As I've said before, Iran is all sizzle and no steak, full of trash talkin' but unable to back up its words with force.

Looks like Achmodinyjad needs a good back rub.

The hun is either at your throat or at your feet and germany has been at the feet of the US for 60 years. Good to see Frau Merkel doing the bidding of American neo-cons. Germany groveling at it's finest.

Good to see Frau Merkel doing the bidding of American neo-cons. Germany groveling at it's finest.

How so? Merkel rejected the letter as unworthy of a reply. What do you think she should have done instead?

A well-placed sniper’s bullet through Ahmadinejad’s skull from say, 200 yards away, would save this world a lot of grief!

He sounds pretty lucid if you ask me. America is in lockdown on this subject... a pretty big accomplishment for such a 'small, victimized, minority' - wouldn't you think?

Thomas 1. There are those who would say, a well placed bullet in the head of Mr. Olmert would accomplish the same thing - and save the lives of thousands more.

A well-placed sniper’s bullet through Ahmadinejad’s skull from say, 200 yards away, would save this world a lot of grief!

What evidence do you have that whomever succeeds Ahmadinejad as leader of Iran would be better?

Demcorats in this threat are praising Iran's president.

Talk about demented morons.

Didn't Merkel aleady warn Iran not to dismiss the Holocaust?

The Iranian mullahs had better be careful with Ahmadinejad. I have a feeling the mullahs have a lot more in common with cosmopolitan Saudi princes than they'd like people to believe...and Ahmadinejad serves the purpose of giving them street cred with the Muslim street. But a guy like Ahmadinejad will eventually bristle at the Mullah's lack of commitment to the cause. He may challenge them.

As a certain political party has learned at home, loud and proud winguts are great at stirring things up, but they aren't very understanding when you tell them you don't REALLY want to support their nutty platform. Ahmadinejad is the Iranian James Dobson. The mullahs had better be careful they don't turn into the Iranian version of Bill Frist...

A well-placed sniper’s bullet through Ahmadinejad’s skull from say, 200 yards away, would save this world a lot of grief!

Yes. If it weren't for a few bad apples, the muslim world would certainly see the world from the American and Israeli perspective. With the possible exeception of comparing muslims to crap throwing monkeys, assasinating an elected muslim political leader is the best way build a strong and lasting relationship with the arab street.

Cluster bombs, JDAMs, and the boots of occupying solidiers are not something to be feared. Only if seen through Ahmadinejad's ash-grey shaded glasses. They are the birth pangs of freedom given gratiously by the world's premier democracies. They are to be greeted with ululations and gunshots -- well maybe not gunshots.

"How so? Merkel rejected the letter as unworthy of a reply. What do you think she should have done instead?"

Peter, I think Klyde was suggesting that Merkel 'leaked' the letter today, much to the appreciation of the Bush administration, I'm sure. In other words, the timing was a bit more than coincidental.

There are good people who believe that Israel is a terrorist nation, and that Jack Abramoff is the equivalent of the outlawed Muslim charities.

The difference - is that American Jews have too much influence on the conversation. Too much media disclosure without ethnocentric identification.

"sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel," ... told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. "

Hmmm... That's cute. JPost quoting an Israeli operative presented as being some sort of factual information.

However, the converse of the above is a well proven fact, the US and Israel are quite willing to sacrifice half the population of OTHER countries for their own benefit.

I loved Madeline Albrights quote (as secretary of state) to the effect that the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children [via starvation] were 'worth it' to achieve the US policy objective of removing Saddam Hussein from power. Pretty cute too.
BTW: That's a war crime.

"...religious conviction that Israel's demise is essential to the restoration of Muslim glory,"

Again, this is really too funny as the Israeli policy is based on a religous conviction that they should be entitled to restoration of their 'biblical' empire, destruction of the dome of the rock, and rebuilding of the 'Third Temple'.

This conviction is shared by the christian right as a prerequisite for the apocaplyse, ultimate destruction of the Jews and ascention to heaven. Comical eh? Unfortunately, that bright flash in the sky won't be heaven opening, but a 20 megaton nuclear warhead detonating overhead.

The 30% of the human population that doesn't carry the defective 'god gene' [i.e. the more rational, sentinent humans] need to find a place to survive. It's gonna be tough to do with all the radioactive fallout.

New Zealand anyone?

political chimpmunk -- Thank you for your sane observations. When Israeli apologists speak of 'muslim terror' I am always reminded that America is a nation under occupation.

Sobibor West - with a Jew in every watchtower.

the la times is part of the lockdown. Jews need to identify their bias on all things Middle Eastern.

That means Jewish newspapers, magazines, TV news channels. Our country is being run by a minority with ties to Israel. If we had an honest reckoning, they would all be tried for treason.

"The difference - is that American Jews have too much influence on the conversation"

I disagree. The problem is that not enough American Jews have influence. Most of them are quite intelligent and sane and tolerant and have mixed feelings about Israel.

Unfortunately, only the crazy ones get to voice their opinions.

Kind of like the rest of American politics.

And the right wings plants trying to fill the comment section with anti-semitism are getting old. No one's buying it guys. Real liberals might criticize Israelis. Not Jews in general.

"These 2 girl bloggers know nothing other than what is spoon-fed to them in the mainstream media."

Ah, and condescending sexism to boot! Thanks for your contributions, Thomas1.

Hey, we have a retarded psycho as our president, why shouldn't the Iranians have the same "privilege"?

A well-placed sniper’s bullet through Ahmadinejad’s skull from say, 200 yards away, would save this world a lot of grief!

A Hebrew Observer is just as dangerously bigotted and hateful as slim, who, I might add, did not advocate political assassination as far as I know.

Political assassinaton rarely works because single men/women are rarely the ony representative of a policy. If an israeli leader was assassinated it would not change Israel's policy of territorial seizure or treating Palestinians like Warsaw Ghetto Jews.

Ah yes, the answer to all our troubles (paraphrased):

"A well-placed sniper’s bullet through FILL IN YOUR HATED ENEMY'S NAME HERE skull from say, 200 yards away, would save this world a lot of grief!"
Posted by: A Hebrew Observer on A

riiiiight

Charles wrote: "There are good people who believe that Israel is a terrorist nation."

No, those are not good people. Some of them may be ignorant or misguided, but the rest are simply evil, bad people.

Its only terrorism if people we label "terrorists" do it.

And all people who think Israel are barbarians who are dishing it out to the Palestinians are evil.

Because to criticize Israel is evil.

In fact, to even question anything Israel ever does, even if it looks like bad stuff other people did, is evil.

Y'know... I am GODDAMN sick and tired of living in Dumbfuckistan. I want my fucking country back. You idiots who think Israel can do no wrong....GO FUCKING LIVE THERE and ROT

The most obvious nation which uses political assassination as a startegic policy is Israel.

Hmmmmmm

"We have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another." - Jonathan Swift

For no particular reason, I decided to see what sort of comments were generated by this post, a rare peek at the comments on Kevin Drum's blog... Phew! Does no one moderate these vile statements? Is this thread typical of "progressive" opinion? I think I need a shower!

Look, someone needs to offer to take the Iranian President through th sights and sounds of the world. Show him the sites of the holocaust, introduce him to how Muslims were no better off than Jews, possible a tour through Bosnia as well how racial strife is not something we want to repeat.

Because other than that - he's got a point; his country was on the wrong side, but it wasn't Iran than. And Economics and selfish governments (including the Shah's) have kept the advances and benefits from the people.

And the only way to bring about changes with working with the community of nations, not against.

Maybe if someone could convince him that if he stopped feeding the trolls (Bush, et al) they'd become less of a bother.

Chris, some of us prefer unmoderated comments. It is more like the real world that way, which is full of slms (a Holocaust denier, who I suspect has been banned), A Hebrew Observers, Ahmadinejads, and Bushes. Moderators prevent you from being informed about real world attitudes.

Chris--

No, this is not typical of the comments here. Usually they're full of standard lefty shibboleths like "Chimpy" or "Rethugs" and wails about how America is sliding towards fascism, along with a decent number of thoughtful, lucid arguments (although no Republicans need apply), and the standard mindless Bush apologists. Pretty mainstream stuff, in other words, and usually about a quarter of it is actually intelligent and worth reading.

This thread is some seriously freaky shit, though. The neo-Nazi troll who was spamming the site recently seems to have gone away, but others seem to have sprung up in his place - although these ones aren't as repetitive.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the Iranian equivalent of the Queen of England. He doesn't really control anything. Why pay attention?

I believe Israel and treasonous American Jews have hijacked my country and the media.

I am NOT a nazi.

And I am sick of being told that JEWS can do no wrong... if that were the case... they wouldnt' have spent the last few centuries running for their lives from pissed off host countries.

Trevor said "I am NOT a nazi."

Yeah, I can see that. You just have a little problem with JEWS.