Why are the rightwingers scared to death of Iran having nukes?

[Postman]

It may seem like a naive question to those who think US/Iranian history begins with the 1979 Hostage Crisis.

Which leads me to ask, for what reason would Iran be hostile to the US?

And don't gimme any of that - they hate us for our freedoms crap.

Could past US involvement in thwarting their democracy (1953) and supporting the repressive "Shah" have anything to do with the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism?

Any peace that results in the Middle East is going to have to include the US recognizing its own destructive past relationship with Iran.

Having said that, the Bush Administration has put the US in such a poor position, diplomatically, militarily and economically that he has rendered US power ineffective.

I doubt the American people are ready or willing to engage in a world war for the Middle East, as some on the rightwing have been calling for.

The world as we see it today is what happens when people like George Bush and rightwing lunatics get elected.

[OKNancy]

1. because they are run by a bunch of right-wing fundy nutjobs

LOL - just like the good old USA. At least we have an opportunity to change that come 2006 and 2008.
I imagine it will be rough for the Iranian opposition to do so.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. Because...

If Iran gets anywhere close to completing a bomb, Israel will attack them (if we don't first) and then all kinds of savage hell will break loose in the middle east. Bye bye Iran. Bye bye Israel. Bye bye oil.

[darkmaestro019]

5. I'm beginning to think that might be the best thing.

Not that I'm in favor of that many people being wiped out, but perhaps a sea of glass over what's left of the oil would teach all of us a lesson. Nothing left to fight over. Share or you get no toys at all.

Now we can all expend the energy we were wasting arguing over whose god was the coolest trying to remember how to make fire.

[TahitiNut]

3. Reichbot "Courage": Kill and Maim with no danger to one's self.

It's not an exclusively reich-wing trait - I see more than enough people on DU who haven't the foggiest notion of what it's like in a combat zone. People whose rhetoric regarding warring forces in a combat zone is almost indistinguishable from that of rabid fans of some professional sport's team betray a mentality unreachable with reason.

Truth is the first casualty of war. It's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. May those who have assisted in the assassination of Truth live the nightmare they've assisted.

[LaurenG]

4. I don't think this is a "right winger" issue

It is pretty frightening for all of us if Iran gets their hands on nukes. Their leadership at this time is pretty darn out of it. Anyone who says that the Holocaust didn't occur should not have access to nukes.

[NNN0LHI]

6. If they have a viable nuclear deterrent we can't steal their oil n/t

[Rosemary2205]

7. For the record, I don't think it's JUST the fundies.

I do believe the folks in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, India, blah blah blah are not real keen on Iran having nukes either.

Edit to add - that while I'd love to see the death of ALL the world's nukes, I don't get the big deal about Iran or NK having one either. If they use it, they can be assured of being wiped off the face of the planet.