Double Standard, Anyone?
Since today is the anniversary of the first use of nuclear weaponry in wartime, let's talk a bit about Iran's nuclear weapons program. After all, that's the great bugaboo in international diplomacy and a major reason that Certain People in Washington, DC want us to start raining ordnance down on Tehran.
Iran has several nuclear power reactors, and with some effort has started an enrichment cycle to produce either plutonium (harder than you think) or oralloy (enriched uranium - dandy for bombmaking). They have rejected the call from the United Nations to stop what they're doing, and they've tried to acquire more uranium (I had a link for that, and will post it when I find it again).
Now let's look at another nation.
Israel has a French-made nuclear reactor and enrichment facility, named Dimona, out in the Negev Desert. They are so paranoid about anyone seeing what goes on there that they shot down one of their own planes when it got too close (so any pictures of it are taken by satellite). They are notoriously close-mouthed about how many weapons they have, although one scientist, a fellow named Mordechai Vanunu, claimed that they had 100 to 200 weapons.
Even discounting that by ten times, that's a lot of glow in the dark for any nation.
Now, Israel knows that it can count on the United States to veto any UN resolution condemning it or leveling sanctions on it for its nuclear program. So isn't the US being a bit disingenuous in allowing one bunch of troublemakers to make nukes while denying the same privilege to another set of troublemakers?
Iran has several nuclear power reactors, and with some effort has started an enrichment cycle to produce either plutonium (harder than you think) or oralloy (enriched uranium - dandy for bombmaking). They have rejected the call from the United Nations to stop what they're doing, and they've tried to acquire more uranium (I had a link for that, and will post it when I find it again).
Now let's look at another nation.
Israel has a French-made nuclear reactor and enrichment facility, named Dimona, out in the Negev Desert. They are so paranoid about anyone seeing what goes on there that they shot down one of their own planes when it got too close (so any pictures of it are taken by satellite). They are notoriously close-mouthed about how many weapons they have, although one scientist, a fellow named Mordechai Vanunu, claimed that they had 100 to 200 weapons.
Even discounting that by ten times, that's a lot of glow in the dark for any nation.
Now, Israel knows that it can count on the United States to veto any UN resolution condemning it or leveling sanctions on it for its nuclear program. So isn't the US being a bit disingenuous in allowing one bunch of troublemakers to make nukes while denying the same privilege to another set of troublemakers?
posted by Walt at 9:52 AM
3 Comments:
Hell yes, but that's not going to stop them.
Perhaps if we weren't threatening every nation that doesn't kiss our ass, other countries wouldn't be so keen for nukes. If you notice bush doesn't invade countries that already have nukes. It's like the bully who only picks on kids who don't have baseball bats. Pretty soon all the kids want a baseball bat so the bully won't beat them up.
Very true, Patricia. I was thinking of starting a program like that myself so I can achieve Neighborhhod Nuclear Superiority.
That will teach my neighbors to let their kids run across my yard ...
there ya go. Now you're thinking. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home