Steve LeVine, Quartz: Iran is about to become the biggest free-for-all since the Soviet collapse
Businesses around the world are preparing for the largest geopolitically triggered financial bonanza since the 1991 Soviet breakup: Iran’s reopening for business.
Look for large new oil and other commercial deals, and lower global oil prices.
The last stage of talks between Tehran and international negotiators, known as the P5+1, begins June 27 in Vienna. The two sides are working against a June 30 deadline, but most observers think the talks will go on for up to another week.
WNU Editor: Yup .... in this debate regardless of who you are and what are your beliefs .... bottom line .... for the participants in this debate who are eager for the removal of sanctions .... it's all about the money.
They should change the definition of 'deadline' cause these Iranian negotiations have certainly twisted the definition.
ReplyDeleteSince the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has become the world's most powerful country. I'm skeptical that the Iranian leadership has the competence to pull of something similar to what Russia's leadership has.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, America's leadership has made a giant cluster f*ck of the relations between America and Russia. Given what one has done in the past is often a good indication of what they are going to do in the future, it seems likely they will f*ck this one up as well.
In order to avoid a repeat of the same stupidity, the following would be good places to start. 1.)Iran is going to get nuclear weapons even if America does everything in its military, political, and economic power to try and prevent it. 2.)The sanctions, while largely worthless as they are, are going to be completely lifted even if America were to try and use everything in its military, political, and economic power to try and prevent this from happening. Once this is realized and accepted, policies can be formulated that give us a chance at good outcomes within reality.
As for the situation with Russia, pursuing policies that either could lead to needless animosity or do lead to animosity with the world's strongest country are foolhardy in the extreme and are no way to run any organization much less a country. While this does not mean kowtowing to any and everything they may want, a sane realization of reality would be a great place to start and policies can be formulated accordingly within the framework of reality.
Russia is closely allied with Iran. Perhaps some type of deal between us and Russia regarding Ukraine, former Soviet Republics, and former Eastern Bloc countries and Iran would be a way to go. We withdraw all support from the aforementioned countries and in exchange Russia assists with Iran or at least does not interfere in our efforts to deal with this problem. Either way Iran becomes much easier to deal with. The corrupt parasitic governments of Ukraine, other former Soviet Republics, and former Eastern Bloc countries simply are not worth risking the survival of America over.
Obviously much would have to be done to bring such a deal to fruition. There is clearly much mistrust between us and Russia right now. Also, America faces intense and often hostile media scrutiny. As such, America would have no choice but to abide by any agreement made even if did not want to do so. In contrast, Russia faces no such scrutiny. As such, there currently exists no real mechanism to ensure Russian compliance with any agreement. This would need to be addressed before we could realistically expect to move forward.
With that said recognizing geopolitical realities for what they are not what we may wish them to be are the best place to start. Essentially look for ways we can cooperate with Russia on matters that ere important to them and will not be harmful to us. The best place to start would be by withdrawing any and all support for Ukraine, adopting a position identical to the Russian one on this, and forcefully announcing it in word and deed. Such a policy shift has no downside and has great upside potential for us. I'll reiterate the corrupt parasitic governments of Ukraine and other Eastern European nations are simply not worth risking American national and economic security over.