Iran
We are engaged in a cold war with the leadership in Iran. We should be. The senior clerics are imposing a theocracy on their people. The military, which props them up, and with whom they share power, is running a kleptocracy. Military power is increasing and its leaders are genuine thugs. Their stated aim is to wipe Israel off the map. They are building long range missiles. They are working to become regional hegemons, controlling enough oil reserves to hold the world hostage. Even if they adhere to the Obama/Kerry agreement, they will be able to build atomic weapons in eight years. On a regular basis, they take Western hostages and hold them for ransom. They share technology with North Korea. They are in league with Russia and the Syrian thug in the slaughter of the Syrian people. We need to do what we can to thwart those ambitions and punish that behavior.
Not that Iran’s leaders don’t have a bone to pick with us. They think that we overthrew a legitimate regime to install the Shah. We tried to do that in an inept fashion. FDR’s son’s account of events greatly exaggerated his crew’s effectiveness. Nevertheless, an avowed Marxist was overthrown and the Shah took his place. We supported the Shah, whose regime devolved into a police state. We also shot down one of their civilian airliners. It was an accident, but we did it. It is therefore unlikely that we will ever genuinely ingratiate ourselves to Iran’s ruling classes.
My point here is that we should be more effective about the conduct of our cold war. Let’s win it. What follows are some thoughts about how we might achieve that objective.
We start with: Drill, baby, drill! More precisely, ramp up energy production from all available sources. Drill in ANWR. Facilitate leases for drilling on other public lands and off shore. Fund research to get storage technology to the point of rendering solar and wind reliable energy sources. Build infrastructure to get solar and wind energy to market. Do more hydro. Figure out a way to cheaply build safe nuclear power plants. Export as much natural gas as possible to Europe to lessen their dependence on Russia and the Middle East. If we diminish the power of oil, we diminish the power of Russia, Venezuela and Iran.
Support the forces of democracy that are still alive in Iran. We should continuously offer moral support to any faction advocating democratic reform, and publicly castigate the regime for its failure to hold elections open to any candidate who wishes to run. If and when the populace goes to the streets again, we should offer material support, if they ask for it.
Push the UN to really enforce the nuclear agreement. Every time the Iranians hide the ball or refuse admission to a facility, they should be censured by the Security Council. Even if the Chinese and/or the Russians veto the resolution, we need to highlight the fact that the cheating is going on.
Finally, and most importantly, we need a joint venture with Israel to develop effective defense against short, medium and long range missiles. Defense that destroys the missiles in the launch phase. That plan has two advantages: It means that projectiles are easier to hit because they are traveling at a slower speed; and it means that the debris, including atomic warheads, will fall on the party launching the missiles.
The basic job of government should be to guarantee peace and prosperity. If we are to have a world in which we can trade freely and be safe in our persons, we need to rein in nations and movements that aren’t willing to behave in a civilized fashion. Iran clearly fills that bill. The veneer of civilization is perilously thin; we must constantly work to preserve it.
