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It Was a Pretty Bad Week
By Kate Burch

Sometimes it’s hard not to be dispirited.  First there was the spectacle of the new fascisti persecuting and financially ruining small business owners in Indiana in their campaign to force mainstream acquiescence to the homosexual activist agenda.  How is it that a small, vicious special interest group, purportedly representing 1-3% of the population, (though, actually, they are probably merely committed troublemakers) gets to run over the rights of peaceable people to live their religious values, causing absolutely no real harm to anyone?

Then, there was the Iran “framework of a deal.”  One can only speculate about the possible motives for the concessions that have put Iran in the catbird seat, but it’s pretty obvious that the world is a lot less safe because of them. 

For some reason, Iran, that “tiny” country, according to the president, has been allowed to totally hijack the negotiations, relentlessly violating U.N. resolutions by increasing the number of their centrifuges from 100 to 20,000 during the course of the negotiations; and behaving as if deigning to sit at the table, all the while refusing to make any good-faith efforts, should be gratefully received by us.  That tiny country has shown, and has been crowing, that it triumphed in Lausanne. 

The framework is quite problematic with regard to verifiability and enforceability.  Iran gives up none of its equipment or facilities, and there are no firm requirements regarding proposed constraints and inspections.  Meanwhile, sanctions will be lifted, allowing Iran to improve its economy and oh, by the way, its ability to threaten and subdue its neighbors.

Once sanctions are lifted and some of our European allies resume trading with Iran, will they be quick to “snap back” sanctions when it inevitably becomes known that Iran is in violation? 

Iran’s neighbors will likely perceive that the United States is willing to allow a nuclear weapons capability to a nation that they consider to be their principal threat and adversary.  A Mid-East arms race is the only expectable outcome, and Saudi Arabia has already signaled that it will undertake development of nuclear arms.  Not only has Iran stated, clearly and on numerous occasions, that it opposes Western values and wishes “death to America,” but it is also entrenched in sectarian enmities that have endured for centuries and will not be modified by attempts at diplomacy.  Not only are Iran’s Middle-Eastern enemies put at serious risk by this likely nuclear proliferation, but also you and me. 

Whoever succeeds Barack Obama as President will have a real mess to clean up.  I don’t envy him, or her.


 
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