JERRY POURNELLE ON Iran, the Bomb, and our feckless ruling class. “Our choices are few, and our technical capabilities are uncertain. Strikes at Iranian nuclear capabilities will be bloody given their locations. Commando style raids would make the destruction more thorough but would be far more costly. The Iranians have been clever in their designs and location. Uncertainties about the success of a surgical denuclearization attack are quite high for the US or any conceivable coalition working with us.”

We should conduct a test of a one-megaton bomb. We should then tell the Iranians that there are 50 of those with their name on them as soon as they detonate any nuclear device anywhere. Of course, we’ll do no such thing — and with our current leadership, they probably wouldn’t believe us anyway, though a big aboveground explosion might get their attention. . . .

Think this is an outrageous approach? Maybe, but not compared to the one we’re actually employing. Of course, with a less feckless ruling class — say, one that had supported the Iranian revolts of 2009 — we wouldn’t have this problem at all.