If Iran were full of blond-haired blue-eyed white people

[mrreowwr_kittty]

Would a politician get away with blatantly threatening to nuke it? Would some people on DU agree with what the politician said?

[MonkeyFunk]

1. Nobody threatened to nuke them

get a grip.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. You're right. She threatened to obliterate them.

With nuclear weapons.

You get a grip.

[Taxmyth]

8. and Senator Obama would give a speech under the same scenario

Really, if Senator Obama would NOT use nuclear weapons in this same scenario, and judging by the "outrage" shown by his supporters, we need to get this message out there.

That is something that the American people would need to know before casting their votes now and in November. That is something the Israeli people need to know and that their Government needs to be aware of. It's also something that anyone seeking to acquire or develop nuclear weapons in Iran for the use against Israel needs to know.

Let's get this out there people, very important information. Senator Obama has taken nuclear weapons OFF of the table should Iran use nuclear weapons against Israel.

[MercutioATC]

18. .

.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

21. You and the OP are both being ridiculous.

Nobody is taking anything off the table. Nobody has suggested anything that remotely changes current policy in any way.

[cliffordu]

17. OK, maybe she meant she'd give them a nice massage

and a rub down with a MOAB.....


Fuck me. What, exactly, does annihilation MEAN to you anyway??

[closeupready]

2. While Iranians are Caucasian and there are blonde-haired Iranians, you make a good point.

The popular misperception is that Iran is an Arab country, and so they don't count.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. The Soviet Union had plenty of blond haired blue eyed white people

And we aimed nukes at them for decades.

Israel has plenty of white folk in it also. Have people gone mad on DU today? There was no threat of a first use nuclear attack against Iran. The entire discussion is premised on Iran already having attacked Israel with nuclear weapons. Unless Iran does that, no problem.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. The USSR (supposedly) had an advanced nuclear weapons system

Iran does NOT and is not even close to having one at this point. The situation of them nuking Israel is so far-off hypothetical as to be absurd. No presidential candidate should even be talking about nuking unarmed countries. Oh, unless those countries are full of brown people that no one cares about and she's trying to get the redneck vote.

[invictus]

11. Exactly! n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. Your reasoning is circular

If Iran is not even close to having nukes there is absolutely no threat of them getting nuked, so there is nothing to be concerned about. No one is talking about nuking an unarmed country. Clinton talked about what she would do if Iran not only had nukes but actually used them to attack Israel with them first.

And you are acting ignorant about the concent of deterrance. The reason to talk about this now is to influence Iran against going for nukes in the first place under the logic that they would do Iran no good if their use brought swift retaliation, so why get them?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

26. Iran must already know that, according to the NIE

Yet another report that Clinton has not bothered to read. In answering that she's willing to "obliterate" the country she is suggesting that they do have nukes, when they do not. She should make it clear that they do not, unless her goal is to saber rattle and pander to the neocons. Which I think was her goal.

[Zynx]

24. It was a hypothetical. I don't even back Hillary anymore but I find this absurd.

[BadgerLaw2010]

5. We threatened to nuke the USSR constantly, and would have nuked Germany.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. I should have clarified "unarmed" country.

Those countries were posing a legitimate threat to us and our allies.

Iran is not.

[LSK]

10. except Germany had invaded most of Europe

and the USSR had thousands of nukes pointed at us.

but thanks for trying.

[Buzz Clik]

9. Maybe if Iran started brewing really good beer or fancy blended whisky, Hillary might spare it.

[JBoy]

13. Too bad she didn't visit there back in the 90's. Nuclear snipers are the shit.

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. Do you think Obama would "spare" Iran if Iran nuked Isreal? n/t

[Buzz Clik]

16. Why did she even bring it up? She created a bizarre scenario out of thin air.

[maddiejoan]

19. She didn't bring it up

she was asked specifically --what the USA would do if Iran attacked Israel with nukes.

[Buzz Clik]

25. An intelligent politician, one who will be Ready on Day One, knows how to answer that question.

1. You never get into specifics when someone gives you a bullshit hypothetical.
2. You first talk about prevention: "Well, I would hope that a Clinton administration would be able to convince Iran that a nuclear weapons program is not in the best interest for them or the rest or the Middle East."
3. You then dump it back on the idiot who asked the question, "But, of course, this is a scenario with essentially zero chance of playing out."
4. Finish with grand generalities: "However, if the unthinkable happened, we would be ready to respond appropriately, and it is absolutely impossible to predict the proper response until it happens. Rest assured, we will be fully prepared for all eventualities."

The "We we nuke them into the 3rd century? Oh, hell yes" approach is not productive -- as she is finding out today.

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. Several reasons

Some strategic, some political. In my opinion political reasons are justified if the strategic justification for a political statement is sound.

Actually it makes sense to lay out a strong deterrent position early enough that it might actually influence decision making in the manner desired. All leading politicians in America, Obama included, are on record saying that it would be dangerous "to allow" Iran to gain nuclear weapons. All experts agree that Iran does not have nukes now, though many feel that Iran has positioned itself to be able to get them relatively soon if they decide they want them. Iran potentially gains 4 things out of getting nukes: 1) Pride 2) A deterrent against the U.S. attacking them 3) An ability to threaten Israel 4) An ability to intimidate Sunni Arab States in the Persian Gulf.

Clinton's comment doesn't touch reasons 1) and 2) but it does have bearing on reasons 3) and 4). From all I can tell, there are splits inside of Iran about the advantages of going for nuclear weapons, with some hardliners tempted to do so. Clinton thinks the U.S. should clearly be on record now establishing that Iran will not gain the strategic advantages that some there may hope for should they acquire nuclear weapons.

What many fail to notice in Clinton's comment is an implicit acknowledgment that the U.S. may need to adapt a policy of containment and deterrence regarding an Iranian nuclear weapons program should Iran get the bomb. This is progress in my opinion from the often repeated phrase so many American politicians have uttered that "Under no circumstances can the U.S. allow Iran to gain nuclear weapons." The latter statement strongly implied that the U.S. should attack Iran BEFORE it even got nuclear weapons. Clinton's statement strongly implied that the U.S. should not attack Iran UNLESS Iran USED nuclear weapons.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

28. Same reason she brought up Farrakhan at the debate.

To get the scared bigot vote.

[crankychatter]

12. ker-SNAP... the burglar nails it

they've been capitalizing on our ethno-centricity, ignorance and fear like a goddamn tsunami of racism for 7 years...

we're toxic... it's the Jessica Lynch hoax on steroids... 24-7

We are going to save our Venerated Southern White Womanhood from the barbaric hoards of "untermenschen" baby...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Flag waving bluster is the mother's milk of second rate politicians.

But, it works. See the current infestation of the White House for evidence.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

27. Oh absolutely. It's just sad to see the infestation on this discussion board.

Honest to god, it's not like I don't hear enough of that ignorant crap in this red state I live in. And the people who approve of what Hillary said better wake up to the fact that the rednecks who approve of it are going to vote for McCain when he turns her own "experienced" and "national security" message against her.

[Zynx]

23. Yeah. We threatened to nuke Russia if they nuked our allies.

This is nothing new.