Korea. The world might be safe for the time being, but as history shows, rogue regimes seldom play by the rules (Nazi Germany’s violation of the Treaty of Versailles comes to mind). There is no guarantee that six months from now, Iran will not resume their attempts to develop WMD’s.

It’s understandable that negotiation can be difficult, but it must be remembered that the United States, as the defender of the free world, still has the upper hand at the table. Military action, or at least the possibility of it, should never have been taken off the list of possibilities. It might sound a bit harsh, but it must be remembered that Iran’s leaders are not likely to be reasonable; when dealing with rogue regimes, sometimes the ONLY way to secure peace is to send a message to your opposition. Surround the Iranian coast with a blockade. Mobilize troop and aircraft carriers and let them know that if our conditions aren’t met then they will be responsible for starting a war. It’s really quite simple: by upping the stakes, Iran will be forced to play fair.

Since the election of a supposedly “reformist” president, most people probably think that things are going to get better. Rouhani’s and his ilk are no less hostile to progress and tolerance than his predecessor, and we should remember that Iran is a theocratic, reactionary state that threatens the entire region. They are one of the foremost violators of human rights, executing thousands of people every year, and is one of the biggest supporters of international terrorism in the world. The Iranian regime’s targets include women, Christians, Baha’is, members of the LGBTQI community, and many more. I admit that I have a tendency to become a bit insensitive whenever I rebuke Iran, and while I am desirous of mending this tiny personality flaw, I maintain we should knock down Iran’s house of cards. By “house of cards,” I’m referring to the fragile, highly unstable, and pompous framework of lies on which Iran’s new-found popularity is based.

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