A gem of a letter to the editor about Israel

[Monkeyleg]

Writers to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have been non-provocative lately, but this writer makes up for that in spades. I think the paper should create a Mad Hatter award, and make this writer the first recipient.

Fear of Iran baseless

The letter, "Israel's fear isn't irrational," represents a textbook example of how fear is often itself irrational because it is baseless (Your Views, April 24). Iran never "proclaimed" a desire to "destroy" Israel. This untruth has been exposed, even recently in corporate media.

Iran is not ruled by "religious fanatics." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (falsely accused of having said this) may have a provocative tongue, but he doesn't run Iran. Further, Iran has never attacked any country - unlike Israel, which has done so six times in modern history.

Iran signed the Nuclear Arms Treaty when given United States nuclear technology so that it could exercise its legal right to develop nuclear energy. In contrast, Israel refuses to sign or disclose its hundreds of nuclear weapons, making it, not Iran, the major threat in the region.

Israel also reminds the region that it is the fourth-most powerful military on Earth through its violent occupation of Palestine. Iran has had an open-door policy for decades. International and U.S. intelligence agencies and our military have verified that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program.

How did the U.S. respond to Cuba? This nuclear crisis was ended by our president talking with Russia's chairman; all missiles were removed.

Foreign policy needs to be based on facts, not fears.

Robert Burkart-Lemke
Milwaukee

[TommyGunn]

And the Klingons were girl scouts.........

Robert Burkart-Lemke is either firmly entrenched in antisemitism or a nutcake.  He is certainly very misinformed on the 20th century history of the mideast.   
There's not really much else to be said about wackos like him.

[Monkeyleg]

He's also not very well-versed in 20th century history of the US. Kennedy didn't end the missile crisis by talking with Kruschev, but by playing brinksmanship with the blockade (and giving Kruschev the removal of missiles from Turkey, which was always Kruschev's end game).

[MicroBalrog]

That's... not quite as crazy as most of your letters to the editor.

[Perd Hapley]

Everybody picks on Iran for wearin' a hoodie.

[Monkeyleg]

That's... not quite as crazy as most of your letters to the editor.

Well, he's saying that Iran isn't an aggressor nation, that it's not run by a crazy despot bent on the destruction of Israel, that its nuclear program has been verified by our intelligence and military to be for peaceful purposes, that all in all, Iran is the Mary Poppins of the Middle East, and that the Cuban missile crisis was ended by some sort of chat between Kennedy and Kruschev. If that doesn't qualify this writer for a rubber room, I don't know what does.

[MicroBalrog]

Well, he's saying that Iran isn't an aggressor nation, that it's not run by a crazy despot bent on the destruction of Israel, that its nuclear program has been verified by our intelligence and military to be for peaceful purposes, that all in all, Iran is the Mary Poppins of the Middle East, and that the Cuban missile crisis was ended by some sort of chat between Kennedy and Kruschev. If that doesn't qualify this writer for a rubber room, I don't know what does.

Wait. You seriously believe Ahmadinejad runs Iran?

And that Iran is planning to destroy Israel with atomic weapons?

[RoadKingLarry]

Well, he's saying that Iran isn't an aggressor nation, that it's not run by a crazy despot bent on the destruction of Israel, that its nuclear program has been verified by our intelligence and military to be for peaceful purposes, that all in all, Iran is the Mary Poppins of the Middle East, and that the Cuban missile crisis was ended by some sort of chat between Kennedy and Kruschev. If that doesn't qualify this writer for a rubber room, I don't know what does.

Either a rubber room or an appointment to Obama's cabinet.

[De Selby]

Well, he's saying that Iran isn't an aggressor nation, that it's not run by a crazy despot bent on the destruction of Israel, that its nuclear program has been verified by our intelligence and military to be for peaceful purposes, that all in all, Iran is the Mary Poppins of the Middle East, and that the Cuban missile crisis was ended by some sort of chat between Kennedy and Kruschev. If that doesn't qualify this writer for a rubber room, I don't know what does.

How many nations has Iran attacked since 1979?

Also, who has provided any evidence that Iran is building a weapon?  We have inspected Iran through the IAEA and no evidence of a weapons program has turned up.

The writer is also exactly right that Iran is entitled under a treaty WITH US to develop nuclear power.  Israel is not, and actually possesses nuclear weapons.  Aside from helping South Africa to develop nukes (hey what a great idea that was!), can you see how that is a bigger threat to the world than Iran?

[AJ Dual]

Wait. You seriously believe Ahmadinejad runs Iran?

And that Iran is planning to destroy Israel with atomic weapons?

The last thing Iran wants is the destruction if Israel. It's so central to their state-orthodoxy as a boogeyman, I'm not sure they'd know how to govern without it.

[TommyGunn]

How many nations has Iran attacked since 1979?

Also, who has provided any evidence that Iran is building a weapon?  We have inspected Iran through the IAEA and no evidence of a weapons program has turned up.

The writer is also exactly right that Iran is entitled under a treaty WITH US to develop nuclear power.  Israel is not, and actually possesses nuclear weapons.  Aside from helping South Africa to develop nukes (hey what a great idea that was!), can you see how that is a bigger threat to the world than Iran?

Those missiles they launch aren't "evidence??"  DeSelby, you're being absurd. Do you REALLY THINK all those underground bunkers Iran has developed to purify fissile material was done for the purpose of building a nuclear reactor?

[makattak]

How many nations has Iran attacked since 1979?

An extremely large number, the most prominent of which are the United States and Israel. Or do you not count war by proxy as "attacks"?

[makattak]

Wait. You seriously believe Ahmadinejad runs Iran?

And that Iran is planning to destroy Israel with atomic weapons?

1. Of course he is beholden to the mullahs.

2. "Plan" does not equal "Has a desire to" and if someone "has a desire to kill me", but not the means, I tend to not wait to do something until they "have a plan to kill me" and the means.

[Monkeyleg]

Sigh.

[MicroBalrog]

1. Of course he is beholden to the mullahs.

2. "Plan" does not equal "Has a desire to" and if someone "has a desire to kill me", but not the means, I tend to not wait to do something until they "have a plan to kill me" and the means.

Do you believe Ahmadinejad has the desire to start an atomic war with Israel?

[Jamie B]

Sigh.

IBTL 

[makattak]

Do you believe Ahmadinejad has the desire to start an atomic war with Israel?

With 100% certainty? No.

Do I believe there is a significant chance that he is interested in precipitating the rise of the 12th imam which may include an attack on Israel? Yes.

One should never assume their enemy is completely rational, and especially should not stake their survival as a nation upon that assumption. (Not to say that you should assume they are irrational, but that their aims and goals are not likely to be the same as yours.)

Ever heard the story of the scorpion and the frog?

[Tallpine]

Kennedy didn't end the missile crisis by talking with Kruschev

Actually, more recent information suggests that JFK was talking back channels with Kruschev.

[MicroBalrog]

With 100% certainty? No.

Do I believe there is a significant chance that he is interested in precipitating the rise of the 12th imam which may include an attack on Israel? Yes.

One should never assume their enemy is completely rational, and especially should not stake their survival as a nation upon that assumption. (Not to say that you should assume they are irrational, but that their aims and goals are not likely to be the same as yours.)

Ever heard the story of the scorpion and the frog?

Makattak, we all know Ahmadinejad is going to fire off the nukes the first day he has one. How dare you doubt that?

Do you hate Jews, Makattak? WHY DO YOU HATE JEWS?

[Jamie B]

[TommyGunn]

Kennedy didn't end the missile crisis by talking with Kruschev

Actually, more recent information suggests that JFK was talking back channels with Kruschev.

Well, backchannel talks are "par for the course."   Does that mean it was the "talks" that ended the crises?
Me thinks it was the blockade......

[Monkeyleg]

Well, backchannel talks are "par for the course."   Does that mean it was the "talks" that ended the crises?
Me thinks it was the blockade......

That's what I meant. But it was also the horsetrading for the missiles in Turkey that sealed the deal, and Kruschev snookered Kennedy on that one. The writer of the letter sounds like Obama, believing that merely talking things over like one rational adult to another can resolve conflicts.

[MicroBalrog]

That's what I meant. But it was also the horsetrading for the missiles in Turkey that sealed the deal, and Kruschev snookered Kennedy on that one. The writer of the letter sounds like Obama, believing that merely talking things over like one rational adult to another can resolve conflicts.

The Politburo thought Kennedy was triumphant - enough that this was part of their reasoning for removing Khruschev.

[MechAg94]

That's what I meant. But it was also the horsetrading for the missiles in Turkey that sealed the deal, and Kruschev snookered Kennedy on that one. The writer of the letter sounds like Obama, believing that merely talking things over like one rational adult to another can resolve conflicts.

I think that attitude is pretty common to the liberal thought process despite thousands of years of human history to show it often doesn't work on the type of people who would attack you in the first place. 

[MechAg94]

That's what I meant. But it was also the horsetrading for the missiles in Turkey that sealed the deal, and Kruschev snookered Kennedy on that one. The writer of the letter sounds like Obama, believing that merely talking things over like one rational adult to another can resolve conflicts.

But modern movies tell me it was the X-Men who ended that whole mess.