"Is Iran's nuclear threat of any concern to us?" isn't a great question because the answer is obviously "yes," it is a concern - but that is NOT what is being debated.

What's being debated is whether or not a nuclear Iran is a IMMINENT CRISIS. The answer to that question is decidedly "NO!"

Why?

If you haven't gotten a chance to watch or rent Ken Burn's "The War," do so now:

"www.pbs.org/thewar"

I've only watched the first couple of episodes, but it makes clear just how much the United States and England were on the ropes and seriously risked losing the war to Imperial Japan and Germany in the first year or so of the war. Quoting from the first episode:

"Unlike the professional armies of Germany and Japan, the armed forces that young American men rushed to join after Pearl Harbor had been totally unprepared to wage a world war. In 1940, the U.S. Army had been smaller than that of Rumania: only 174,000 men in uniform, wearing tin hats and leggings issued during World War I, and carrying rifles designed in 1903. The Army still owned tens of thousands of cavalry horses. "

From the battles against the Japanese advance in the Pacific, to the horrific loss of U.S. and British life in the air war over occupied Europe, to the taking of Italy from the Germans, I don't think anyone in their right mind would have predicted certain victory - far from it. It was unimaginably difficult, and while no really knew it - the worse, far worse, was yet come.

Ken Burn's "The War" puts into stark and badly needed relief the rhetoric again Iran, e.g., Bush's prediction of WWIII. With the U.S. being the only world's real superpower with the mightiest military machine in the entire history of the planet, I think too many people have forgotten what a REAL threat looks like: there's nothing going on the world today - not even close - that compares to the threat that the Axis Powers presented to the west in the 1940's.

Nothing.

Iran may and probably will get a few nuclear weapons in a few years - but look at what we have at our disposal:

"www.cdi.org/issues/nukef&f/database/usnukes.html"

9/11 did change alot - but mostly it changed perceptions, and contrary to those perceptions, the U.S. is in no real imminent peril from Iran or radical Islam:

"According to an article in the June 2001 25th edition of Newsweek, President Bush was stunned when he was told in May of the size of the US nuclear arsenal. Bush was quoted as saying, 'I had no idea we had so many weapons.'

"www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2001/06/00_krieger_b ush-stunned.htm"

The progressive left has their "crisis" and imminent peril: global warming. The neo-conservative right has it's own "crisis" and imminent peril: a nuclear armed Iran.

These are "problems," slowly developing problems. They are NOT catastrophic crises imminently barring down on us.

If you want to see what a catastrophic crises imminently barring down on one looks like - rent or see Ken Burn's "The War."

Further reference reading:

"Bush's Iran Argument Lacks Sense, Credibility:"

"www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8683" and

"Evidence Suggests Iran Wouldn't Pull Nuclear Trigger:"

"www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=7770"

NOTE: Helium sometimes inserts spaces in URLs. If you cut and paste any of these URL strings and they don't work, find and remove any spaces in the string.

Learn more about this author, The Secret Of Theatrical Space.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Is Iran's nuclear threat of any concern to us??
We want to hear your view. Write now!