01/12/06: I'm with you, Aron

And as for the nuclear sub option, we would degenerate from unilateral military invasion to unilateral nuclear war (which would make Fabulous Bush and his cronies come in their pants, I admit). But that would be an action which would give other countries a new justification in their desire to have nuclear weapons--to protect themselves from the U.S. and would probably encourage the spread of nuclear weapons even further and put the U.S. clearly on the side of the black hats.

And why should the U.S. nuke Iran just for gaining nuclear weapons?

And as for having the resources, I would suggest asking the frontline soldier who is currently on this third tour of duty in Iraq whether we have enough military personnel to invade Iran. And as for the money, as of October 2005, the national debt was at $26,727 per person. But it might be even worse:

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The looming national benefit crisis

By Dennis Cauchon and John Waggoner, USA TODAY

The long-term economic health of the United States is threatened by $53 trillion in government debts and liabilities that start to come due in four years when baby boomers begin to retire.

The "Greatest Generation" and its baby-boom children have promised themselves benefits unprecedented in size and scope. Many leading economists say that even the world's most prosperous economy cannot fulfill these promises without a crushing increase in taxes — and perhaps not even then.

A USA TODAY analysis found that the nation's hidden debt — Americans' obligation today as taxpayers — is more than five times the $9.5 trillion they owe on mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other personal debt.

This hidden debt equals $473,456 per household, dwarfing the $84,454 each household owes in personal debt.

The $53 trillion is what federal, state and local governments need immediately — stashed away, earning interest, beyond the $3 trillion in taxes collected last year — to repay debts and honor future benefits promised under Medicare, Social Security and government pensions. And like an unpaid credit card balance accumulating interest, the problem grows by more than $1 trillion every year that action to pay down the debt is delayed.

"As a nation, we may have already made promises to coming generations of retirees that we will be unable to fulfill," Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told the House Budget Committee last month. (Related story: Americans' views on the benefit quandary)

The worst-case scenario is a sudden crisis — perhaps a major terrorist attack or a shutoff of oil from the Middle East — that triggers a loss of confidence by investors in the U.S. economy. Foreign investors refuse to lend more money to the government to finance its deficits; drastic tax increases and benefit cuts occur suddenly; the dollar's value plummets, which raises the cost of imported goods; and a severe recession or depression results from falling incomes....

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Once again, I maintain that don't have the moral high ground, the manpower, or the financial resources to invade Iran. Of course, we really didn't have that with Iraq, either, but that didn't stop Fabulous Bush...

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