This page was last updated on April 11, 2012.
Iran denial could be true; Lonzie Cox, Jr.; Beaver County Times; April 11, 2012. I am not related to Mr. Cox.
Most of Mr. Cox’s at least 74 letters since 2004 are tinged with race, and all take leftist positions. The most recent previous Cox letter I critiqued was “Santorum dangerous to nation.”
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“The near media blackout leaves me straining to understand why Israel and the U.S. won’t consider that Iran’s denials of nuclear weapons development may be true.”
[RWC] Mr. Cox would not believe a U.S. righty to save his life, but he would believe Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
“Defense Secretary Panetta has said Iran is no nuclear threat to us. To develop one crude bomb and actually shoot it at Israel or the United States would be stupid as well as suicidal for Iran’s people.”
[RWC] As far as I can tell, Mr. Panetta did not make this assertion. Here’s an excerpt of Mr. Panetta’s comments from a Face the Nation interview: “I think the pressure of diplomatic pressures from everywhere -- Europe, United States, elsewhere-- is working to put pressure on them [Iran], to make them understand that they cannot continue to do what they’re doing. Are they trying to develop a nuclear weapon? No. But we know that they’re trying to develop a nuclear capability. And that’s what concerns us. And our red line to Iran is do not develop a nuclear weapon. That’s a red line for us.” Maybe it’s just me, but this doesn’t sound like “Defense Secretary Panetta has said Iran is no nuclear threat to us” to me.
Who says Iran would need to “actually shoot it at Israel or the United States” to have the desired effect?
“We have a century’s head start in building and exploding nuclear bombs over enemy territory (Japan). Our country has thousands of such weapons. Israel has.. who knows? Persian Iran knows better than to start a war with Israel, knowing America’s stated policy is to assist Israel no matter what.”
[RWC] “A century’s head start?” The Manhattan Project didn’t start until 1939 and our first crude nuclear reactor couldn’t sustain a chain-reaction until 1942. As for “exploding nuclear bombs over enemy territory,” that was done with crude (by today’s standards) piston/propeller-driven airplanes. Finally, Iran didn’t start their program from zero as the U.S. had to do. For example, the Russians built Iran’s first nuclear power plant. According to the EIA, Iran “ranks among the world’s top four holders of both proven oil and natural gas reserves.” With that much domestic energy, why build nuclear power plants? Please don’t tell me it’s because of manmade global warming.
“Once American leaders spoke seriously of promoting world peace. Now, the draft dodger brigade of Romney, Santorum and Gingrich speak crazily of attacking Iran soon. I don’t want more of our soldiers to kill or be killed in Iran for the same imaginary weapons of mass destruction for which 4,800 of them died in Iraq.”
[RWC] On 3/25/12, Mr. Cox tried to convince us Messrs. Gingrich and Santorum are racists. I don’t know why Mr. Cox didn’t mention Mitt Romney in that tirade. This time, Mr. Cox wants us to believe Messrs. “Romney, Santorum and Gingrich” are “draft dodger[s].” “Draft-dodging” refers to illegal actions to evade service. Messrs. Gingrich and Romney used deferments, as did Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Jimmy Carter, and millions of other draft-age males. Mr. Santorum, however, was the sneakiest of the three. Mr. Santorum managed to get the draft stopped in 1973, about three years before he turned 18.
“Plus the very rumor of war has given the oil companies a blank check to send gas prices through the roof. Why stop at $5 a gallon? Why not really make us suffer at $9 a gallon? Our Congressmen need to show courage as Sen. Byrd did because we’re in an unusual situation where the world is hoping China and Russia of all people can influence peace talks between the Obama administration, Israel and Iran to avoid another mindless war.”
[RWC] Mr. Cox has an interesting history regarding the-late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV). You can get more details from my critiques of “Bush should have heeded Byrd on Iraq” and “Byrd can’t be forgiven racist past.”
© 2004-2012 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.