> Maybe we should have brokered some kinda deal with Iran to prevent them getting a nuclear weapon then, huh.

Maybe we should have brokered some kind of deal with Russia to prevent them from invading Ukraine. Do you trust American intelligence 100% to verify Iran is not building a nuclear bomb? And if they weren't, why also were they funding these militant groups? What's the point? It's Neo-colonialism in the Middle East.

> At this point they'd be fools to not pursue getting one, and we killed everyone in a position of authority who was rational about it.

The leadership wasn't really rational in your western sense. I'm not sure where you are coming up with that. If they were rational they wouldn't be murdering their own civilians, chanting death to Israel and death to America as a national past time (no sane nation does this, or if you want to argue they do then don't get mad when Americans are burning the Koran or whatever) and funding militants. You're trying to argue from a place that assumes your values about economics and prosperity and global human rights with an entity that does not care about those values.

If they were rational as you'd like them to be they'd just not do any of the things they've been doing. Why does Iran have to get special treatment to not build a nuclear weapon? Have you thought about that? Why do we have to pay them off? Why are they special snowflakes who get to hold the world hostage less they build nuclear bombs to threaten others?

> Cats out of the bag, one more nuclear rogue state.

That's the fault of the rest of the world then for failing to come together to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

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nemomarx 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Burning the Koran is protected free speech, just as burning a flag is, or the Bible, or whatever else you'd like.

The point is we had a deal, and Iran kept their enrichment below weapons development levels for all of that time. Even a few years after the deal was broken by Trump, apparently. We could have kept that status quo going and not dealt with tolls in the strait and expensive military operations, and it would have been better for everyone involved. But now I don't see a path back to that, and no one is interested enough to stop the proliferation or put enough resources into it to "win". Blame whoever you like I guess, but I'm blaming Trump for tearing things up and kicking off this recent war.

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ericmay 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Anchoring on this deal is a waste of time. We shouldn't have had to have a deal in the first place. They could just join other responsible countries like, idk, Vietnam, Brazil, and hmmm who else, Switzerland! in not pursuing nuclear weapons.

> We could have kept that status quo going

Like the last time the Houthis disrupted shipping? Or when Iran launched and supported attacks on Israel, plus continued disruption in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq? (Yemen too but mentioned via Houthis). Idk if that's a tolerable situation.

	▲	nemomarx an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I don't recall the houthis disrupting shipping before 2018. The status quo under before that point was fine for the global economy and for the US. If it wasn't fine for Israel, that's a problem for their own military to deal with, ideally without US backing that drags other countries into the issue. Good luck with non proliferation but I think the very obvious "we can attack and invade countries without nukes but can't do that to countries with nukes" lesson is being demonstrated to everyone, so countries that don't want to be invaded will be trying to get them now. Anyone near Russia for sure, possibly even Switzerland eventually.

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pphysch 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Maybe we should have brokered some kind of deal with Russia to prevent them from invading Ukraine.

I understand history and contemporary events is not your strong suit, but such a deal was very much on the table in December 2021 and the Biden Admin laughed it off. Then again in April 2022.

	▲	ericmay 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> I understand history and contemporary events is not your strong suit, I'd check your understanding but ok. > but such a deal was very much on the table in December 2021 and the Biden Admin laughed it off. What was the deal then? And please let us know how acceptable it was to the EU and Ukraine as well. :)