Our American Reader: Is Russia with US or with Terrorists?

Strange positioning of this question. Let’s try to look into the matter

The accord Russia signed this week to accelerate the construction of a nuclear reactor in Iran and supply it with nuclear fuel is a direct threat against the security of the United States.

According to our State Department, Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, financing, training and equipping terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad. Iran's claim that the reactor will be used for civilian purposes is absurd. Iran has more oil to generate electricity than it could possibly consume. Moreover, Iran's intentions towards the United States (the "Great Satan") have been made clear by 23 years of chanting "Death to America" in state-controlled mosques.

At this point, it appears that Russia has decided to side with the Iranian terrorist regime and against us. Now it is up to us to act accordingly and let the Russians know that being a friend of the United States is safer and more profitable than being its enemy.

David Holcberg
Senior writer for the Ayn Rand Institute
Irvine, CA
United States

PRAVDA.Ru writer Kira Poznakhirko comments:

I would like to point out that Russia does not consider anyone, who does not pray for the Statue of Liberty, a terrorist. People have a right to believe anything they want. They also have a right to live the way that they want. For your information, it is written in your American Declaration of Independence. In contrast to the USA, Russia dos not  think that it is possible to thrust its point of view to other countries. Russia believes that one should help a neighboring country, if there are troubles there. A happy neighbor is a lot better than a poor one, gripped with religious dogmas with an extreme bias. Only oppressed people usually fall an easy victim of religious dogmas. This is the reason why Russia carries out its profound economic cooperation with Iran.

This is also a business. If Iran pays for our goods, why shouldn’t we sell them there? Is it because American companies want to sell their goods in Iran? You should first set up normal relations with Iran. However, I think that the people of Iran are not going to treat the USA normally after longstanding American propaganda. As far as the relations between Russia and Iran are concerned, they are fine even against the background of the Caspian Sea crisis. As we say here in Russia,  “Flies and chops do not mix.”  Iran needs more electricity in order to provide a better living for its people. If our dear reader does not know it, Iran is a very poor country. Furthermore, the majority of its fertile lands need to be irrigated. Iranian peasants have to bring water in buckets, like they did centuries ago. If there were more electricity in Iran, there could be a large scale irrigation set up there. This would result in richer harvest, farmers’ children would have time to go to school. They could study not only in Iran, but also in Moscow, Dusseldorf, or even in Vancouver. When those children become engineers, teachers and doctors, they will build factories to manufacture combine harvesters, machines and TV-sets.  Why does the USA believe that Iran’s well-being is a threat? Is that because Iran will buy less American goods? Doesn’t the USA believe that everything, which exists without its participation, poses a national threat?

We in Russia do not understand such a point of view at all. I would like add in conclusion that America is not an example to follow for everyone. There are other cultures, other outlooks, other conceptions of human values. One should not forget about it.

Kira Poznakhirko

The comment translated by Dmitry Sudakov