Disaster or catastrophe

I was surprised to see Xavier Onasis at Hip Suburban White Guy railing against President Bush today.

Really, I had not idea he felt that way.

According to HSWG, Bush is solely responsible for allowing Iran to destroy the earth in an impending nuclear holocaust.

I'd just like to respond with a couple of small points.

First, the humanity on Earth will be destroyed sooner or later, and for extreme environmentalist Greenies like myself, the sooner the better. Then the earth can get on with being an innocent ball of mud and water making it's way through the universe in peace.

My second point is this: Although a simplistic world view might help some people get through the night, purely good or bad guys are rare. No catastrophe is ever the fault of one person, just like no one person can ever claim all of the credit for great accomplishments.

In the case of Iran's nuclear ambitions, I think a lot of the blame can be given to Europe.

But don't take my word for it.

Leon de Winter, a Dutch novelist and adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, published an opinion in the Wall Street Journal stating that Europe's lack of testicular fortitude is big reason Iran is getting its way with nuclear ambition.

"The mullahs also knew that the Troika couldn't back up its threat of an economic boycott with the threat of military action. If the EU couldn't muster the will to fight in its own backyard in the Balkans without America leading the way, it surely wouldn't put any lives at risk beyond the frontiers of the Continent.

By contrast, Iran, ostensibly a democracy but in reality a religious tyranny, possesses a character trait that is almost nonexistent in modern Europe: Iranians, almost exclusively Shiite, are willing to suffer."

As usual with the WSJ, it's mighty fine writin' and I encourage you to read the rest of de Winter's piece. Especially you, Xavier, until you become a little older and wiser.

tagged: Iran, Europe, nuclear, Wall Street Journal, EU, Bush, environmentalist