middle east tensions (tangent from North Korea topic)

[tat2kc]

WTF?? I hope this topic will be short lived due to everyone calming the f*ck down, but I don't see that happening.  Lebanon, Gaza, Israel. Who's going to be next in this escalation?  We are stretched way too thin to intervene in any meaningful way, not that Bush is capable of doing much more than smirking for the cameras.  The latest reports say that the captured soldiers from Israel may be moved to Iran.  Surely Israel won't try to bomb Iran also. 

I'm getting a bit worried about this. Please tell me I'm being paranoid!!

[KCMax]

You're being paranoid. Whatever happens, I have the utmost confidence that W. will keep us safe. 

[Moniker]

It would please many Persian Americans living in the US if something was done with the clergy in Iran. Many folks who fled from Iran during the revolution lost contact with their families, lost what fortune(s) they had and so such.

[KCMax]

Yea, the Iranian population is very interesting. They are mostly young, pro-Western, educated. They could truly be an oasis of forward thinking people in a stable democratic government and a close ally to the U.S. Unfortunately, backwards thinking power hungry religious fundamentalists hell-bent on domination have gotten into power and have led the country astray. Wait, which country was I talking about, Iran or the U.S?

Relax Bush-backers, I'm kidding.

[tat2kc]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but aren't some of the more extreme factions in Iran made up of the younger, well educated generations?  I'm not sure where I read that. 

[Moniker]

Yea, the Iranian population is very interesting. They are mostly young, pro-Western, educated. They could truly be an oasis of forward thinking people in a stable democratic government and a close ally to the U.S. Unfortunately, backwards thinking power hungry religious fundamentalists hell-bent on domination have gotten into power and have led the country astray. Wait, which country was I talking about, Iran or the U.S?

Relax Bush-backers, I'm kidding.

In that regard, Iran is like the younger, unruly brother of Turkey.

[Gladstoner]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but aren't some of the more extreme factions in Iran made up of the younger, well educated generations?  I'm not sure where I read that. 

President Ahmadinnerjacket and his 'well-educated' ilk are basically the 'students' of the 1979 revolution. They are young compared to the ancient Jedi-master impersonators of the clergy. The interesting demographic for the future, though, is the youth, considering how much Iran's population has exploded since Ahmadinejad's Members Only jackets were made. I've gathered that more of them hate the regime than not. I think their coming-of-age may be what the regime is really racing against as it merrily builds its nukes.