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I can appreciate this King, It just doesn't seem to reconcile with 'back-channeling right down to every gesture'.

I think you're mistaken about the 'will' to prevail. Hopefully, the world never sees what the worlds most powerful military could unleash, but it's clear the will to use that stick just is not there.

Do you think the US's current foreign policy might mirror social justice. Seems like disarmament and apologizing for battlefield success are mandatory. Maybe there're some who want the US to have a little equality with the less fortunate, and nuke proliferation is one way to level the field.

No one's foreign policy mirrors social justice. Countries put first their national interests. Rarely if ever does social justice comes first, for all the spin put on it.

As for the will to contain nuclear proliferation, none of the the major powers want Iran to have them. Islamic Pakistan's nukes are more dangerous.

Coming into this discussion a bit late but it is utterly clear that the USA does NOT have the will to stop the Iranian nuke program. Didn't have it for North Korea and don't have it now. Any other interpretation of the facts requires a willful ignorance.

And let's be clear, they didn't want France or England to have them and they really didn't want India and Pakistan to have them. And in no case has AMERICA had the will to ensure those countries did not have them.

Now that's not to say a large minority or perhaps even a majority of Americans wish their government had behaved differently or would behave differently with respect to Iran. But that IS what your governments have done. or not done as the case may be.

King suggesting otherwise is incorrect, regardless of the reasons put forth. "The "how" to do it without setting off a major war is the issue."

That is precisely the point of either having or not having the "will". You accept and deal with the fallout of your actions or you don't act because you are too fearful of what the fallout will be. You can't sugarcoat it.

Three cheers for at least one voice of reason coming from Canada!

Earlier this evening, I heard a replay of the speech Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu made concerning zero tolerance for Iran ever getting nukes. He made it abundantly clear that Israel will act, alone if necessary, to stop it. He also made it clear that if Israel were forced to act alone, their response to the Iranian threat would save not only Israeli lives, but countless other lives as well.

After the replay, a comment was made comparing Netanyahu to Winston Churchill, and comparing Obama to Neville Chaimberlain. I thought that was very insulting to Neville Chaimberlain. How very sad that the Commander/Golfer-in- Chief of the most powerful military in the world is content to let tiny Israel save us all from the most dangerously radical Islamists on the planet.

King suggests that Pakistan with nukes is a far greater threat than Iran with nukes, yet Pakistan has never threatened to wipe Israel off of the map or destroy the Great Satan, the U.S.A.--- Pakistan does not see igniting Armageddon as the tool to usher in the return of the Great Mahdi. How utterly stupid!

What do you say about someone so ignorant of history and the whims of ruthless evil dictators? If it comes from a 16 year old kid with scant knowledge and a very limited worldview, you could call him naively ignorant. But when the same comes from a well travelled and educated 80+ year old man who has lived to see Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Tojo, Lenin, Pol Pot, Hussein, Amin, etc. who have killed perhaps hundreds of millions without nukes, you have to question his intelligence and sanity.

*Addendum after seeing Kings post below: In Re., Will and Ability... Obama has the ABILITY to lobby Congress to pass bills to continue paying our military men after the Gov't shutdown, but he only has the WILL to continue funding the entitlement crowd and protect his Leftist agenda. Easy to see where his priorities are.

Will and ability to change things are different, James. An analogy may be the English and French meanings for competence: in English the brains and desire to do something, in French the capacity and the wherewithal to do it. Or perhaps the 60s Missile Crisis: the US forcing a blockade with warships and USSR forcing removal of US missiles from Turkey (conveniently kept from the American public). Both countries had the capacity of mutually assured destruction but neither were foolish enough to use it. The current US "will" is entente with Iran to change the regional balance of power. The US assisted India and Muslim Pakistan. Your message implies to me that the US hasn't the will to push the button. Not hard to see why when it couldn't do anything with North Korea and its big friends.

King, perhaps our difference lies in your choice of word. "Will". And while I tend to write quickly, with little research for each post to back up my statements, I am very mindful of my choice of words. I believe words to be the most powerful weapon in our arsenals. And the English language to be the most powerful arsenal of language available to us. You mention the difference between the French and English definition of competence. With close to 10 times the sheer number of words, I tend to imagine the English version will have the finer, more accurate edge to it.

"Will", in this application, is not competence nor is it ability or wishes. It is the determination to see a course of action through to its end. I am fine with a reasoned choice that suggests another course of action i.e Bay of Pigs or Turkey. But that's not "will" as we all understand the term in this usage.

Netanyahu has indicated verbally Israel has the will. We will have to wait and see if they actually do but it's my suspicion old Ben isn't fooling. Their past actions in any number of circumstances suggest they do have the "will". And if those events come to pass then Israel, and the rest of us will have to deal with the fallout, good or bad.

"Will" isn't the capacity, wherewithal, brains or desire. It is the determination to see something through. It is to actually do something rather than talk, posture or threaten. The back channels you mention tend to be good at talking, posturing and threatening. Not so good at doing.

If you read and understand the significance of my signature line, you will know I value action and accomplishment over all else. This discussion of "will" plays directly into that outlook. I can talk a good game but it's what one does that counts. But I also like your's as quoted by George N. ...."shop less and shoot more" or something like that.

Canvasback, I think he meant "think less and shoot your mouth off more". That's what I'm seeing.

Two things. First, I know it's small but just realized I have past the 1000 post mark. Yippee!!

Second, America, with "will" and determination, could bomb the crap out of Iran and even use nukes to utterly destroy any capability Iran has to create those bombs and no one, I repeat no one, like Russia, is coming to help Iran. Rats fleeing the ship in the face of strength and determination. America's problem since Korea, IMHO, has been to handicap herself, as though limited engagements will serve the purpose.

The Nobel Peace Prize winning strategy of Canada's own Lester Pearson, of peacekeeping efforts by the UN, has proven an abject failure in the long run. How's it working out in Cypress? What is required to end hostilities is a clear winner and a clear loser. A ceasing of hostilities may save lives in the short term but dooms the participants to generations of further hostilities. Look at the Balkans.

Keith, sometimes I get the feeling that when you aren't working your 14 hours days, you are only on line with us here. Pease tell me you sleep sometimes.

I only did 13 hours today (14 1/2 yesterday though) and I'm telling myself that I'll be in bed by 12:30 since I have to be up at 5:45 AM, but it's not looking good. Actually, I have been spending little time here because I'm spending most of my free time working on projects before the snow flies and hunting season comes. Not enough hours in the day!

P.S.: Congrats on passing 1000 posts, but be warned... King has over 4800 which is proof that more isn't always better!