I noticed earlier that the old garbage about a missile shield is coming up again, this time w/ us deploying one for Europe to protect against…Iran.

Simple question: why?

You see, people tend to do things for a reason.  Firing a missile at Israel, yeah, I could understand them doing something like that.  Sure, the response by Israel would be to completely wipe out Iran, but that’s irrelevant, point is it’s at least feasible, the slightest chance is available that it could happen.  But Europe?  For what reason?

This would be another example of what I would call “The Dr Evil theory of foreign policy”: starting international relations from an assumption that people you oppose are willing and able to do absolutely anything, with a complete disregard for rhyme or reason, simply to piss you off.   By this logic, it doesn’t matter if a possible action is completely suicidal* on its face, they don’t like you, therefore they will do it.  Never mind that events of the last 50 years have rendered traditional warfare by all but a few pointless, forget that sanctions over their nuclear program are nothing compared to what would happen if they suddenly decided to fire a missile for shits & giggles, Iran is run by an Evil Mad Scientist Genius, and we should consider ourselves lucky he hasn’t sent sharks with laser beams on their heads after us.

(* - in case anyone’s lurking waiting to yell out “9/11!” at this remark, here’s a refresher for you: 9/11 hijackers = anti-nationalist religious nutjobs, Ahmadenijhad = religious nutjob head of state.  They place completely different values on their own lives and positions.  Besides, the president of Iran doesn’t need to be suicidal, he’s got Hezbollah for that.)