Is the Term Racism Used too Freely

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

I’d rather try that than ignore them until they’re at the brink

[/quote]

They are on the brink. And it’s been tried again and again and again. It failed every time and the Iranians cynically used the negotiations to buy themselves time and gain concessions. Now there’s no time left and any further attempts at negotiations are a dangerous and idiotic idea. Clearly the lessons of the Munich crisis are lost on you as are the lessons of Iranian intransigence and perfidy.[/quote]

Define “on the brink.” Estimates still have them years away from deployable warheads.

Edit: Also, sanctions have never been tighter, and that could change things this time around. Choke to death or change your ways.

[quote]smh23 wrote:

Define “on the brink.” Estimates still have them years away from deployable warheads.

[/quote]

They could load a crude nuclear device onto a ship and use one of their proxy groups to detonate it off the coast of Israel. This has the added benefit of plausible deniability.

[quote]
Edit: Also, sanctions have never been tighter, and that could change things this time around. Choke to death or change your ways.[/quote]

They’re lunatics. They’d sooner see half their population starve to death than give up their apocalyptic ambitions. Also, they know that every “human rights” group in the West will be moaning and wailing about ending the sanctions at the first sign of hardship just as they did with the Iraqi sanctions. And you will remember that many high profile politicians in the West who were pushing for an end to sanctions were actually been paid millions in bribes by Saddam. Only Saddam wasn’t utterly batshit and expecting a 9th century Mahdi to come out of a well and help him.

There’s also a window of opportunity which when missed will mean the Iranians have moved their fuel and enrichment facilities into an underground facility that may be immune from the most powerful bunker busters currently available. And I have serious doubts that the Obama administration would lend Israel said bunker busters anyway.

[quote]SexMachine wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

Define “on the brink.” Estimates still have them years away from deployable warheads.

[/quote]

They could load a crude nuclear device onto a ship and use one of their proxy groups to detonate it off the coast of Israel. This has the added benefit of plausible deniability.

[quote]
Edit: Also, sanctions have never been tighter, and that could change things this time around. Choke to death or change your ways.[/quote]

They’re lunatics. They’d sooner see half their population starve to death than give up their apocalyptic ambitions. Also, they know that every “human rights” group in the West will be moaning and wailing about ending the sanctions at the first sign of hardship just as they did with the Iraqi sanctions. And you will remember that many high profile politicians in the West who were pushing for an end to sanctions were actually been paid millions in bribes by Saddam. Only Saddam wasn’t utterly batshit and expecting a 9th century Mahdi to come out of a well and help him.[/quote]

My hope is that times get tough enough that a rebellion breaks out within the country. What are your thoughts on that? I don’t know too much about the issue, but I have seen some data that suggests that popular support for the West is substantial in Iran.

[quote]smh23 wrote:

My hope is that times get tough enough that a rebellion breaks out within the country. What are your thoughts on that? I don’t know too much about the issue, but I have seen some data that suggests that popular support for the West is substantial in Iran.[/quote]

Rebellion did break out during the Arab Spring however Obama wouldn’t back the protesters in Iran. He prefered to topple allies and help install Islamist regimes in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia etc. The Iranians are actually a very advanced people - a lot more advanced than their Arab neighbours. I also believe there is significant(relatively) support in Iran for an end to the current regime and closer ties with the West and I’d like to see that too. I have friends who fled Iran during the revolution - both Christians of Armenian descent and Muslims(secular). They despise the current regime and are all for regime change.

I’d also add that there are a lot of Iranians who aren’t radical Islamists yet they support the current regime because they are nationalists who are hoping for a revival of Persian power. Basically they’re nationalists. The same was true of many Germans who weren’t Nazis but supported the Nazi regime because they saw it as a way of reviving Germany’s power.

[quote]SexMachine wrote:
I’d also add that there are a lot of Iranians who aren’t radical Islamists yet they support the current regime because they are nationalists who are hoping for a revival of Persian power. Basically they’re nationalists. The same was true of many Germans who weren’t Nazis but supported the Nazi regime because they saw it as a way of reviving Germany’s power.[/quote]

I would bet that nationalism will yield to poverty and hunger before religious extremism will. I do think a tipping point can be reached, though this time, as you’ve alluded to, we would need to take a side.

Bird your thread topic is interesting, but your examples are completely idiotic lol.

In general though, I think racism is thrown around WAY too often. It is used by some as an attempt at a trump card to discredit someone who has a legitimate and completely non-race related point of contention. To me this is a huge slap in the face to anyone who has experienced actual racism. Some person who gets fired for being crap at their job and then cries racism is basically spitting in the face of the person who got the shit beaten out of them on the street corner just because of their skin color.

[quote]csulli wrote:
Bird your thread topic is interesting, but your examples are completely idiotic lol.

In general though, I think racism is thrown around WAY too often. It is used by some as an attempt at a trump card to discredit someone who has a legitimate and completely non-race related point of contention. To me this is a huge slap in the face to anyone who has experienced actual racism. Some person who gets fired for being crap at their job and then cries racism is basically spitting in the face of the person who got the shit beaten out of them on the street corner just because of their skin color.[/quote]

I agree. I tend to look at things from a pragmatic viewpoint, and when we are all stepping on eggshells constantly for fear of offending, we are not acting in the interest of the greater good. All this does is teach people to become far more easily offended and over-sensitive.

To be quite honest, even if racism is a belief system that is unfounded by either science or propriety, everyone does have a right to express their beliefs. I mean, we let Scientologists practice their whacked belief system and proselytize. Or do we not believe in freedom of speech anymore? There’s a huge difference between expressing a belief (e.g. making fun of an Asian’s sexual ability, driving skills, etc.) and acting on it (e.g. punching him in the face).

As an Asian myself, which is the last race that the white majority can make “racist” jokes and comments about with impunity, I often find myself the butt of such comments. And I think people take this shit way too seriously. Take comfort in the fact that you’re probably superior in every way anyway, only insecure pussies get offended and bitch about it.