James is certainly an angry young man. I dont know who or what he is most angry at, Iran, the notion of International law or the UN.

It is not hard to find problems with the UN or the principles and application of International law but I wonder what Jimmy considers the best framework in which to operate? The Law of Mc Conville I suspect.

This is the guy who recently wrote a piece about the need to move away from the left/right notion of politics towards something he labled "positive poitics" - an unbridled declaration that some one who has the time should blow the crap out of Iran and the Iranians doesnt strike me as a very positive notion. But then again this guy thinks torture is an OK pastime as well.

I think we will get a respite from his utterances once uni goes back - at least we can hope

Just to clear up that James does work at La Trobe Law.

Part One

“I agree that the West has always intervened in Iran (and Iraq for the benefit of the West). This is not surprising. That is what countries do!”

Plantagenet, the above copy of the opening paragraph of your commentary, reveals very much why the Islamic world is so angry today with the former barbarian Western world. Indeed, it should be read out to a class in political history and philosophy as an example of Western colonialism which began early in the Age of Enlightenment, but to many moral philosophers has stained with human blood the Age of Reason which began when St Thomas Aquinas in the 12th Century AD, accepted an Aristotalian document from Islamic scholars, indicating how balancing reason with revelation could lift the Christian Church out of its six hundred years long Dark Ages. But despite the West benefitting from the gift of reason, it was spoilt somewhat by humanity’s natural greed as even Adam Smith said later concerning capitalism, that though greed was part of competition and progress it needed to be balanced with understanding and compassion, which was hinted at incidently, by the early Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

Sorry about the historical palaver, mate, but it all can be found in any good university-based Western history book. Recently an Australian political philosopher and historian, Dr Denis Kenny, teaching at Harvard Univeristy, explained how Americans and no doubt most Britishers like us are inflicted with two colonial doctrines, Calvinism being the driving one, as exemplified by the Pilgrim Fathers, who preached more the Old Testament story of the Promised Land which justified taking the territory off the American Indians. Later came the men of the Enlightenment like Washington, Jefferson and Franklin, who were more New Testament, and though more democratic still helped take possession of the so-called Promised Lands. Of course, now there is quite a mix as any Humanities lecturer will tell you.

Iran would be crazy not to make as many nuclear bombs as it could.

The lessons of world politics are clear: if you have a bomb i.e.North Korea, you'll be treated cautiously, if the West is certain you don't have the bomb i.e. Iraq, you have a big problem.

I hope they do make bombs, and lots of them. Israel is menace to world peace and that region badly needs a counter weight to Israeli aggression. Perhaps with a real deterrent Israel would decide it's expansionist policies wouldn't be in its best interests anymore. After sixty years of occupation, they may even make a genuine effort at making peace with their neighbours. Even better, they wouldn't be manipulating the US (a basically good country) to do their dirty work for them.

As for the article, it was a joke -

"An important tenet of the rule of law is that the law should apply without fear or favour."

See UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 242 NOVEMBER 22, 1967

Israel has done nothing for FORTY YEARS. No wonder Saddam feels hard done by, what did he get 1? 2? And he DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY WMDs!

bushbred

History is indeed important and easily forgotten. As you’ve pointed out the views and actions of the movers and shakers are influenced by religion and other idealogies. Of course oil and Israel are the main interests of the West in region.

The Iranian revolution, seizing the US embassy hostages and more recent brushes between the US and Iran all colour US perceptions.

The utterances of the Iranian President on Israel and the Holocaust as well as the "Cartoon Crises" have not improved Iranian relations with the West.

At the moment Iran appears to be an immature regime and have an immature leader full of religious fervour. However, fortunately it has little miliary power. As yet.

Every other country in the region that superficially set out to build a civilian nuclear program (Israel, Pakistan and India) built nuclear weapons as the main objective.

Iran has the precedent, motivation and “reason” to do likewise.

But this is deadly – because Iran (with proven terrorist connection - this time) is potentially an enemy of the West – which would make it potentially Australia enemy. Meanwhile Pakistan and India’s nuclear weapons are aimed at each other and Israel is part of the West (if not the “51st state”).

Some questions are:

1. How quickly can Iran obtain the necessary enriched uranium and a efficient device to make up a bomb (make them, buy them)?

2. Are Bush and Co merely manufacturing a crisis concerning the above time factor eg. as a diversion from the embarrassment of Iraq?

3. Would international Organisations be effective in influencing Iran?

The answer to question 1. is MONTHS if Iran could buy a device (with its uranium) off the shelf (say) from Pakistan, Russia or North Korea.

Or up to 7 years (from the various estimates I've read) if Iran has to develop things from the ground up. As Iran already has many Russian technicians this time fram might be lower.

So yes history is important (as somebody like Churchill knew) but it is also important to identify unprecedented dangers from nuclear weapons.

Pete

Bushbred - Part Two

Anyhow, Plantagenet, there is no need to indicate which colonial doctrine your initial paragraph has indicated, more that of Calvinism, which many thinkers believe is the main driver of the US Republicans, assisted very much by the Right Wing Pentacostal Churches, as well as Jewish-American Zionists.

Moreover, the backing of Israel by the US and the earlier secretive illegal allowance by America for Israel to manufacture atomic weaponry, is a major reason for Iran’s suspected nuclear battle plan.

To cut a long story short, the above should give a very good indication of how much the Islamics and much of the undevelopod world are so angry and jealous of our Western world, the knocking out of Iran as with the capturing of Iraq, according to most political philosophers only expected to make the the tragic division of our modern global humanity last all the longer.

We can only suggest that there is a better way, using old lessons such as sharing the blame, part of which is getting together and without venom delving deep into each other’s pasts, which includes the period when the Moors in Spain built a place of liberal learning in Toledo, inviting people of all religions, especially those of the Jewish faith. It has been suggested that ancient Greek philosophy, especially Socratic style wisdom, is still admired by many cultured Islamics, as with more learned Western Christians. Maybe we should pray that it be given a go, even for the sake of our great grandkids