Hypocrisy and self-delusion on Iran
I have to admit I was rather surprised to hear that the president of Iran had made some remarks about wanting to see Israel “wiped off the map”, and that other countries were ever so shocked, even though the remarks, which nobody has said indicated any intention of actually trying to wipe Israel off the map, were basically a re-statement of what has been Iranian policy for decades. (Why is it that, when reading stories on the BBC’s news site, you cannot get a link to the root story?) Of course, this has put off a lot of western countries which previously had Iranian connections or at least weren’t enemies.
Tory Bliar then went on to attack other aspects of Iranian policy:
Their attitude towards Israel, their attitude towards terrorism, their attitude on the nuclear weapons issue – it isn’t acceptable. …
If they continue down this path, then people are going to believe that they are a real threat to our world security and stability.
They may believe… the eyes of the world will be elsewhere, but I felt a real sense of revulsion at those remarks.
Ah yes, those weapons. Of course, nuclear weapons in the hands of oppressive régimes is nothing new – witness India with its Hindu-fascist (until recently) ruling class, China, Russia, and a country which treated its black population like second-class citizens until well after they developed nukes. Still, I’m puzzled by people’s attitudes to Iranian nuclear weapons, which as ever come with a dose of self-delusion (not to say the usual hypocrisy whenever a country outside “the club” develops nuclear weapons).
Simon Lederman, on his night show on BBC London radio, had this cab driver on his show, who told us that people tend to think cabbies are less intelligent than they really are, and say things to them. Among them was an explanation for the Iraq war, namely that there’s a country next door which is on the verge of getting nuclear weapons along with missiles which could reach Paris. So Iraq is a kind of staging post in the event of “needing” to “do something” about Iran.
So, the only reason Iran would develop nuclear weapons is to take out a faraway city just for fun or out of spite. Peeeeeeeeowwww boom, there goes Paris. The fact that other countries are rattling the sabres and seriously talking “business” and have occupied the country next door, and that the Iranians might see the need to bolster their defences, doesn’t occur to these people. The notion that they would take out Israel with a nuke is laughable; there is no way anyone could nuke Israel without it killing a whole load of the local Arabs as well. Face it – if Iran is developing nuclear weapons, the purpose is so that other countries would think twice before invading their country, because their troops and bases could be taken out in one fell swoop.
