Every time I hear or read about those who wonder what the
leaders of North Korea and Iran want or what they plan to do, I remember an
incident decades ago that took place when a New Democratic (Socialist) Premier
was elected to govern the Canadian Province of Ontario .
Both the local and national media kept speculating as to
what his government will do or neglect to do, based on what somebody else was
saying. Tired of this juvenile level of shenanigan, the Premier told the media
there was a better way to find out what his government intends to do. It was to
ask him or his ministers what they have in mind. It's as simple as that!
Today, an article and a news item reminded me of that
incident. They also prompted me to write about the subject matter they exposed
to the public.
The article came under the title: “Facing the Iranian
Challenge in the Middle East” and the subtitle: “To craft a successful strategy
for dealing with Tehran ,
we must first understand the Islamic Republic's motivations.” It was published
on October 9, 2017 in National Review Online (NRO) accompanied by an editor's
note that says the article is an adaptation of remarks made by Kenneth M.
Pollack five days earlier, before members of the House Affairs Committee.
As to the news item, it came under the title: “Iran promises 'crushing' response if U.S. designates
Guards a terrorist group.” It was written by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin of Reuters
News, and published on the agencies website, also on October 9, 2017.
There it is, my friend, you have the point I'm trying to
make in the titles of those two works. Now ask yourself: Why is it that America 's
legislators thought it necessary to invite Ken Pollack to tell them what the
Iranians may be thinking when the Iranians make clear what they think everyday
of the week?
In fact, the Iranians have been saying it to the Americans
in no uncertain terms for years. They always sounded like this: We'll do to you
what you do to us. Consider it that you created a tit for tat situation. And
so, for every tit of yours, you'll get back a tat from us. Incidentally, the
North Koreans have been saying much the same thing to the Americans for an even
longer period of time.
Despite the daily evidence that comes out of North Korea and Iran
as to what their leaders think; what they want and what they ask for, look how
utterly unhelpful Kenneth Pollack has been to America 's
legislators: “Iran 's
political system is highly opaque. Its inner workings and decision-making
processes are shrouded in mystery and rarely conform to nominal organization or
to what an outsider might predict”.
Just think about it; this is what Kenneth Pollack said to
help members of the Congress craft a successful strategy for America . At
least that's what is promised in the subtitle of the NRO article. Go figure.
Having made his point as clear as mud, Kenneth Pollack went
on to tell the following to his Congressional audience: “...it is impossible
for anyone to know what is inside Khamenei's head … Someday we may learn Iran's
true rationale and it may have nothing to do with anything that the United
States or the West believes today … the first and foremost goal of the Iranian
leadership is the survival of the Iranian nation … Beyond mere survival, Iran seeks
to dominate its neighborhood...” Was this enough to clear the mud? What do you
think?
As to the Sharafedin news item, it says that because
President Trump is expected to designate Iran 's
Revolutionary Guards Corp as a terrorist organization, Iran has promised
that if this comes to pass, it will retaliate with a “crushing” action of its
own.
Unlike the Pollack message, this one is as clear as water
from a wellspring. It says that the days when the United States of America could
bully the smaller countries and get away with it, are over. Whether it is Vietnam or Iran
or North Korea or anyone
else, the free people of the world will stand up to the tyranny of America , and will
fight to victory even if it takes them several decades to achieve it.