November 2007

This isn’t a Ronald Reagan idea. It’s a Dr. Strangelove idea

ArchPundit November 8, 2007 0 Comment

That’s about right.

And More Stupidity

ArchPundit November 8, 2007 0 Comment

2. Do nothing and allow Iran to continue to flout the will of the International Community by continuing its unrelenting drive to acquire nuclear weapons. Without the third set of international sanctions, Iran will continue to be in a position to have nuclear weapons within a year and become a nuclear terrorist nation.”

So many problems in such a short paragraph.  First, if we were to provide nuclear weapons to Taiwan, we would violate the NPT and be subject to sanctions ourselves.  In addition, if the US were to remove itself from the NPT framework, the entire framework would collapse meaning that such a move would be completely self-defeating.  Schock and Shearer are amazingly ignorant of the entire NPT framework and are trying to enforce it, by breaking it.

Furthermore, no one thinks that Iran will have a nuclear weapon within one year.  The absolute earliest is three years with most thinking it would take until 2015 or later.  And that is to produce one weapon.  One.

Woefully Ignorant

ArchPundit November 8, 2007 0 Comment

From the Schock Press Release:

“Iran is a regime that has used every weapon it has ever acquired,” said Schock. “I do not intend to go to Congress and sit idly by while Iran gets nuclear weapons. This is a grave threat to our country and it requires tough diplomatic strategy to resolve peacefully without an invasion or war.”

This is perhaps the most misleading statement in a statement full of garbage.  Iran has never utilized biological or chemical weapons.  In fact, it was entitled to use chemical weapons against Iraq when Iraq used them against Iran, but Iran refused and condemned Iraq for using such weapons and then joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in the 1990s.
Furthermore, no one has alleged Iran is trying to develop biological weapons despite the technological ability and the infrastructure existing to do that since Iran has advanced biological research facilities.

There is some question as to whether Iran has sought technologies for these weapons, but most of that centered on being prepared for another attack by Iraq.

So they have only utilized traditional weapons, not WMDs.  Suggesting they have utilized such weapons is misleading and one might conclude, a purposeful lie.

Versace Response

ArchPundit November 8, 2007 1 Comment

NEWS RELEASE

Dick Versace Criticizes Republican Candidate’s Plan to Dish Out Nuclear Weapons to Taiwan

“The last thing we need is another career politician who is willing to make dangerous proposals like this one without first considering the consequences”

Peoria, IL — Earlier today, one of the Republican candidates running in the increasingly divisive Republican primary in IL-18, State Representative Aaron Schock, made the following remarks:

“If China continues to be irresponsible about nuclear proliferation in Iran, we should tell them that if they do not care about proliferation — and since they are enablers of it in Iran — that if they don’t change their position, we will sell Pershing nuclear missiles to Taiwan for their defense.” [Springfield Journal Register, 11/08/07]

In response, Dick Versace, the Democratic candidate for Illinois 18^th Congressional District, issued the following statement:

“I’ve traveled across this great district on the Common Sense Express and I’ve heard what’s important to people in this community. Dishing out nuclear weapons to foreign places like Taiwan wasn’t mentioned. After eight years of reckless foreign policies coming from Washington, the last thing we need is another career politician who is willing to make dangerous proposals like this one without first considering the consequences.”

Dick Versace led Bradley’s team for eight years and is widely credited with bringing glory to the program. Under Coach Versace’s leadership Bradley dominated the Missouri Valley Conference and made regular trips to the NCAA tournament. In 1982, Coach Versace led Bradley to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) championship. Dick Versace is appreciative of the opportunities he’s had to live and work in Peoria. He is the proud father of one son, a daughter, and a step-son and he currently lives in Peoria with his wife Vicki.

Embrace Teh Crazy!

ArchPundit November 8, 2007 0 Comment

Via Rich

.Schock’s campaign manager, Steven Shearer, responded that “academia routinely looked down on President Reagan and ridiculed him when he said that the Soviet Union was going to fall into the ash heap of history.” Reagan’s controversial positioning of Pershing missiles in Europe in the early 1980s “led to the first arms reduction in history,” Shearer claimed.

Rich makes this point:

Here’s the difference: Reagan deployed American missiles to Western Europe, and America controlled those missiles. Selling Pershings to Taiwan means they would control those missiles, not us.

Rich is leaving one important point unstated–this would violate the Non-Proliferation Treaty and destroy the entire international framework for controlling the spread of nuclear weapons.

Oh, and start a war with China.

But let’s go to Ronald Reagan and his views on Non-Proliferation–views I happen to strongly agree with:

President Ronald Reagan lists the following basic guidelines for U.S. nuclear non-proliferation policy:

— The U.S. will seek to prevent the spread of nuclear explosives to additional countries as a fundamental national security and foreign policy objective.

— The U.S. will strive to reduce the motivation for acquiring nuclear explosives by working to improve regional and global stability and to promote understanding of the legitimate security concerns of other states.

— The U.S. will continue to support adherence to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco) by countries that have not accepted those treaties.

— The U.S. will view a material violation of these treaties or an international safeguards agreement as having profound consequences for international order and U.S. bilateral relations, and also view any nuclear explosion by a non-nuclear-weapon state with grave concern.

— The U.S. will strongly support and continue to work with other nations to strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to provide for an improved international safeguards regime.

— The U.S. will seek to work more effectively with other countries to forge agreement on measures for combatting the risks of proliferation.

— The U.S. will continue to inhibit the transfer of sensitive nuclear material, equipment and technology, particularly where the danger of proliferation demands, and to seek agreement on requiring IAEA safeguards on all nuclear activities in a non-nuclear-weapon state as a condition for any significant new nuclear supply commitment.

In fact, Reagan brought China into the framework:

1984

1984 — April U.S.-SINO NUCLEAR TRADE PACT The United States signs a nuclear trade pact with China after Peking agrees to join the IAEA and accept IAEA inspection of any exported nuclear equipment and material. The agreement comes into force December 16, 1985.

Ronald Reagan would think Shearer and Schock are dangerous lunatics.