IRAN AND THE BOMB                    AND YOU SAID IT COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE                                                                        By Richard Livsey NEW YORK CITY - I don’t know about you, but I feel about as comfortable with Iran possessing a nuclear bomb as I do with the idea of cutting Homeland Security funding for the city of New York. Yet the latter has already happened, and it’s only a matter of time before Iran joins that elite club of countries that can launch nukes at will. Of course Iran claims that their nuclear program is just for producing energy. And I buy that about as much as I believe that global warming is not a serious problem. In this world, possessing a nuclear warhead is like having floor seats at the NBA Finals. You get to rub elbows with other VIPs like Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson and people begin to listen when you speak. But the problem with Iran attaining a nuclear weapon is that their President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is as blood thirsty as a hungry shark. It wasn’t too long ago that he declared Israel would be one day “wiped off the map.” Now say what you will about President Bush, but even with hiscowboy-like politics (let’s round ‘em up) our Commander and Chief hasnever called for the annihilation of an entire people . He may have oil on the brain, but he’s not hungry for genocide. And before you start huffing and puffing, I want to mention that I did not support the war in Iraq, but I am glad to see Saddam Hussein is behind bars where he certainly belongs. And whatever they plan to do to him after that guilty verdict is handed down: inject him, hang him, shoot him, electrocute him or make him listen to Celine Dion records until his ears start to bleed and his brain turns into oatmeal - It couldn’t be sooner. This whole trial is an exercise in futility anyway. You don’t get the moniker, “The Butcher of Bagdad” for being a nice guy. Unless of course you spend your days slicing cuts of sirloin and weighing ground beef at the local market. Hopefully Iraq will prosper from this conflict and they will be given their taste of freedom and democracy for real. But it seems right now, the biggest threat to world peace is the country next door, i.e. Iran. Now before any of you anti-war people start shooting angry emails my way, let me state that I am all for diplomacy. I am not proposing that we invade or bomb Iran. I’m a lover not a fighter, and I believe in peace. But like that classic 80's metal song by Megadeath asks: “Peace sells, but who’s buying?” Certainly not countries that are run by radicals that spew messages of hate toward other races and openly support terrorists groups. The fact is we live in a violent world. And there are evil people who must be stopped by whatever means necessary. From Joseph Stalin to Adolf Hitler to Pol Pot to Saddam Hussein there is no negotiating with madmen because there are only two things that they understand - Blunt Force and Absolute Power. Our forefathers understood that freedom comes with a price, and Thomas Jefferson stated it best, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Hopefully, we can resolve this matter with peace talks and fresh baked muffins before any fatal buttons are pushed. But we cannot sit back and hope for the best because President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is about as straight forward with us as an ex-con dealing three card monte in Times Square. And each month brings him closer to his ultimate goal of staring down the free world in total defiance. Ahmandinejad is shuffling the cards right before us, and we know in our hearts that it’s a con, so let’s stop entertaining the thought that we can at least win one hand. Published June 5,2006 HOME BACK TO ARCHIVES ABOUT DONATE TO THIS SITE