A few of our stories and columns are now in front of the paywall. We at The Chief remain committed to independent reporting on labor and civil service. It's been our mission since 1897. You can have a hand in ensuring that our reporting remains relevant in the decades to come. Consider supporting The Chief, which you can do for as little as $3.20 a month.
To the editor:
In his famous 1897 essay, “The Path of the Law,” Oliver Wendell Holmes argued that understanding the law requires adopting the perspective of the “bad man,” who prioritizes material consequences over natural law axioms and deductions.
Today, Holmes’s quintessential villain is Iran, prioritizing the consequences of developing nuclear weapons. While most contracts involve overtime to avoid this issue by choosing the right partners, international affairs lack such a luxury.
On July 14, 2015, Iran and the six world powers—the US, China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany—plus the EU signed the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.” Any analysis of this deal must assume Iran’s intent to act in bad faith.
In his highly publicized interview with Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, he stated: “Don’t judge me on whether this deal transforms Iran, ends its aggressive behavior toward Arab neighbors, or leads to détente between Shiites and Sunnis. Judge me on one thing: Does it prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and is that a better outcome for America, Israel, and our Arab allies than any other alternative?”
In light of former President Barack Obama’s shortsightedness, which led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) failing to prevent Iran from nearly acquiring a nuclear weapon, President Donald Trump now faces the challenging task of resolving the Iran nuclear crisis.
Robrt Sica
9 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
namrogm
Holmes would despise and condemn Donald Trump and Bibi Netanyahu. They are genocidal killers. The evil and threats from Iran do not excuse the monstrous crimes of Trump and Netanyahu.
Wednesday, July 1 Report this
krell1349
Trump won't get a better deal than Obama did. dream on. The JCPOA was working and if Trump did not rip it up we would not be in this never ending war. Trump won't be able to solve this. He knows nothing of foreign policy. It's not a real estate deal.
Thursday, July 2 Report this
Valete
"Two For One, A Lesson in Wordsmithing"
Mr. Holmes would undoubtedly admire Mr. Trump’s audacious bravado and masterful psychological maneuvering. Moreover, Mr. Trump has already secured a significantly more substantial and verifiable Iran-deal compared to the wavering and incompetent Obama.
Friday, July 3 Report this
Valete
Iran’s threats and nefarious actions justified Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu’s response to force Iran’s leadership to face the consequences of their actions.
Friday, July 3 Report this
reenjoe
It's hard to imagine that anyone could believe that a two-page memo is superior to a 159 page comprehensive agreement.
Particularly when the two pages were hammered out by 2 people in a couple of days and the 159 page version took 20 months with teams of negotiators from 7 different countries.
It's even more difficult to believe that someone could find the two-page memo remotely palatable after reading it and seeing that the US had to metaphorically "cry uncle" and lower its pants.
This is the fantasy world MAGA lives in.
Friday, July 3 Report this
Valete
Get your news from non-partisan sources. You might learn about Obama’s failed Iran policies and treasonous acts, like transferring $1.7 billion in cash to a state sponsor of terrorism, leading to accusations of treason. In 2016, reports suggested the White House created an “echo chamber” to oversell the deal and manipulate public perception, sparking accusations of dishonesty. There are more blunders in Obama’s Iran policies, but I’d need a tome to list them all.
Friday, July 3 Report this
reenjoe
The $1.7 billion Obama "transferred" to Iran was their money. In 1979, Carter refused to deliver weapons that the Shah ordered and paid $400 million for. The balance $1.4 billion was accumulated interest on the $400 million.
For the record, Reagan sold the weapons Iran wanted as part of his dirty Iran-Contra scheme.
Qatar has already given Iran $6 billion under Trump's MoU and another $18 billion is in the works. Trump claims it will all go to US farmers. Even if that were true, it frees up Iranian funds to do other things. Coupled with the $300 billion "redevelopment" fund, Obama's $1.7 billion is chump change.
Sunday, July 5 Report this
Valete
Your left-wing propaganda and distorted information from left-wing websites are ineffective. They’re monotonous and unworthy of a thoughtful response.
Monday, July 6 Report this
krell1349
Like you get your news from partisan sources. I think not.
Tuesday, July 7 Report this