Some thoughts on Iran

Lots in the news over the weekend on the deal to limit nuclear development in Iran. The shades of opinion range from support to outright opposition. Let me say at the outset that I have no knowledge whatsoever about the agreement other than what I have read and heard, I am not an expert on the Middle East and I really do not understand the economic impact of this agreement. So, what do I think of it? Given my last but one sentence, why should you care? Here is my opinion anyway.

I think the agreement will certainly make it more difficult for Iran to develop an atomic bomb and that is a good thing. If that doesn't turn out to be the case, I believe we will still have the same most unpleasant and undesirable option of bombing the crap out of their reactors that we have today. That much hasn't changed.

I suppose you could make the argument that releasing billions of dollars to Iran by ending sanctions will make it easier for them to develop a bomb.  Maybe, but I think that Iran could find a way to finance atomic development if they want, and destroying their economy with economic sanctions might only make them more intent to build and use one. Many people think we, the West, should have continued sanctions, brought Iran to its knees and forced them to agree to whatever we demand. To me that sounds like a recipe for contempt, hatred, and a desire for revenge. If you corner a defenceless animal, you will be scratched or bitten. If you humiliate and beat down a country, that country will also scratch or bite when given no other choice.

The people of Iran broke out in celebration at this agreement; hundreds of thousands of people were dancing in the streets. Were they happy because now they could build a bomb and kill millions of people? Perhaps. But I think a little more of humanity than to believe that. Maybe, just maybe, the people in Iran were celebrating expected improvement in their economic conditions that will follow this agreement. This seems to me to be a good thing. Poverty does not make people compliant. People with no hope are dangerous people. Affluence seldom leads to rape, plunder and war. Affluence and hope for the future leads to industriousness and productivity, education and modernity: it creates people who are too busy to hate and too busy to make war and risk what they have.

Perhaps this agreement is not the best that could have been achieved but, given the context, it is probably better than no agreement at all. Let's face it, if we listened to all the pundits we would never have an agreement…ever…with anybody. I don't think this agreement makes us any more vulnerable to a dangerous Iran. Maybe it will delay or stop their nuclear development; maybe it will help move the Iranian people to be less antagonistic. What do we really have to lose? After all, what have we done in the Middle East in the last 75 years that has ever improved conditions and reduced cultural animosities?