If nothing changed with our military stance and we can go right back to sanctions (or even strong sanctions), then the US didn't give up anything in this deal - it is a risk-free play by the US. Either Iran complies with the agreement or they are right back where they started, except isolated even more for violating another agreement and possibly under even worse sanctions. What is the downside?
There isn't a downside, per se. At the same time. It shouldn't be ballyhooed as a major breakthrough and an end to the danger. It isn't.
Not an end to anything, but it is the first meaningful diplomatic agreement that the US has entered into with Iran in 24? years. That's a good start.
Neocons have been trying to drag us into a military confrontation with Iran for years. Thank you Mr. President for telling the war mongers to #### off. Another victory for Obama and the American people and another defeat for right wing.
Of course it's not - but it's a start. And the first progress we've had on this issue in over a decade. Now let's look at it from Iran's perspective. If they don't plan to follow-thru, why agree to anything? Sure, they get small relief from sanctions for 6 months - but if those sanctions come back, they have the potential to be much worse. And if Iran's goal is nukes, then this slows them down for the near future. So why bother? What is the upside for Iran to agreeing to the deal if they don't intend to follow through?
If GWB had come up with this deal bigtexxx and his ilk would be cautiously optimistic about it at worst. Obama's trying to get something done despite the Koch Brothers' $200,000,000 effort to kill Obamacare and distract him from any other agenda............and Cornyn and his like-"minded" ilk just want to trash him. Predictable to the last.
Well, Solid stepped right up and explained it to you: "our government is so stupid." How much more discussion do you need?
So much for pretending to be a "libertarian" as a lot of cons do Aren,t you worried about the budget deficit when wanting constant war and military adventures?
Good news for Americans as a whole who don't need to fight a war for Israeli right wingers and Arab kingdoms; good news for most Israelis whether they know it or not; good news for Iranians but they are sub-human, so they don't count; the Israeli stock market surged. Bad news for neo-cons and the military industrial complexes of Israel and the US; bad news for Christian nuts who want to be raptured in a war; bad news for the folks in Israel and abroad who support Israel's near fascist present day leaders; bad news for AIPAC, though it might help on emergency appeals for more money to buy our Congress. It ain't over for the Israel lobby who will try as hard as possible to sabotage any possible peace with Iran.
So basically: US gets - an internationally-verifiable delay of the Iran nuclear program for six months, with the possibility of a more permanent deal. Iran gets - 6 billion of their own money back, with a possibility of a more permanent deal. Saudi Arabia gets - to deal with the fact that it's less likely the US will blow trillions of dollars and thousands of lives fighting SA's greatest strategic rival while the Saudis sit back and watch. China gets - to deal with the fact that it's less likely the US will exhaust itself in another idiotic war, leaving China free to become the dominant power in the Pacific. Conservatives get - butthurt because Obama.
Actually it would be good in a way if Iran had nukes. It would insure that the nutters in Israel and in the US would not start a war with them no matter how bad the neo-cons and their kissing the cousins the extreme Israelis want.. However, it is also good if some sort of agreement could call off the war with Iran that the current nuts in charge of Israel, the neo-cons types in the US and some of the folks in the Saudi type Kingdom dictatorships would want us to start.
Pretty much true on the first two. Yes Iran is a strategic rival to the Saudis and the Saudis would like the US to take on Iran but even I doubt they would've wanted a major Persian Gulf conflict. Iran could do a lot of damage to the Persian Gulf oil infrastructure that would hamper the Saudis economy. The PRC has little incentive for the US to go to war against Iran. Both countries are trading partners to the PRC and would cause an economic hit on the PRC. Also since the PRC gets a lot of oil from Iran and the Middle East a disruption to oil shipments from that region would hurt the PRC economy. Also while the PRC doesn't always like the US in the Pacific they also understand that if the US were to collapse as a Pacific power Japan would rapidly rearm which is much more threatening to Chinese interest. This deal actually helps the PRC by easing up sanctions on a trading partner and helps to burnish their image as a peacemaker. Anything Obama does get's them butthurt these days.
This deal is not good news; it's a smokescreen. Mark my words, within 90 days Iran will test a nuclear device. More likely Israel will turn Iran into a sea of fire before that happens.
This post is characterized by hate of Israel. I don't care if you don't like Israel or don't want to support Israelis in a war. But come on...this is just hate.