The Chamberlain moments our survivors will look back on ...

Apropos the post just below this one, this from Professor Barry Rubin, quoted earlier here and here, on the drift of things in Iran:

For a couple of years it has been visible; for months the opposition has been talking about it. What’s happening is the gradual takeover of a huge amount of power by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Iranian government has generally been radical since the revolution, 30 years ago. But now the most extremist faction of all has taken over, pushing out its rivals.

Of course, Spiritual Guide Ali Khamenei is the most powerful man in Iran. But obviously he has no problem with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being president and the IRGC becoming the power behind the throne.

This is important because the IRGC is the most fanatical and risk-taking part of the regime. It is very much committed to expanding the revolution and maintains the regime’s links with foreign revolutionary and terrorist groups.

Oh, and it will also be the institution that will have actual possession of Iran’s long-range missiles and nuclear weapons.

Not only are these people nobody can make a deal with, but they are also the ones most likely to make a war some day.

In response to "soft diplomacy" these certified fanatics have decided to double Iran's nuclear processing facilities. It will be hard to claim that the civilized world was hoodwinked. Winks and nods, yes, but hoodwinked, no.

Source: The Rubin Report.

In case you're wondering, I don't enjoy posting things like this. I, too, have children and grandchildren, and I feel a responsibility for the welfare of all those to whom we are bequeathing such a ticking time bomb.

Not only does hope, the theological virtue of hope, survive these kinds of dark harbingers, it is awakened by them. For that, at least, we can be grateful.