What the confrontation with Iran is really about

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The Bush administration’s building conflict with Iran is about nukes, right? Well, yes and no. As Robert Dreyfuss argues in the current issue of Mother Jones, it has more to do with Great Power politics, 21st century style.

The logic of the Bush administration is inexorable. Its ironclad syllogism is this: The United States is and must remain the world’s preeminent power, if need be by using its superior military might. One of the two powers with the ability to emerge as a rival—China—depends vitally on the Persian Gulf and Central Asia for its future supply of oil; the other—Russia—is heavily engaged in Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus region. Therefore, if the United States can secure a dominant position in the Gulf, it will have an enormous advantage over its potential challengers. Call it zero-sum geopolitics: Their loss is our gain.

Read the full article here.