Thomas Sowell: Nuclear Iran the 'Point of No Return'

[Zakdayak]

Once again, Sowell is totally incorrect. Among other errors, Sowell suggests that Obama doesn't have to do anything, just not interfere as Israel bombs Iran. BUT THE ISRAELIS are using all of their influence to get us to bomb Iran in conjunction with them!! It also ignores the consequences of such an action on gas prices or the world economy.

[greg0879]

"When Osama Bin Laden has nuclear weapons"

Great foreshadowing genius. This guy knows nothing about Iran.

[TRZbebop675]

Besides, the Iranian regime's time is coming to an end; the young Persians far outnumber the decrepit mullahs and their aging supporters, and like their brothers and sisters in Egypt, they have no patience for the Revolutionary Guard or their despots. It will probably be much bloodier than Egypt, but it is inevitable. Israel and America won't have to lift a finger.

[TRZbebop675]

Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons; the Saudi sheikhs will not entertain the Iranians' delusions of regional hegemony.

[rustyrusky]

While I agree on a lot of what Sowell says this I disagree on. Should Iran ever obtain nuclear weapons AND use them the consequences would be of unimaginable proportions. During the cold war not a single shot was fired, because the consequences were so grave. And we didn't have nuclear weapons when WW started. What WILL happen though, is that we'll have a nuclear WW3 if the US pursues their foreign policy...

[Thatcheriteme]

@rustyrusky So what your advocating is that America just sits back and hopes for the best? The number one priority of any head of state is to protect the citizens of that nation, from foreign enemies. And to say that a single shot was not fired during the cold war would be a thought, which is naive at best. There have been more than a few spies or migs been shot down during the cold war....Or better still, ask some of your older countrymen how many got shot, trying to climb the Berlin wall.

[cl1mbat1ze]

I don't see how attacking Iran would serve US interests. Iran could effectively stop 40% of oil coming into the us, both from their own supply and by stopping tankers coming from Iraq with Noor anti-ship missiles. That would raise gas prizes in US to unacceptable levels, and I doubt very much that their society would remain unharmed. To nuclear bomb them would be an abhorrent decision and would kill millions, and for what? The potential risk of Iran doing something really stupid?

[Togeita]

Iran should not be given nuclear weapons. Their leader had proven himself a nut and they clearly are destabilizing. If they do? It only takes a suitcase of nuclear content to kill a hundred-thousand people. And Iran, a VERY Islamic state, will NOT have any fear for Israel or the U.S. They're too busy getting ready for a Jihad... One on Jerusalem.

[chokin2]

don't agree with Sowell on this one. I respect him a lot and usually find myself nodding in consent, but to me it seems way off that the US will ever be dependant on israel. It is precisely the other way around; it's just because the US is there that we are now under more risk of retaliation.

[2slyfly]

Israel will bomb Iran. And when they do, they will rain down absolute "hell" so that there will be no retaliation. I don't blame Israel. Let it RAIN.

[deadmanshand2010]

@2slyfly

your wrong kid , ex mossad chief Meir Dagan has said that attacking Iran is the stupidest thing he has ever heard .

[JaredJosephHoag]

@2slyfly

Wow. You took the words right out of my fingers.

[astroboomboy]

@2slyfly The only capabilities Israel has against Iran is to bomb certain targets where the Iranians are possibly creating bombs. If they do so Iran will retaliate, and this will cause Iraq and Afghanistan to collapse, and all of the Arab countries will be forced to take a stance. Due to public pressure no Arab country could in such a situation take sides with Israel, and a major conflict would certainly break out in the whole of the middle east.

[goog2k]

JEEZ, aren't these the same idiots (with their neo-con friends) who were warning of WMD's in Iraq.

Duhh???

[rata0071]

that's simply stupid, us has nukes, why should iran have nukes? it's not like they have ballistic missiles to put them into us...

[l8rthen]

@rata0071 , are ballistic missiles needed to affect the US?

[rata0071]

@l8rthen yes

[youneac]

Ah, good old fear-mongering. The trademark of the GOP, the Gigantically Outdated Party.

[l8rthen]

@youneac , U will no doubt be proven right in November. Congrats.

[youneac]

@l8rthen Don't count your chickens until they're hatcheted. ;) Newspapers are outdated, so are analog landline phones, incandescent lighting, VCRs, CRTs, etc. . Yet all of those are still used a lot, often even preferred. It takes time for outdated concepts to disappear. My guess is that the US will remain being pulled down by GOP concepts for at least another 15 years.

[l8rthen]

@youneac , lol. Would it not rather appear that U are counting some chickens of Ur own. I would expect that the American public is waking to the financial slavery that is being imposed on them and that that will have electoral consequences. Which makes them totally relevant for today and tomorrow. Cool, huh?

[youneac]

@l8rthen I sincerely hope you are right, for the sake of all those US citizens manipulated into huge personal debt and with ever diminishing prospects. Seeing the immense following of Clown Beck however doesn't make me optimistic.

[Togeita]

@youneac Really? And what have the liberals done for our nation? So far, nothing. Since the 60s, there have been no "good" liberal presidents. The only one I could count as successful was Bill Clinton, but even he would eventually do war crimes in the Balkans and accuse the socialist slime bag, Bush J.R (A Liberal in disguise) of all he has done. (Genocide of ethnic serbs, blaming Milosovech for something he, to this day, has not been proven of. And depriving the Yugoslavian economy -

[Togeita]

@youneac - by bombing it to the stone age.) ... Bottom line is, more conservative-democrats succeed well (Thurman, Clinton and I guess President Kennedy (A bit of an idiot....) More democratic nuts fail. (Johnson, Jimmy Carter (a unique one...) and now, BARRACK Obama! And they ALL hate, or hated, their nation!

[Togeita]

@youneac And, you guys had what... a whole year to fix the economy? Any change?... Not that I've seen so far. But you have protected the illegals, making America's migration problems tougher, (but neither side does anything about that, so, MOVING on!), helping the Americans that MAKE TOO MANY BABEHS and sit on Welfare, launch massive 1.4 trillion $ stimulus bills, ect. ect. And yea, yea! "BUSH HAD A 1 TRILL BILL!) HE was more democratic. And OBAMA's first bill spent more than the entire IRAQ WAR

[socalledcollegelife]

I love when neocons talk about military force against countries like Iran in theories, and give no thought to the cost in lives and treasure and the geopolitical effects it will have in the region and throughout the world.

[doctender77]

So if Iran, a state gets ONE nuclear weapon the world is over? We can't have more nuclear weapons than anyone and tell any nation they can't have them. It makes no sense for any nation to have them. Sowell is just an idealogue stuck in this America as world police viewpoint that is killing us financially. While we play army all over the globe China is building everything, Japan is the center for technological development, and we are literally unpaving roads. We can't fight every war.

[HegelianDialectic]

@doctender77

Actually the "world police" statement should be redacted, because it implies that we are enforcing some kind of legitimate legal/ethical order; rather than the truth which is domination out of pure self interest. The view your proposing is a 20th century liberal rationalization of empire, which tries to sanctify what people like Kissinger will just flat out tell you is subjective self-interest and power-seeking.

Not sure if you meant to imply all that, but I think the words do.

[doctender77]

@HegelianDialectic No not at all and I appreciate the thoughtful correction. Our many wars throughout the years have served to protect nothing but our own economic interests, and haven't even done that effectively. The "world police" arguement just seems to be the most common defense of our global military empire. Just trying to say even if you accept that logic it still makes no sense.

[tibiaroxsolid]

what about when isreal ran in and blew up irans first attempt at a nuclear power plant?

[verstwo2]

Thomas Sowell is pathetic. Even if Iran had nukes..they would have no way to get them to the US...and therefore posses no threat, except to those in the area. Same as Iraq's 'WMDs' ...even if they had them they'd be useless.

[l8rthen]

@verstwo2 , of course there's always the threat to using them to take out the US naval power in the area, to start a nuclear arms race int he ME and to endanger the flow of oil which truly would be a global destabilizing act.

[TheProgressistViewer]

@verstwo2 Not if Hezbollah gets their hands on them.

[RadicalAwesomeness]

Bullshit! If Iran fucks up it will be invaded. Even if it means that a draft is going to be imposed or not, fortress Israel will hold. Europa and America will wipe Iran off the map.

[l8rthen]

@RadicalAwesomeness , Iran could not be invaded. No manpower or will. We will of course never wipe Iran off the map either.

[RadicalAwesomeness]

@l8rthen You just bought into Islamic propaganda.

[mykenmoon]

Wow, paid shills. Irresponsible war mongers. If war breaks out, i wonder if they go to the front line with their families to go shoot at the other side.

[moxxido]

this guy is fool of shit, pity for all the nice paper that was wasted on his dumb stupid book.

[99minerkc]

@moxxido All praise be to ALLAH and all infidels will go to hell!

[TheProgressistViewer]

@moxxido its full of shit not fool you illiterate moron

[eirefrance]

Giving Peter Robinson and Thomas Sowell a platform on which to be taken seriously is the point of no return.

[polymath7]

@eirefrance

No question, Sowell and Robinson are fucking insects, but Fora passed the point of no return some months ago.

[wadanaay]

well lets see here no one said anything about N. Korea gaining nuclear weapon,

once a middle eastern country decide to get one iit becomes America plus Israel issue and they letting us believe it's world issue,

How long can these countries bully world ?

[compazz86]

your videos once was interesting... this is "brainwashing".

nuke is a weapon of mas desctruction , us, has 900 of theese and uses DU, and WP, that are weapons of mass destruction as well, illegal by intrenational law.. but us sais:"whatever"--- so the worlld must attack us by this?

absolutely no, so don't tryng to fuck the people mind with this pumping fear...

[richter75]

@compazz86 Theocratic death cults like the Iranian theocracy must and should never get nuclear weapons. If you don't understand this great danger you are simply stupid.

[compazz86]

@richter75 -- i remmember theese words, but said by George W. Bush... for iraq....so u attacked it to take of him the nukes away... and where are all the nuke bombs in iraq??...never found.maybe never existed.

and tnx ricther i understand the difference ... but u,do u understand the difference between "energy nuclear plan" and "miliraty base for launch a ballistic atomic missile..." ?

another thing is CONTROL that there are no relaction between al quada(not iran, or islam) & fight it.

[richter75]

@compazz86 Mahmod Iamanutjob have said that Israel should be wiped off the map. They support Hezbollah with arms, rockets and finances. They believe that the world is coming to an end and that paradise awaits. And these ppl you would trust? Why not just give every fucking nutjob a nuclear bomb? Thats fair right? Damn, u are so stupid.

[Crusading4Truth]

@richter75

Not nearly as stupid as you are.The've(the west) been trying this for more then 50year but yeah you know it all thx to fox news

[richter75]

@Crusading4Truth The west including Israel, Japan and the Aussies have been successful for more than 50 years you mean. And why do all of you leftists scumbags think everyone is an American. Truth and history kill leftist arguments like stepping on bugs.

[Crusading4Truth]

@richter75

Ok my bad,you're a .mil rambo(just watched yr page)...Hilarious.If you wanna debate,np for me,but pls use facts instead of fucking fearmongering

[compazz86]

@richter75 --making my point clear for your little way of constructive conversation.

the reality is complex.. not like binary sistems that there are only 1 or 0.

as well there are not only good and only bad guys...there are no goods one here... so.. so i'm not by one side or another.. i just see that if there israel uses NOW white phosporos and depleted uranium, and some strae wars weapon .. elligal to the international law .... just whatch faluah... killing

[compazz86]

@compazz86 CIVIL woman and child and have a malformtion in the new birth more then hoiroshima. IT must'nt be A TREATH to the world as well???

it' seems not... they can and if another crazy like the iran leader say some bullshit is enaugh to make a war....

so you can see that us are only take what is useful to make fear to the people.

in iran is soooo full of oil ... just like iraq... is only this the reason of the wars there.

[richter75]

@compazz86 Lol, yea you really seem smart with that binary argument. I guess you are the only one that has figured it out. You are a bore man.

[madiovich]

@richter75 you bitch ass americans were saying that about n korea too

[projectsolaris]

Leave Iran alone man. This is all useless speculation. Make peace, no war.

[richter75]

@projectsolaris Fuck peace, make freedom available to all.

[Phelan666]

Fundy crazies + nukes = BAD BAD BAD

[Luinreg]

When the heck did Sowell actually start promoting neo-con philosophies? It is kinda shocking for a philosopher that he would not expect that societies no matter how much a nation might not like them will not be able to prevent another nation from progressing with both science and technology.

[Luinreg]

@AussiePolitics And I respond with, no shit. But you missed my point over you trying to seem I think nukes are "toys". The point as I stated is that there has never been a time in history that a nation state has stopped progressing outright and whether we like it or not it includes nuclear power.

That said there are better ways to prevent nations from wanting to even obtain that technology like jumping forward to make nuclear pointless for that nation to even want.

[Luinreg]

@AussiePolitics Which is why I said science and technology and not sociology and politics. The two are not connected in any way shape or form.

Ever wonder how other countries like when the USSR existed and China, North Korea and even South Africa existed with a good deal of modern technology but yet still had major political and sociological sufferings when compared to the United States of Western Europe?

[HegelianDialectic]

@AussiePolitics

Sowell is a figure in the neo-conservative Hoover Institute. Iran has every reason to develop nuclear weapons, because its the only deterrent that will prevent an arbitrary US invasion, along with an alignment with emerging China and possibly Russia.

As for nutjobbery, the United States has nuked civilians twice. You can suscribe to the spin about the "necessity" of this all you want, but the fact remains.

[HegelianDialectic]

@AussiePolitics

Actually Hasegawa (Japanese Soviet Historian) established that the bombings weren't central to the decision to surrender. The Soviets were due to enter the Pacific theater within 90 days, and the bombs were dropped to end the war before Japan had to be split with the Soviets. In other words, to promote the interests of the United States. When Iran develops nuclear weapons, they will do the same, and use them as a deterrent to keep Western countries from invading.

[AussiePolitics]

@HegelianDialectic at what point have I been saying the west is always good for everyone and acts above its interests? i have not, I have been making comments because people have been making stupid statements nuclear weapons are like some kind of universal right that every nation should have access too

[AussiePolitics]

@HegelianDialectic actually the soviets had held off going into the pacific theatre for years and were only interested in going in an mopping up the last of the dregs so they could claim more territory for themselves. I doubt they had any interest in joining a US invasion of japan.

quite frankly japan was training its women and children with bamboo stakes to resist an invasion and were given multiple chances to surrender

[AussiePolitics]

@HegelianDialectic so your point is that with hindsight america should have just waited and hoped japan would surrender? while they kept training new soldiers and built new defences? how long should they have waited? a month? a year? when every day they got more effective at killing more troops?

[HegelianDialectic]

@AussiePolitics

The rest of your statement is true but irrelevant. Turkey also stones young women for adultery, and murders journalists to hide their involvement in the Armenian Genocide, but they are consistently in the top 3 countries propped up by US foreign aid. Nobody wants Iran to have nuclear weapons, but the elephant in the room is that the only people "allowed" to have them are Western countries or their allies desperately trying to keep their grip on the world.

[HegelianDialectic]

@Luinreg

Sowell is affiliated with the most prominent conservative think-tank in the US, the Hoover Institute. He is also shallow and possessed of no great degree of intelligence, most of his non-arguments here can be exploded with a minimum of thought.

[tippngthevelvet]

Political and philosophical problems need political and philosophical responses, NOT military ones.

Obama manages to extricate the US military from the embarassing failure of Iraq, and the neocons are moving to ensurea military option for Iran. They have clearly learned nothing from using the miltary options in Iraq and Afghanistan, problem is they are so ready to throw civilian, US and allied lives on the scrapheap of history for the sake of their mistakes.

[givebirthathome]

@tippngthevelvet Learned nothing? That makes the assumption that their intention to begin with was to do something other than leave ruined societies in their wake.

But I agree that political problems need political solutions not military ones. The Rand Corp. published a study showing that police have historically done better at dealing with terrorism than armed forces.

[iraaus]

You should attack with what, you scare no one, you can not win the 2 wars you are in and your grandeur and strength is only in your head, your economy is bankrupt, militarily stretched and diplomacy has reached a dead end, you are only great in your own head...

now go and burrow some more money from China!

[Mycochef]

Thomas Sowell, As always great insights and comments!

[ferrozm]

LIES LIES LIES!!!! Read the IAEA report they have no Nukes, they have no means of producing nukes. This is all propaganda!

[Ethiopiabuzz]

It shame to be human those days .

[chrisose]

Another neo-con hack pushing for another war.

People like this are a threat to the world.

[zayadnay]

fuck you Hoover Institute!! you are one of the reasons why our country is in deep shit!

[b1gr1g]

I don't think people see a developed nation that observes human rights as a threat if they have nuclear capabilities-but when you have a less well off country that thinks hanging gays is okay, you have a serious problem to address.

[givebirthathome]

@AussiePolitics Boy have you fallen for propaganda. Pakistan stones women to death..the west HELPED them get nuclear weapons. You need to read up on Iran...they have some unfortunate traditions, but women are educated there and fully participate in society. Shirin Ebadi, and Iranian woman lawyer won the Nobel Peace Prize a few years back.

[eirefrance]

@AussiePolitics I have a suggestion for you. Perhaps you've equivicated people who see no value in war with people who want Iran to get nuclear weapons. Its possible you haven't grasped exactly what others mean. Just possible.

[AussiePolitics]

@eirefrance no, I have been making the comments in response to the idiots saying how the US are hypocrites to not want iran to get nuclear weapons - like nuclear weapons are a toy that its only fair to share around. please tell me at what point have I mentioned war? please dont put words in my mouth because I have said nothing of the sort

[givebirthathome]

We are taking seriously, we are discussing the wisdom of something as serious as war with someone whose discussion of it includes the phrase, " I saw someplace where..." (2: 09)?!!

[mnytaful]

That is not the point of no return, that is the point of fucking Jewish propaganda against Islamic Republic Of Iran. It is the fucking Israel who owns 300 nuclear war heads, we do not have intention to have nuclear weapons, what should we do with them? We are not the enemies of humanity, we love people, we need the good and welfare of every body, it is the fucking Zionists who want to destroy the humanity...

[Uaz31]

@mnytaful

bullshit. Israel isn't a rogue terrorist state like Iran is. Iran has repeatdly stated that they were bent on destroying Israel. Its part of their fucked up religion of Islam and were allowing them to develop nuclear technology.

[mnytaful]

@Uaz31

fuck off sucker jew, ask yourself this question, why all European nations like Spain, England, France, Czech, Poland, Germany and many others wanted to terminate you once upon the time? why? ha? you do not know? I tell you why, because you are fucking ugly like cancer, no body wants you, you are an epidemic virus in the form of humans, ask William Shakespeare he knows so much about you. Your dirty religion is a teaching of whores and brothel. sun of the bitch.

[Mycochef]

@mnytaful Shylock must be turning over in his grave! If you only knew the strategic importance of Isreal for the security of the world. Without that little "David Nation" the world would be under unimaginable threats from unrestrainable Goliaths. Set aside your biases and prejudices that may cloud your thinking and I'm sure you'll see the light.

[Uaz31]

@mnytaful

Youra fool,God raised Israelup as a portrait of all true believersin Christ.Thats why they areopposed so much by infidels suchas yourself, because they represent whatGod has establishedand just like Christ was crucified so are they. Readsome history, thereareJews in all of the nations u mentioned and none of those countries youmentioned except the ones ruled overby Islam oppose Israels rightto exist. Altho Judaism is heresy, Islam is the real cancer.Israels' enemiesare Gods enemies

[blackiron60]

Another right-wing scaremonger who would slaughter millions of people without blinking, how typical.

[joel1923]

Sowell is spewing nothing but crap. Who else use to work for the Hoover Institute: Codelezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld.

[djdnauk1977]

propagandist fear mongering, israel are a bigger threat than iran

[MrAataghi]

you like Iran to buy elecricity when it is going out of oil. Why scared of some one who is refusing to be another Iraq and Afghniostan? Iran has been totally transparent about their intention, and fo your ionformation Iran will not attack to any one and has not.

The main thing that is now bringing our country down is our economy.

[offsprng46]

Or maybe Sowell is so feeble-minded that he thinks the recent launch of the Bushehr Nuclear Plant is part of the mythical Iranian nuclear weapons program. I've got news for you, jackass - Bushehr is a light water reactor, which you can't make nuclear weapons with! On top of that, the Russians control the fuel supply for that plant.

The most likely scenario though, is that Sowell is simply an imperialist scumbag, who wants to halt all development of the third world (especially nuclear power).

[givebirthathome]

@offsprng46 "Imperialist scumbag" could denote some good intentions no matter how misguided. I'm afraid Sowell is simply a whore on this issue.

[offsprng46]

@givebirthathome No. Imperialism is intrinsically an anti-human, immoral ideology based around the enforced (through military force, if necessary - which is non-so-tacitly what Sowell recommends in this particular case) under-development of the vast majority of the world's regions and populations.

Sowell may be a dunce, but he certainly knows what he's doing, at least in broad terms.

[offsprng46]

What evidence does the hack Sowell have that Iran is developing nuclear weapons? He's a monetarist economist (not even really a bona fide economist - more like an accountant with reactionary political views, but whatever), not a nuclear engineer and intelligence operative. Even the US intelligence community has not retracted the 2007 NIE, which stated conclusively that Iran ceased its nuclear weapons program many years ago. WHERE'S YOUR EVIDENCE SOWELL, YOU LYING HACK??

[joel1923]

@offsprng46 Sowell is a neo con hack. Has Iran blasted any nation off the Earth? No. America has. Ask a million dead Iraqis...

[givebirthathome]

@offsprng46 The problem isn't just Sowell, as you no doubt know. ForaTV seems to be biased on this issue, presenting many speakers on this subject who seem to be playing fast and loose with the truth to promote an attack on Iran. Hitchens was one.

Have you seen Flynt Leverett's article in Foreign Policy? Apparently, even many highly placed Israelis have publicly stated that Iran is no military threat to them.

[offsprng46]

@givebirthathome Well, Fora is a very suspect source, what with their extensive coverage of figures and opinions which consistently argue against the Westphalian system, and for the evil regime of "globalization." Certain paleoconservative/libertarian political commentators would refer to them as shills for the "New World Order," and they would be correct - to the extent that such commentators can be correct, confused as they are by Austrian- and Chicago-school political-economic mystification.

[jere1990]

man these guys are pathetic aha