The Frightening Problem of Iran

In a serious, well thought out article, Mark Steyn (link) makes the case for immediate military action against Iran.

He makes a frighteningly descriptive account how Iran has been underestimated in the past and how it has been very effective at demonstrating its power abroad. Unfortunately his 5 observations about Iran seem ominous:

1. contempt for the most basic international conventions;
2. long-reach extraterritoriality;
3. effective promotion of radical Pan-Islamism;
4. a willingness to go the extra mile for Jew-killing (unlike, say, Osama);
5. an all-but-total synchronization between rhetoric and action.

His case is also convincing that a weak response from Western Nations to Iran’s past aggression has served to embolden the country’s radical establishment. Mark’s prescription is swift and decisive military action to end Iran’s nuclear program so that “extraterritorial nuttiness [is] shown not to pay.”

The article is definitely pessimistic about the options for dealing with Iran. Unfortunately in the event of military action I can’t imagine the turmoil that America and the rest of the world would go through. I don’t see the resolve in America to fight that battle.

A better solution would be for the West to offer a superior ideology that by virtue of its inherent truth will overpower Islamism – This was key in winning the battle against communism. Sadly the moral relativism and the cacophony of divided interests currently offered by the West are unlikely to inspire the resilience to fight this battle.