The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[Alex]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I would suppose it is because of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. While I am no expert on the treaty itself, I do believe that there are restrictions within that treaty that the Iranians are violating with respect to their nuclear advancements and inspections by the IAEA.

Does your post mean, Alex, that you oppose things such as economic sanctions to apply pressure to a sovereign state to abide by certain guidelines that they have agreed to? If a sovereign state violates a treaty such as the nuclear non-pro treaty, should we or the rest of the world stand idly by?

Since I don't think you'd suddenly feel we should stand by if Iran would just go through the formal process of making a statement that they were withdrawing from the non-proliferation treaty I assume you derive authority from somewhere else.

While I would prefer that Iran not develop nuclear weapons (but then I would prefer that Canada not do so either) I think they have every right, as a sovereign nation, to do so if they so choose. Of course, since they are signatory to an agreement to not do so, I think they should officially withdraw from that agreement.

No, I don't support economic sanctions and incentives as a tool of societal reform. But then, for the most par, neither do you; at least when it is our government doing it internally. You're just ok with doing it to other people.

I'm a free trade kind of guy and that has uncomfortable repercussions. I would certainly support the government refusing to do governmental business with Iran and any private efforts to cut off ties to Iran, but no the government should not regulate private trade with nations unless we are actually at war with them. To extend this, if I want to open a doughnut shop in Cuba or North Korea, that is my business, not George Bush's.

And if Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons despite world pressure otherwise, that is their prerogative. I also have no problem with taking a position that the United States will act unilaterally to defend sovereign international borders no matter where they are. So if Iran wants to blow up Israel once they have the bomb they will hopefully understand the potential repercussions.