Reader Helen Wells writes to comment on my “God save the Queen” post below:
Sorry to be critical. I’m sure you will understand it is offered in friendship.
You have certainly mischaracterized the “mad mullahs of Tehran.” Ali Yunesi was perfectly correct that US offers of economic aid were “funny and disrespectful.” Iran is not an impoverished country. They have a high rate of literacy, moderate income, and long life expectancy. So how could they ever be impressed with our stupid offers of money?
Contrarily, they are morally bound to destroy Western Culture. Or at least give it an honest try. Developing the Persian Bomb ((not “the Muslim bomb”–that’s already been done)) seems like as good a way as any. So their response to our diplomatic efforts is perfectly rational. Part of that effort is extending their influence into the western hemisphere via Hugo Chavez.
The real question is: When will our response become rational?
Reader Warren Meyer also writes:
Your post of the Reuters picture of Chavez and Khatami being all buddy-buddy inspired me to this post on a guide, mainly for the left: “How to spot a dictatorship.”
Meyer is the proprietor of Coyote Blog.
UPDATE: Reader Reid Freeman comments:
Please ask Helen Wells how she finds the Iranians’ being “morally bound to destroy Western Culture” rational. Or is this moral obligation a postulate in her comment? What US response would become, for her, rational? Is she counseling an attack, or merely our being resigned to another dictatorship with nuclear bombs, this one “morally bound to destroy Western Culture”?
Reader Dafydd ab Hugh adds:
If indeed, as Ms. Wells carefully explains, the mullahs are “morally bound to destroy Western Culture,” then aren’t we, as the defenders of Western culture, morally bound to destroy the current regime in Iran?
Mort Kondracke, I believe, noted that even though Iran is one of the world’s largest exporters of oil, that in fact they have no refining capability to speak of… which means they must import nearly all of their gasoline. It seems plausible that a simple blocade of all gasoline deliveries to Iran, especially those from Venezuela, might be an effective come-to-Jesus meeting with the mullahs (er, so to speak).
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