Smarter Iran Policy

I can almost see the author of the following article debate with a neo-con minded adversary. It could sound like the Darfur debate. Rationality, awareness of history, fair evaluation of existing data on one side and on the other: erratic arguments, changing facts and figures, emotionality if not bullying to conceal some hidden agenda.

William deB. Wills starts from the beginning: “Should Washington “do” anything at all about Iran? What are the explanations for Washington’s hostile attitude toward Iran? What drives Iran? Policy conflicts and Options for Washington …

The article is Smarter Iran Policy Begins With New Attitude – from Antiwar.com. The author concludes that despite shortcomings on both sides, there is ground for practical, tolerable compromise.

“Skill, patience, consistency, logic, and understanding go a long way toward the design of an effective foreign policy. These attributes – perhaps obvious but frequently in short supply among foreign policy decision-makers – build a much firmer policy foundation than rude and emotional outbursts, erratic challenges, public bullying, contemptuous disdain, or efforts to isolate and demonize. With a new administration in place, now is the time to ask if U.S. policy can shift from viewing Iran as an “ultra-nationalistic, theologically conservative, politically radical Shi’ite” state to designing a foreign policy based on skill, patience, consistency, logic, and understanding...” read more

William deB. Wills is a political methodologist, futurist, a Foreign Policy in Focus contributor and an American political scientist specializing in the future of the global political system.
His blogs:
Shadowed Forest of World Politics, Thoughts on how to find a moral foreign policy path through the shadowed forest of world politics.
Historical & Literary Lessons Political lessons from histories and historical fiction

Picture found at Bribes iraniennes