Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/222666
6A Daily News – Thursday, December 5, 2013 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. A case for containing Iran WASHINGTON -- Critics of the agreement with Iran concerning its nuclear program are right about most things but wrong about the most important things. They understand the agreement's manifest and manifold defects and its probable futility. Crucial components of Iran's nuclear infrastructure remain. U.S. concessions intended to cultivate the Iranian regime's "moderates" are another version of the fatal conceit that U.S. policy can manipulate other societies. As is the hope that easing economic sanctions will create an Iranian constituency demanding nuclear retreat in exchange for yet more economic relief. Critics are, however, wrong in thinking that any agreement could control Iran's nuclear aspirations. And what critics consider the agreement's three worst consequences are actually benefits. The six-month agreement, with ongoing negotiations, makes it impossible for the United States to attack its negotiating partner. Hence the agreement constrains Israel, which lacks the military capacity to be certain of a success commensurate with the risks of attacking Iran. Therefore there is no alternative to a policy of containment of a nuclear Iran. Iran's claim that its nuclear program is for power generation and medical uses is risible. So is the notion that negotiations On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 at most. And an attack might near -- "a screwdriver's turn cause Iran to expel the interna- away from" -- weaponization. tional inspectors, and might But Pollack, writing many months before the accelerate the crumrecent agreement ratibling of the sanctions, fied Iran's right to thereby speeding the enrichment, said: reconstitution of the "As long as Iran is weapon program. left with the capacity A U.S. attack could to enrich uranium, do much more damage the right to perform but could not prevent some enrichment reconstitution. So, if activity, and a stockstopping the program pile of LEU (lowis important enough for enriched uranium) ... war, is it important then Iran will have a enough for an invasion of a nation with almost George F. breakout capability. It could be a breakout three times the populawindow as wide as tion of Iraq and nearly many months, perfour times the size? haps even a year, but In December 2011, Leon Panetta, then secretary of Iran will have the capability to defense, said that if Iran were manufacture the fissile material seen "proceeding with develop- for a nuclear weapon." The agreement will not stop ing a nuclear weapon" or had decided to do that, the United Iran from acquiring nuclear States would "take whatever weapons; only a highly unlikely steps are necessary to stop it." Iranian choice can do that. The In March 2012, Barack Obama agreement may, however, presaid: "Iran's leaders should vent a war to prevent Iran from understand that I do not have a acquiring such weapons. If Polpolicy of containment; I have a lack is right, and he certainly is policy to prevent Iran from persuasive, we have two choicobtaining a nuclear weapon." es, war or containment. Those His red line was the weaponiza- who prefer the former have an obligation to clearly say why its tion of fissile material. Yet in his Nov. 23 statement consequences would be more celebrating the new agreement, predictable and less dire than Obama spoke of wanting to be those in the disastrous war with able to "verify" that Iran "can- Iraq. not build a nuclear weapon." If George Will's email address so, he rejects not only containis georgewill@washpost.com. ment but allowing Iran to stop Will Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 have any likely utility establishing the predicate for containment of an Iran with nuclear weapons or with the capacity to produce them quickly. There is a recently published primer for the perplexed: "Unthinkable: Iran, the Bomb, and American Strategy" by Kenneth M. Pollack of the Brookings Institution. Measured in his judgments, scrupulous in presenting arguments with which he disagrees, Pollack comes to this conclusion: "Going to war with Iran to try to prevent it from obtaining a nuclear arsenal would be a worse course of action than containing Iran, even a nuclear Iran." Some advocates of war seem gripped by Thirties Envy, a longing for the clarity of the 1930s, when appeasement failed to slake the dictators' thirst for territorial expansion. But the incantation "Appeasement!" is not an argument. And the word "appeasement" does not usefully describe a sober decision that war is an imprudent and even ultimately ineffective response to the failure of diplomatic and economic pressures to alter a regime's choices about policies within its borders. Israel's superb air force is too small, when striking over great distances at hidden and hardened targets, to do more than set back Iran's program a few years, Commentary If not today, when? "Not again," I murmured under my breath as I ducked my head down not so much to fight Tuesday's strong winds, but rather to avoid eye contact with the Salvation Army bell ringer. This was about to be the third time in the matter of a few hours when I was giving charity a cold shoulder. "No, not today," I had previously said twice after being prompted to donate a buck following a debit card purchase. I didn't feel good about it, but after Black Friday shopping and a Thanksgiving weekend visit from the in-laws I had already spent way more money than I should just a few days into a month where one traditionally spends way too much money than they should. I knew I was being an Ebenezer, but I justified it to myself under the cloak that my wife donates every time she's given the opportunity. Besides, here I was entering the grocery store to grab a few items she needed to make a stew out of the remnants of our turkey — a meal she was making because it would be just as costeffective as it would be tasty. I was here to save a buck, not spend one. My selfish plan worked to the point where I slipped through the sliding doors without having to verbally turn down a charity — yet the rejection of good will still beat a steady guilt-ridden drum inside me. I gathered what I needed: a loaf of bread, chicken broth, celery, corn and some noodles. I seemingly lucked out when the cashier let me slide into her line even though her shift was about to end and I thought the cosmos was leaving me unpunished. That lasted but for a moment. "Do you want to buy something else," the cashier asked. I tried to figure out what item for the needy she was trying to hawk until my eyes eventually glanced upon my bill's total. $6.66. "Oh." I certainly didn't want to spend another dollar, but I didn't want the poor cashier to be eternally damned because I was being a tightwad either. I grabbed some candy my sweet tooth had been eying anyway. bucket yourself." She rang it up. Hell averted. "Just take it!" I took my bags and left the She finally agreed, making store, passing the bell ringer as I sure I watched as she dropped it headed to my car. Now I'm not the superstitious in the bucket. When I got home I type, but walking told my wife what had through the parking lot just occurred as she I couldn't help but conbegan making our dinsider I had been given ner. three opportunities to "You know, even if donate to charity and in you don't donate, you response had been can still look someone flashed the sign of the in the face and smile," beast. she scolded me. I was in the midst of As it set in how some made-for-TV rude a person I can be movie that would to avoid a feeling of either be shown on Rich guilt, I looked around Syfy or the Hallmark our home and saw all Channel depending on the things we had — what my next actions the things we recently were. I climbed into the driver's purchased we probably didn't seat and then looked down at a need and the things we purdollar bill that had been sitting chased that we did. More importantly I got to on the dashboard since at least thinking about how I needed to Memorial Day. find all those other misplaced My next move was easy. I drove past the bell ringer, dollars we had lying around. rolled down my window and Rich Greene can be held the money out. "I can't take the money," the reached at 527-2151, Ext. 109 or by email at bell ringer said. rgreene@redbluffdailynews.c "What?" "You have to place it in the om. Greene