Entitlement to Intimidate and Threaten

The worst, most destructive potential of threats against world stability is the weapon of mass destruction of nuclear design; an atomic reaction that would obliterate a huge swath of humankind and infrastructure wherever it could conceivably be used. And it is conceivable that such a dread weapon could be used. Again. Its use on Nagasaki and Hiroshima taught the world that such nuclear warheads are capable of unimaginably massive destruction on a scale matched only by nature launching her own most dangerous-to-humankind weapons of mass destruction.

In 1968, the five nuclear powers of the world, realizing the dread potential of the arms they had stockpiled, signed a Non-proliferation Treaty. It is hardly surprising that it is those five nations, the United States, (the-then) U.S.S.R. (now Russia), France, Britain and China, are represented as the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Each has the threat-power of owning nuclear warheads, that power has given them prestige and responsibility, and acknowledgement.

Forty-five years later there are those who covertly succeeded in obtaining their own nuclear arsenals. One of them has never admitted to ownership of such an arsenal, but that one, acting discreetly, has never threatened any other nation. India, and then Pakistan, the two neighbours and rivals sharing gross animus toward one another; India reciprocating Pakistan's hatred, achieved their own successes with nuclear weaponry.

And it was Pakistan's rogue nuclear scientific head who obligingly felt it reasonable to enable other Muslim countries to achieve such weapons of their own. He aided Libya, and was prepared to go further, but once the virtual nuclear design was out of the bag, the unofficial nuclear club had expanded, and threatened to expand further. North Korea, though not a Muslim country shares with some of those that are, a proclivity toward hating the West.

Syria and Iran profited from the knowledge circulating for sale, whether it came from North Korea being helpful to those for whom it felt a kinship, or from Russia, always willing to commit itself to further inroads in the Middle East. Iraq seemed to come close under Saddam Hussein, and though it had its fledgling installation bombed by a worried Israel, as did Syria, he maintained the pretense of nuclear ambitions being realized.

It should be noted that those countries aspiring to be nuclear powers are not the peaceful, liberal democracies of Western persuasion. They genuinely do use nuclear power for peaceful, energy-producing means. Without exception those who aspire to a nuclear arsenal are secretive, closeted, baleful countries seeing themselves as underdogs, anxious to become power-brokers, and to enjoy themselves by presenting as a threat to world stability; putting their uppity neighbours in their shuddering place.

Iran, in pursuing its 'inalienable right' to achieve its nuclear goal, is furious that continued interference from the United Nations, the IAEA, European Union and the NATO countries along with Israel, have impeded its progress to completion of its agenda. North Korea and Iran have much in common; they have shared scientific expertise and experience, and they share an abhorrence of and rage against the West.

Iran's Republican Guard and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini have the example of past American negotiations with the leaders of North Korea, from "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung, to "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il, and onward to the current dearest of all possible leaders, Kim Jong-Un, in dealing with the demands of the West that they cease and desist. Just as the Great Leader agreed to halt his country's reach toward nuclear in exchange for multiple bribes, followed by his successors doing the same, resulting in a surprise series of nuclear blasts, so too the Iranian leadership.




And so now, yet another American administration, that of President Barack Obama, is prepared to launch itself and its allies on another 'agreement' over nuclear entitlements. Obviously not a great fan of reading their own fairly recent history in dealing with such incendiary matters, the Obama White House is prepared to launch another opportunity for another rogue, threatening country to achieve its goal in nuclear warhead production.

The deal is being hugely lauded by the U.S. administration and by the European Union, with but a few dissenters. Forgiving all possible transgressions before they become reality, the idea is to allow billions in sanctions to be lifted. A grateful Tehran is prepared to issue as many promises as those around the bargaining table anticipate, those so-astute negotiators with the F5+1, who like to hear that Iran respects and will abide by the parameters set for uranium enrichment and starting up new plants.

AP Photo / ISIS, handout    This is April 9, 2012 file photo photo provided by the Institute for Science 

and International Security, ISIS shows suspected cleanup activities at a building alleged to contain a 

high explosive chamber used for nuclear weapon related tests in the Parchin military complex in Iran. 

A U.S. institute tracking Iran's nuclear program said Thursday Aug. 22, 2013 that recent satellite 

images of the Parchin military complex it has analyzed show further major alterations of a military 

site that the U.N. has long tried to access to follow up suspicions that Tehran may have used it in 

attempts to develop atomic arms

 

It's a delusion that appears, amazingly, to serve both sides very well indeed. Moving away, far away, from peaceable kingdom to bellicose tyrannies with the power and prestige of the nuclear arsenal they plan, to deter their imagined enemies and to instill fear and loathing in their neighbours. Who will themselves decide, unavoidably, to fight fire with fire, and acquire for themselves their very own nuclear arsenals.

Wait for it.