Have we gone to war over oil? Will we?

er every outside intervention in the Middle East in the last 100 years (with the possible exception of the founding of Israel) has been about oil - no matter what anyone else tells you

It's not ALL about oil...according to Perkins in his "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" We only think it is...sure oil matters, but it's only a small piece of the bigger puzzle. It's about empire, not oil...

I would hate to see Iran get the bomb

Why?

In Asia, India, China, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel and the US already have the bomb. No state is gonna nuke another - no matter what the rhetoric - nor is any state going to invade one with the bomb (so at least the mad US neocons will have their 'invade Iran' rhetoric stopped once Iran get nukes)

IMHO the bigger risk is a 'dirty' bomb containing nuclear material (of which Iran already has plenty by the way) falling into the hands of Hezbollah - the use of these sorts of weapons against Israel by Hezbollah must be a very tempting strategy for them..

All politicians understand the need for compromise. There's a significant difference between Iranian politicians who use rhetoric calculated to appease the country's extremist religious zealots, and those zealots themselves.

I'd love to see the current Iranian regime overthrown and replaced by a more moderate government, but I don't think the West's portrayal of it as as huge threat to global stability is correct.

Northview,

Is there any difference between Iran supporting clients such as Al Qaida and the former USSR supporting Cuba and North Vietnam?