Because it is aiming toward hot...

and I am avoiding any real work for a little longer...

Iran. I Ran. IR an. IRA n. --North Korea, Pakistan, etc--

Yes, the treatment of the people by their leadership is... I don't really have a word for it... despicable (but that is weak). Yes, bullies of the world do this. Yes, I have never much cared for bullies. And, herein lies the problem.

For all that lives in my soul, I would (and have) protect(ed) those who cannot protect themselves. But, I will not even ponder on it for those who will not protect themselves.

For my coin, we butt out of Iran, much farther (as in the removal of nuclear weapons and technology, then butt out) in Pakistan via Afghanistan (now that we have helped to destabilize both) and tell N. Ko to watch what happens and no, China won't save you this time. All meaning... Leave us be... Period. If the citizens of those lands want regime change (and they don't, not by their own labor anyway), let them organize and begin the battle. Then, if it suits us, we can lend aid. Seems that is how it was done in the 1700s anyway. The only reasons for intervention (as I see it) are as follows and this applies to any foreign state...

1. Attack us directly. See how that works out for you.
2. Attack an ally. See item 1.
3. Make a global menace of yourself on the scale of atomic weapons. See item 1.

We are not on this Earth to be the nanny for the rest of it. First, it is presumptuous. Second, it is arrogant. Third, it just pisses them off anyway. Why do we think that our Wonderful Way of Life™ fits anywhere else in the world?

The innertoob, teewee, etc will always be able to find enough angry people to fill the camera lens... on any topic. So, as long as we let the "leaders of the world" and the "media" guide our foreign policy... we will always be the asshat of the world.