[dropcap]M[/dropcap]any of the supporters of the Obama Doctrine are appalled by what is clearly a cynical policy of fear-mongering by the right, one that is more concerned with galvanizing the power-base than it is with explain the facts of the world we live into them. But, the supporters argue, while the world might indeed be going through a turbulent and violent phase right now, America is actually quite safe.
The Qur’an and other traditional religious texts may indeed contain verses that are objectionable by modern standards, but that does not mean that we can reduce all these texts to these verses. Beyond the arcane mythology and certain specific objectionable rulings, there is also much wisdom contained in these texts, wisdom that allows them to keep their followers inspired and capable of coping with the requirements of modern life provided that they can understand the true nature of the relationship between the specific and the general in these texts.
A red herring?
The danger that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose to the region and the world is directly related to these weapons. Iran may never actually deploy these weapons or even threaten to deploy them against her perceived enemies, but having them might make her feel freer to embark on a more aggressive and expansionist foreign policy, including providing support to a growing assortment of rogue regimes, sectarian militias, death squads and terrorist networks under the belief that her nuclear arsenal would shield her from any serious repercussions.
The theory that a pivot to Iran, sealed with an agreement regarding her nuclear program, will prevent the rise of a “Sino-Russo-Iranian condominium” in the Caspian Region and Central Asia have been around for many years, and, if we are to believe that they actually have a clear policy, this might indeed be what’s on the mind of President Obama and his trusted advisers, not to mention their myriad supporters in liberal think tanks and the halls of academia. Once reached, the deal will allow sanctions on Iran to be lifted, and this move, so the thinking goes, will gradually facilitate a rapprochement between Iran and the West, weaning her off of her growing reliance on Russia and China. Still, and while the theory can be made to sound compelling by its advocates, the rationale behind it is actually pretty lame if not downright delusional.
The Ammar Abdulhamid Archive 