# Iran's Nuclear Threat



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Today the news came out (BBC), that another nuclear scientist in Iran, Daryoush Rezaei (35 years old), was killed by a remote controlled bomb. Apart from these liquidations of scientists Israel has also been able to get destructive computer worms inside the Iranian computer systems. My question: Will measures like these be enough to slow down or stop Iran's plans to develop the atomic bomb, or are we having to prepare ourselves for 'real' war (with all the effects it will have on the world's oil-supplies)?


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Oil supplies!

'Real' war has other aspects, which you are of course well aware of. Well, you drew a response anyway, islander.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

I don't think the Iranian Ayatollahs are auto-destructive. I think they're more interested in regime survival and regional influence than in war. They also don't want to meet Iraq's fate, and think that with nuclear weapons they will be shielded from invasions. If and when they achieve nuclear weapon capacity, I believe they'll not rush to try and destroy Israel. Of course the Israelis (and the United States) will try to delay this outcome as much as possible. It may be impossible to delay it forever, though.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Through this forum I get to know people's opinions from all over the globe. It's a pity, that we don't have people from Iran or China to have their say about classical music. By and by you learn a lot about the life they lead. But exactly the fact that these people cannot take part in Forums like TC (I presume that TC is locked behind the Great Fire Wall), is telling what freedom they are dwelling in overthere.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

TxllxT said:


> Through this forum I get to know people's opinions from all over the globe. It's a pity, that we don't have people from Iran or China to have their say about classical music. By and by you learn a lot about the life they lead. But exactly the fact that these people cannot take part in Forums like TC (I presume that TC is locked behind the Great Fire Wall), is telling what freedom they are dwelling in overthere.


 I have two Iranian-born friends, although they both immigrated to the United States several years ago and became naturalized US citizens. So, their take may be less accurate because they haven't been seeing the local scene first hand, and can't even return lest they'd be persecuted since their political and secular views are in direct confrontation with those of the current leaders (that's exactly why they left). For what's worth, they both share the opinion I have voiced above.

I don't know anyone actually from China - I mean, I do know second/third generation Chinese Americans but I mean people born and raised there who only recently came here (except my neighbor, a biology scientist who immigrated here and belongs to the faculty of a local university, but he keeps to himself and has never exchanged with me anything other than "good morning" and comments about the weather and our lawns). However there was a Chinese member of another classical music board I have participated of, and he posted from China. When political talk popped up, he was a strong advocate for the local regime - no wonder, he was allowed to use the Internet to post on a foreign board, must have been someone from inside the circles of power).


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

> he was allowed to use the Internet to post on a foreigner board, must have been someone from inside the circles of power.


The average lowly student over there actually has access to many ways around the firewall. It's not legally advisable, but it's an "everyone does it", low risk sort of thing, like illegally downloading. He was probably just a outspoken supporter because people are indoctrinated from birth there. (Not to stir things up, I'm sure there are many native Chinese who think for themselves about their state, I know one, but generally that's just the nature of aggressive propaganda and cultural insularity.)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

TC is not behind the Chinese firewall - I have posted regularly whilst in Shanghai earlier this year. And that was on our private internet connection, not in a westernized hotel.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Art Rock said:


> TC is not behind the Chinese firewall - I have posted regularly whilst in Shanghai earlier this year. And that was on our private internet connection, not in a westernized hotel.


 It wasn't TC, it was IMDB (they focus on cinema but they do have a small Classical Music board - I wouldn't recommend it, though). I wonder if IMDB is more controlled over there, since they also have a very active Politics board with thousands of participants and wicked discussions (including criticism of the Chinese regime). I haven't been back to IMDB for over a year so I don't know what happened to that Chinese poster, I just remember reading him and thinking "he must be inside the circles of power to have unrestricted access to the Internet." I didn't know that it is a common thing there for regular people to go around the firewall like regressivetransphobe said. Still, I'd suspect it's not that common since we so rarely see the Chinese posting on message boards. With their huge population, even if only a small percentage among them could do it regularly I'd expect that we'd see a lot more of them, assuming that there is a sizable population there that can read and write in English.

Funny, this discussion is revealing the little I know about China.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

TxllxT said:


> Through this forum I get to know people's opinions from all over the globe. It's a pity, that we don't have people from Iran or China to have their say about classical music. By and by you learn a lot about the life they lead. But exactly the fact that these people cannot take part in Forums like TC (I presume that TC is locked behind the Great Fire Wall), is telling what freedom they are dwelling in overthere.


I was replying to this one - sorry for the confusion.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Oh, it was rather my confusion, I hadn't noticed the question about TC and the Chinese firewall. But now, please tell me, that you know, is IMDB behind the firewall, or is it equally accessible?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

No idea, I did not try. All blogger sites are blocked, that is something I found out.


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