Nukes Won't Save Iran

Mike Burleson

Iran, North Korea, and other rogue states are constructing nuclear arsenals in a vain attempt to shore up their tyrannical regimes. Their rationale is America will not be able to enforce democracy on their oppressive governments as we were impelled to do in Iraq, if they posses stockpiles of the ultimate Weapon of Mass Destruction to defend themselves.

What the dictators fail to perceive is Iraq’s special case: of a genie let out of the bottle. It was necessary to force the first root of freedom in the terrorist breeding grounds of the Middle East for all the branches of democracy to spread. This is not to say that nuclear weapons, with their unimaginable destructive power, are not capable of influencing conflict. Yet, in the generation since their sole use in World War 2, war between nations has continued as usual, as it has since the dawn of time.

Nuclear weapons failed to prevent Stalin from blockading Berlin in 1947, even though the US possessed a monopoly on them. Neither did they deter North Korea from attacking the South in 1950, or nuke-free China from crossing the Yalu River later that year. Nukes did nothing to prevent an embarrassing American withdrawal from Vietnam, or the Soviet Union shameful retreat from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. Finally, Ronald Reagan did not bring on the collapse of communism in Europe through Atomic Armageddon, as his detractors often feared, but by delegitimatizing the Marxist dogma.

Reagan proved the fallacy of communism by pointing out its weakness. Even though the Soviets possessed a frightening military force, with vast stockpiles of nuclear and conventional weaponry, it was unable to feed its own people. Reagan’s “Evil Empire” speech was itself a weapon of mass destruction. Though it offended and embarrassed Western elites and the media, it pierced the consciousness of the Russian people, acknowledging the doubts they had in their decrepit government.

Reagan ultimately confirmed that a greater force than all the nuclear bombs and missiles in the world is the power of the people. This is why the will to win is so important. He felt that America would win the Cold War, even while political elites resigned themselves to a world divided in two, half slave and half free. Thankfully, the resolve of one man overwhelmed the submission of the status quo.

While the insurgents dominate the headlines with suicide bombers, car bombs, and IEDs, an equally hopeful President George W. Bush is winning the war of ideas. He has been hotly ctisized, especially after his Axis of Evil speech of January 2002, which was strangely reminiscent of Reagan’s speech 20 years earlier, both in its truthfulness and the amount of sarcasm it has received. By challenging the tyrants and terrorists to mend their ways, or face the wrath of the people, he has placed their backward ideology on notice.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad and other demagogues may shore up their defenses, expand their nuclear arsenals, and seal their borders, yet the truth will always filter through. While they console themselves in the strength of their suicidal converts, and with the sympathy of Western elites, the very extremeness of their constant rhetoric reveals an increasing dread that their time is short.

My blog is at newwars.blogspot.com

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Mike Burleson is a regular columnist with Sea Classics magazine and an advocate of Military Reform. He resides in historic Charleston, SC. http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/honestnews/ http://newwars.blogspot.com/

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