Why do the warhawks focus on Iran?
In their fervor to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon.
There is little to no evidence that Iran is even pursuing a nuclear weapon, and historically, the country is not prone to starting wars.
Meanwhile, North Korea openly develops nuclear weapons, its leadership is far more crazy than that of Iran, constantly flaunts their “might” with their missile tests, and is a direct threat to South Korea and Japan.
And yet, the warhawks are in no rush to push for a military solution to “liberate” NK.
Why do you think that is?
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16 Answers
I support the nuclear weapon deal, but I can understand the concern that some people have about it. Iran is the top nation in the Persian Gulf, thanks to the intervention of the U.S. in Iraq. It supports terrorists through Hezbollah. North Korea is a bit player in world politics, a poor country largely isolated from the rest of the world.
Possibly because NK has a reputation for being bat-shit crazy and if we rattle our sabres too loudly at them they might actually attack SK and Seoul is only 35 miles from the border. Plus we have over 28k troops on the border most of whom, at least according to this article, would die.
There’s also the fact that the possible targets for North Korea’s nukes lack a powerful lobby to work our Congress on their perceived behalf.
My take is the US “warhawks” had done their job long ago already put in place sanctions against NK and like Iran those sanctions are having an effect and NK is begging now to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate to get these sanctions removed.
Because…
The North Koreans won’t do much to provoke the US militarily because the Chinese will not let them. The last thing China wants is a greater US military presence on the “Pacific Rim” than already exists. The day the Kims look like they are going to draw the US out, is the day the family disappears.
Iran, on the other is already fighting a (successful) war using surrogates with the aim of controlling all the Iraqi oil, and eventually Saudi oil as well. A problem for Europe and indirectly for the US.
Iran has pledged to destroy Isreal. That would also be a problem.
There you go.
I think @josie probably has the best answer.
I would also add that on a meta level, the US (and western countries) probably feel that they ‘understand’ the arab world. Not that the West likes or approves of, but at least has a handle on what the arab world will do.
I think that there is far less understanding of Asians (in general) and N Koreans in particular. And you can’t take on an enemy that you don’t even begin to understand.
@josie gave a good answer, but also point out Iran’s attitude and posturing towards Israel.
Most of the US client states in the region are Sunni, and hostile to Iran for a mixture of sectarian, economic and geopolitical reasons.
The US establishment is also still smarting from having the Iranian Shah deposed. This is a political class with a ludicrously long and selective memory, and bitterly holds a grudge for generations. They’ve only just dropped the embargo on Cuba—after how many decades?!
There’s no real rational reasons for the focus on Iran. Iran is no better or worse than a whole host of US client states. They’re no more fundamentalist than Saudi Arabia. They’re no more racist than Israel. They’re no more politically repressive than Egypt. They’re infinitely less bellicose than the US itself.
All it is is that generations ago they happened to overthrow a US installed puppet, and the US likes buying Saudi oil, and selling F-16s to Saudi Arabia and Israel, which like to use Iran as a geopolitical rival bogeyman.
They proclaim themselves as war hawks, so, why not?
@elbanditoroso Americans might think they understand the Middle East better, but I’m not so sure. America is certainly more obsessed with the Middle East. About 6 months ago I was talking to someone about I don’t remember what exactly and NK came up. I made a remark about how isolated the population is from the outside world and the other person had zero idea what I was talking about.
It can be shocking to realize how many smart and capable people know so little about the world they inhabit. My own wife who is smarter and more capable than myself, asks me questions which make me grab my shirt collar with my teeth and try to stuff my mouth with it rather than blurt out some insult. Actually, I always quickly back away from my surprise and irritation, because it makes perfect sense that people pay attention only to things which interest them.
Plus there as that hostage thing years ago that the US never got even for. Lots of people are still chomping on the bit over that one.
(Not to mention the audacity of overthrowing our hand picked, hand installed shah. The nerve of some people)
The psychological term for it is projection. We attribute our aggressive tendencies to them.
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