"RBnDFW" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Mark Rand" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:57:44 -0400, "Ed Huntress"

wrote:


They certainly have a reason, but it's not one that Western countries
would
accept.

This isn't a sporting competition, nor are we applying Western-style
rules
of evidence. This is a case of realpolitik, in which most countries
understand the principles of non-proliferation and the instability risk
posed by a nuclear-armed Iran. It isn't just Israel that's nervous.
It's
also much of the Arab Middle East, who probably would feel compelled to
develop their own nuclear weapons in a balance of terror.

Then all bets are off. The issue is whether we'll allow that kind of
instability and threat of nuclear war to develop out of the theoretical
niceties of sovereignty, the way we did with Germany between the wars.
Most
of the world's powers apparently have decided we will not.
Israel has a right to be nervous. If they gave up on the quasi-religious
bigoted paranoia and tried to work _with_ their neighbours and those
whose
land they occupy, there would not quite so much desire amongst those
neighbours to wipe them off the face of the earth. Supporting their
deluded
world view and continuing atrocious behaviour does nothing to stabilize
the
region.

We'll never agree about this, and my opinion of Israel is not what you
probably assume. But the idea of "working with their neighbors" suggests
to me an unrealistic view of their history -- and especially an
unrealistic view of their neighbors.

If the Israelis had the opportunity, they probably would wipe out their
neighbors. As for the neighbors, they've proven multiple times that they
would do the same.

IIRC... way back when, God commanded the Isrealites to destroy their
enemies, every last man, woman, child, and beast.
They didn't do it, and are still paying for the oversight.

That would have solved the Christian problem, all right. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress