I hear that Tehran and Tel Aviv are beautiful cities. I'd like to visit them someday... and not have to turn back at the lip of the crater because of radiation.

Our president is so weak he is making Jimmy Carter look like Josef Stalin.

In chess, you should never begin an attack on the enemy king without being assured that you have sufficient material to force mate. In the geopolitical arena, you shouldn't consign yourself to an antagonistic win-lose scenario until all alternatives are exhausted.

Don't confuse strength with being a belligerant asshole who leaps into action when the situation calls for a more cautious approach.

The situation calls for a more cautious approach? And what might that be?

The Iranian nuclear program is a tool being used by the theocracy to force the west into a predictable actions that benefit the regime. Allow Iran to have its own domestic nuclear program under the observation of the UN. It is better for Iran to have a nuclear program that can be monitored than pursue an antagonistic policy that encourages arms development and keeps the world in the dark.

A lot of mullahs have spoken out quite vocally against nuclear weapons. The US, Russia, and China have all been floating arms reduction initiatives. Couple transparency in the Iranian nuclear program to arms reduction by the nuclear superpowers and end Israeli saber-rattling. This mountain will become a molehill.

Iran has a previously secret facility that they are preparing to ratchet up enrichment in defiance of the world.

The Iranian government needs to defy the world. Why else would they go to such lengths to secure the "re-eelection" of such an inflammatory figurehead as Ahmadinejad? By using its nuclear program to cast itself as a righteous underdog, the Iranian government affirms its image as a champion of good acting against foreign persecutors. It also distracts citizens from hardships closer to home.

The theocracy does not expect the US or its allies to extend an olive branch. The rest of the world does not expect Iran to willingly relinquish its nuclear ambitions. Instead of riding a railroad toward inevitable conflict, governments interested in preserving peace should take the Iranian theocracy off guard. Give them exactly what they want, because their strategy does account for this.

I love chess and your analogy.

A good friend of mine got me hooked on the game a couple of years ago, and I find it applying to all manner of situations. Nevermind the fun of just playing.

But what would happen if your opponent cheats and puts back a piece that you have previously captured.

That reminds me of a blindfold game that my friend was playing. He mated his opponent but didn't realize it, and his opponent "teleported" his king to safety. I guarantee that he would have realized it if he could actually see the board.We cannot "see" the Iranian nuclear program. That is a huge problem.

If the world gives the Iranian government what it wants by permitting a peaceful nuclear program under UN supervision, and nuclear-armed nations make gestures to show their genuine interest in disarmarment, we call the regime's bluff. If their stated intentions are true, there is no reason not to play along. If the Iranian government has ulterior motives with their nuclear program, those too will become apparent.

This situation has a lot in common with chess, but a few similarities to "Texas hold-em" as well. Nobody knows what Khamenei has in his hand. I want to see his fucking cards.