September 24, 2007
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was visiting Columbia University today, he answered some questions.
One of the issues he addressed was in reference to Iran having a nuclear program. Here is the link: Link
He asked, “How come you have that right and we don’t have it?”
How come we have the right to have a nuclear program and Iran doesn’t have the right?
Comments (86)
‘Cause we said so
YEAH! FIRST! THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!
yeah…
second?
yeah…
second?
Because that dude is crazy.
Because the president does not have the power to send a nuke with one word…
and the president of Iran would. And that’s a little frightening.
Doesn’t make sense to me either…
Iran should be able to have a motherfucking nuclear program.
something i’ve been asking for years.
Basically we had nuclear weapons first and that means that we get to decide who is allowed to have them. It may not be fair but it is the way the world works.
Because Bush is white.
I also thought it was lame that the president of Columbia invited him to speak only to insult him during his introduction. Ann Coulter speaks at universities and her views can be just as dangerous. But you don’t see her getting insulted in her introduction.
‘Cuz he could blow up the world D:
You hafta admit that’s a good question. Basically the answer does seem to be “because we say so”. Is that a good enough answer? I don’t know, probably it isn’t. I’m just glad I live in this country and not theirs.
Because they’re nuts over there?
It’s the classic, “na, na, na, na, naaa” defense, what do you think???
But seriously, because we’re smart enough to keep our hatred of others secret and not announce our plans of bombing the shit out of other countries before we have the capabilities.
Because Iran has said that they want to wipe Israel off the map.
Personally, I don’t think we should have nuclear weapons or power either until we are able to successfully create fusion in a laboratory.
They have the right…we just don’t think they’ll be very responsible with it (example: blowing up Israel).
because we don’t regularly entertain the idea of blowing up entire countries.
We don’t.
Because God said so.
We don’t have a right to nuclear weapons or any weapon whose sole purpose is to annihilate the maximal number of living beings at once. Nobody has that right. We just have them anyway and who is going to take them away from us?
We do have the right to have a nuclear energy program and under international law so does Iran, provided they follow the rules. They refused to do so in the past, but they more or less are now as far as we know (except when we make up new rules just to make things difficult for them). But honestly, why does anyone want fission power anyway? It’s just a big radioactive headache. They’d be much better off building wind and solar energy farms (so would we for that matter). It’s not like Iran is lacking in sunlight.
We’re not “suppose” to (NPT states all existing nuclear powers must dismantle nukes).
But we do, and we won’t let anyone else get even remotely close to producing nukes.
Even though we did give nuclear technology to Israel.
Dan, I was wondering what you do for a job, since you post something every half-hour. How do you have so much time to read so many articles? Where do you get the time to post so often? Are you a stay at home father?
I love what you post though, so please don’t stop!
Jessica
because the US government is greedy and unthankful.
besides….we’re at war, why would he ask such a question?
Thank you so much for your comment. I have to have at least two hundred responses to be able to use the results, but I also appreciate the wisdom of your input. Thanks again.
I’m not sure that any nation should have the right to these things, but what’s done can not be undone. At least we have shown remarkable restraint regarding our program. I doubt very much that Iran can show the same restraint, and that’s a good enough reason to keep them out of the club.
that’s what i’ve been asking!!
Is it the United States that told him no or the United Nations? Big difference but lovely way to cloud the issue.
Because we arent stupid.
We’re trying to reduce our nuclear weapons program. Not cultivate a bigger one.
Or at least, we should be.
He actually has a good point. I believe that no one, not even the US should have nuclear weapons. What gives us the right to get involved in political issues of other nations when we can’t even resolved our own? It’s not wonder the French dislike Americans. We get involved in everyone else’s business and just screw it up even more.
I agree with the Iranian President on this issue.
Nuclear energy is Irans right.
He have a point there but, Americans are not the one who are crashing a planes into other people country and killing thousands of people’s lives. So, yeah America got the right to be a bit nervous what they may do next with a nuclear bomb.
Well, I don’t let my kids play with matches, either…
Because we’re not tryanical maniacs who want Isreal wiped off the map.
I’ve been asking myself that for, oh, the past 6 years.
His question is fallacious in its attempt to justify Iran having a nuclear program. His thinking is on the level of a spoiled toddler. In 1945 we figured out how to unleash a monster and now we’re stuck with it. It’s not about rights, but about responsibility. The last thing this poor world needs is to increase the production of monsters and putting them in the hands of unstable meglomaniacs. We have enough on our hands making sure we don’t mishandle them.
damn good question…
ryc: well i plan on visiting europe or participating in a “study abroad” program (in a few years) in either spain or england so if i’m still friends with these guys, then we’ll plan ahead and set aside some dates! it’d be so interesting to meet someone face-to-face after just online interaction.
Because we developed them, we have them and we would only use them as a last resort. Whereas, this bozo is a madman who doesn’t even believe the holocaust really took place, would use them to destroy Israel first and then at his whim would destroy any country he wanted to off. With that said, I would defintely rejoice if we lobbed a few his way and made a glass factory out of Iran, but that is wishful thinking on my part.
One word: Jihad.
The answer is simple – Iran violates U.N. order after order. Iran has taken a hard line against the West and Israel and we’ve OFFERED HIM NUCLEAR POWER in exchange for him not pursuing nuclear weapons. Besides, that nutjob thinks he’s going to usher in the 13th Imam by nuking people left and right. His expressed intention is to nuke people – the US has only done so hesitantly in the past. Nobody but Iran wants Iran to have nukes cuz their prez is a kook.
Exactly what thinmanii said – we don’t entertain the idea of blowing up other countries.
The US is not the only country with nuclear weapons. According to Wikipedia, England, Russia, France and China also have nuclear weapons, and North Korea, Pakistan and India have conducted nuclear tests. And Israel probably has one, but they won’t admit it. Notice none of those countries go around threatening other countries with destruction or promoting the idea that everyone who doesn’t agree with their religion should be killed.
The reason Iran can’t have one is because their leader is a nut who goes around threatening to destroy Israel and denying the Holocaust. The idea of Hugo Chavez or Kim Jong Il having a nuclear weapon doesn’t go over very well either.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Duh!
I think this is more of a question to put toward the UN, not America specifically.
And many have already said thus far what I would say- we just don’t trust Iran’s intentions- too much radicalism over there. We know the express intentions of jihadists and various terrorist groups linked with Islam, and Iran is not innocent in its support for these groups. We might as well ship Osama bin Laden a nuke and tell him to have fun with it.
Heard a statement tonight on the radio and it really sets things in perspective here: “Not all Muslims are terrorists but most terrorists are Muslims.” Who said that? A Muslim philosopher that Michael Savage quotes in one of his books. He didn’t give the name thus I can’t give you the name either. All the same, still true…
Lol at everyone saying he doesnt need nuclear power cuz he’s crazy,when our country has actually used nuclear weaons.
Lmao people crack me up.
Because there are…radicals?
He makes an excellent point.
He raises a motherfucking point. The reason is because the U.S. views itself as the world police, and being incapable of wrongdoing, we need the nukes to ensure global stability via the threat of out-nuking everyone else, or nuking first, or nuking period.
Bearing nuclear arms is no right. No one should have them, not even us. If we are to be taken seriously when we demand that others disarm or cease their nuclear weapon programs, we should lead by example or else be taken as hypocrites. Mutual extinction through a nuclear disaster is probably one of the single greatest threats to our species, as well as to all life on earth, and global disarmament is the only thing that can solve that.
We Are One Planet
“Everyone knows it’s madness; everyone has an excuse.”
No one should have the right to instantly annihilate an entire civilization, no matter how righteous the self-perception of the people demanding this “right.”
well its a fair question. My reply is, nobody should have them anymore.
Because America is God’s country, the land with the “sea to shining sea,” the land of the brave, where you can fulfill your dreams, and you can be happiest only here…sitting on the couch watching TV and munching on potato chips.
That was sarcasm, by the way. Iran should be able to have a nuclear weapons program. If we can, so can any country.
He have a point there but, Americans are not the one who are crashing a
planes into other people country and killing thousands of people’s
lives.
Posted by findingliberty
Neither is Iran, you moron.
Because we say so. And that’s good enough because we can kill him and his people. That’s the only way to power. To be able to kill someone else. That’s dominance
No way to say this any better, so I’m going to blatantly copy-paste:
“Because the president does not have the power to send a nuke with one word…
and the president of Iran would. And that’s a little frightening.”
– raisemyEbenezeR
I’m with Yosiph.
Because we have not voiced our delight in the prospect of seeing various countries wiped off the face of the map. And because there are checks in our government that prevent the random firing of nukes. (Hopefully)
Because we’re the good guys.
That’s why we drop napalm on little brown people.
No one should have the right to a nuclear weapon… not the Iranians or the US… I think its funny that so many view Iran as an evil nation compared to the US… as if it were a saintly nation… Last time I checked the only country in history to be cruel and twisted enough to kill millions with a bomb was the United States. Correction…
two
bombs. Don’t get me wrong. I think the United States is a nice place to live and the people are great but the government itself has become something corrupt, at times immoral, and I just don’t have any faith in it anymore.
And after watching the columbia speech… it seems to me that politicians and media want to paint a bad picture of Iran… people don’t spend enough time trying to see things from the other perspective… politicians and the media pulled that bs with Iraq… they point the finger, say hes a bad guy, come up with a ton of assumptions, twist a couple truths, sprinkle it with a couple lies and send your brother, your sister, your father, your mother off to go die in a desert… We seriously need better diplomacy…
We have checks and balances. There’s a reason Afganistan & Saudi Arabia weren’t smoldering craters after 9/11. He’s the King bent on Genocide. It’s like comparing apples to plastique.
Good Question, Tricky Answer.
’nuff said…
‘Tomato Unrest in Iran’
http://www.current.tv/pods/international/PD06412
Some various opinions mentioned from the civilians of Iran about the President. Not the type of clip you’d see in News on television. Current.tv is known for collecting news by various explorative individuals to
mainly just share the raw information as much as they can. And this is something SilentWolf86 might approve, as I agree with what he said earlier.
Spoiler:
One elderly Iranian woman had a message for both presidents, and said,
” You’re the two leaders of America and Iran and if you have a problem with each other
..why don’t you go find a place and fight it out between you two?
Why do you want to kill and main our sons? What’s wrong with you? What do you want? One says, ‘I’m right’ and the other says ‘No, I’m right.’ Either make peace or fight it out or get over with..quit scaring your people with these stupid slogans.”
Because the USA is a democracy, a country that for example doesn’t use torture methods…oops…never mind!
cause we’re just that great xD
Because we aren’t threatening to use our nuclear weapons to destroy another country. Iran is.
That’s MY question.
An excellent comment. We’re the ones who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.
no, we can’t inform any other nation that they are forbidden from pursuing a nuclear or any other program because it wasn’t “our” technology to begin with.
Just the thought of that man having his very own nuclear weapon just gives me the creeps..
Because America is an obsessive power hungry mamouth of a country that doesn’t allow any percieved threats to it’s domination?
Iran should have the right to nuclear power. As long as we have the right to nuclear weapons, so should they. But no one should have them.
People are so ignorant sometimes “Because we aren’t threatening to use our nuclear weapons to destroy another country. Iran is.”
Really? When was this? -.-
Iran has the right to develop nuclear arms just like anyone else. And when they succeed, we’ll leave them alone. Like, completely. That’s why we aren’t in Pakistan hunting Al Qaeda. That’s why we did nothing versus Kim Jong Il. That’s why we continue to favor Israel over Palestine. Thats why there was a Cold war and not a Hot one. All those nations have the bomb. That’s US foreign policy in a nutshell. Don’t piss off people with a bomb. The end.
I hate to say it but, he has a good question there.
It really comes down to, “Because we say so,” because we’re … what? The world police?
We’re in a position to say we get to have one.
Aside from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the U.S. has been pretty responsible with their nukes.
Given a lot of the stated intents/desires of Iran, they seem to want to use them more actively instead of as a deterrent.
For analogy, I’m cool with a guy who has a gun in his sock drawer to protect his family from intruders. I’m more hesitant about a thug with a criminal record who has expressed intent to harm others getting himself a weapon.
Iran should not be permitted to obtain nuclear weapons for the same reason that my 11-year-old should not be given the keys to the family car. The Iranian regime has not “grown up” enough to have nuclear weapons. They are not capable of handling that kind of destructive power responsibly.
Because we’re hypocrites and only allow our current allies to develop nuclear programs.
And for once, I agree with Yohsiph on this issue
There really is no reason for us to have nuclear weapons. It’s just assumed that the U.S. has a right to say whether or not other countries can have them. It’s stupid, really.
because America has tons of egoist & paranoid people who are afraid of you and your country. Obvious.
because America is the all-powerful SuperCountry who dictates other countries! however, aside from that snippet of satire;– iran’s government and lands are too unstable to have that sort of thing.
Because that dude is crazy.
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9/24/2007 6:28 PM
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Davocrinator
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thankyou!
because we are a fucking super power we make the rules if every one
had all we had and made it we would be a fucking third world so fuck it
shit happens and we make the rules
And by the way- I see absolutely no reason why Iran shouldn’t be allowed to have their own Nuclear program. They’re not terrorists or anything, so they can be trusted.
@Davocrinator - you’re Another brainwahsed victim of Fox News… apparently.