The Iran nuclear deal, translated into plain English

[Loren Pechtel]

I'm still mildly puzzled as to what indications we actually have that Iran has any intention to DO that.

Their program makes absolutely no sense as anything other than a weapons program.

1) For civilian reactors you don't build an enrichment plant unless you have a bunch of them. It's simply uneconomic. Iran doesn't even have one power reactor, let alone the ~20 that makes an enrichment plant a sane investment. (If you're worried about supplies being cut off, stockpile fuel. It's still cheaper.) As Iran has to develop the technology the breakpoint is even higher. Even their projections as to nuclear power use put this point decades away.

2) The only uses for uranium that is enriched beyond reactor grade is bombs and very small reactors. About the only use for the latter is on mobile platforms--major warships and sometimes icebreakers. Iran doesn't need icebreakers, it has no ships of a size that anyone else puts a reactor on and nuclear warships are only for blue-water navies anyway--and Iran's navy is not a blue-water navy.

 

[Ford]

Their program makes absolutely no sense as anything other than a weapons program.

Well when you begin with the premise that literally everything is a sinister conspiracy to destroy the sainted state of Israel...

 

[Frikki]

In other words, the equipment to get enough material for a bomb in less than a year:

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/irans-nuclear-breakout-time-a-fact-sheet


And that's assuming they don't have anything else hidden.

Shades of "We've got to invade. They have WMDs."

With an extra dash of "I won´t enlist for this war either. I´m lactose intolerant."

 

[tupac chopra]

Iran Accuses U.S. of Lying About New Nuke Agreement



BY: Adam Kredo
April 2, 2015 5:40 pm

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Just hours after the announcement of what the United States characterized as a historic agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, the country’s leading negotiator lashed out at the Obama administration for lying about the details of a tentative framework.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused the Obama administration of misleading the American people and Congress in a fact sheet it released following the culmination of negotiations with the Islamic Republic.

 

[arkirk]

Their program makes absolutely no sense as anything other than a weapons program.

Well when you begin with the premise that literally everything is a sinister conspiracy to destroy the sainted state of Israel...

Loren doesn't know what he is talking about. Less than 5% enrichment works in a reactor but not a bomb. We need to help them ultimately move away from even this, but at this point, moving ourselves away from nuclear power is far more important. So is moving ourselves AWAY FROM WAR. We need to do both of these things. It is fair that the squawking Netanyahu gang needs to clarify how many hundreds of nuclear weapons they have and surrender them. If there is any outlier on this issue it is a close call between Israel and the U.S. Israel needs to submit to the same standards we expect of Iran. So when does that get on our agenda?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Well when you begin with the premise that literally everything is a sinister conspiracy to destroy the sainted state of Israel...

Loren doesn't know what he is talking about. Less than 5% enrichment works in a reactor but not a bomb. We need to help them ultimately move away from even this, but at this point, moving ourselves away from nuclear power is far more important. So is moving ourselves AWAY FROM WAR. We need to do both of these things. It is fair that the squawking Netanyahu gang needs to clarify how many hundreds of nuclear weapons they have and surrender them. If there is any outlier on this issue it is a close call between Israel and the U.S. Israel needs to submit to the same standards we expect of Iran. So when does that get on our agenda?

And Iran has been going beyond reactor grade.

 

[dismal]

L

I'm still mildly puzzled as to what indications we actually have that Iran has any intention to DO that.

Their program makes absolutely no sense as anything other than a weapons program.

1) For civilian reactors you don't build an enrichment plant unless you have a bunch of them. It's simply uneconomic. Iran doesn't even have one power reactor, let alone the ~20 that makes an enrichment plant a sane investment. (If you're worried about supplies being cut off, stockpile fuel. It's still cheaper.) As Iran has to develop the technology the breakpoint is even higher. Even their projections as to nuclear power use put this point decades away.

2) The only uses for uranium that is enriched beyond reactor grade is bombs and very small reactors. About the only use for the latter is on mobile platforms--major warships and sometimes icebreakers. Iran doesn't need icebreakers, it has no ships of a size that anyone else puts a reactor on and nuclear warships are only for blue-water navies anyway--and Iran's navy is not a blue-water navy.

Also they have a crapton of cheap natural gas and no nuclear power plants.

 

[bilby]

L

Their program makes absolutely no sense as anything other than a weapons program.

1) For civilian reactors you don't build an enrichment plant unless you have a bunch of them. It's simply uneconomic. Iran doesn't even have one power reactor, let alone the ~20 that makes an enrichment plant a sane investment. (If you're worried about supplies being cut off, stockpile fuel. It's still cheaper.) As Iran has to develop the technology the breakpoint is even higher. Even their projections as to nuclear power use put this point decades away.

2) The only uses for uranium that is enriched beyond reactor grade is bombs and very small reactors. About the only use for the latter is on mobile platforms--major warships and sometimes icebreakers. Iran doesn't need icebreakers, it has no ships of a size that anyone else puts a reactor on and nuclear warships are only for blue-water navies anyway--and Iran's navy is not a blue-water navy.

Also they have a crapton of cheap natural gas and no nuclear power plants.

Well if they give a shit about the environment, they very much should move away from burning fossil fuels and into nuclear power, which has the distinct benefit of not destroying the planet.

 

[arkirk]

Loren doesn't know what he is talking about. Less than 5% enrichment works in a reactor but not a bomb. We need to help them ultimately move away from even this, but at this point, moving ourselves away from nuclear power is far more important. So is moving ourselves AWAY FROM WAR. We need to do both of these things. It is fair that the squawking Netanyahu gang needs to clarify how many hundreds of nuclear weapons they have and surrender them. If there is any outlier on this issue it is a close call between Israel and the U.S. Israel needs to submit to the same standards we expect of Iran. So when does that get on our agenda?

And Iran has been going beyond reactor grade.

That was all yielded by Iran in the talks. So what is your excuse now. The number and type of centrifuges they will keep and operate will only accomplish low level enrichment and the whole shooting match is open for inspection. Can you imagine Israel acceding to such a demand? They should be NEXT. We need to get rid of every bit of nuclear armament in the entire world....Russian, Pakistani, American too. It will happen or we will be up shit creek without a paddle. Einstein knew this more than sixty years ago and said so.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

And Iran has been going beyond reactor grade.

That was all yielded by Iran in the talks. So what is your excuse now. The number and type of centrifuges they will keep and operate will only accomplish low level enrichment and the whole shooting match is open for inspection. Can you imagine Israel acceding to such a demand? They should be NEXT. We need to get rid of every bit of nuclear armament in the entire world....Russian, Pakistani, American too. It will happen or we will be up shit creek without a paddle. Einstein knew this more than sixty years ago and said so.

The point is that it shows they were after bombs.

 

[Ford]

That was all yielded by Iran in the talks. So what is your excuse now. The number and type of centrifuges they will keep and operate will only accomplish low level enrichment and the whole shooting match is open for inspection. Can you imagine Israel acceding to such a demand? They should be NEXT. We need to get rid of every bit of nuclear armament in the entire world....Russian, Pakistani, American too. It will happen or we will be up shit creek without a paddle. Einstein knew this more than sixty years ago and said so.

The point is that it shows they were after bombs.

"Were" being the operative word.


Of course, you're one of those people who thinks Iran has a super-secret bomb-making facility that they're waiting to spring upon the world when they nuke Tel Aviv.

 

[untermensche]

Oh my, Iran wanted a bomb says the nation with hundreds.

There is something wrong with them for wanting to reduce our ability to threaten.

 

[Ford]

Oh my, Iran wanted a bomb says the nation with hundreds.

If I'm not mistaken, the nations which make up the P5+1 are all nuclear equipped.

As such, this deal is like a bunch of linebackers telling the punter he should probably hang back unless he wants to get hurt.

 

[maxparrish]

China and Russia will never declare war over Iran. They'd just use it as an excuse to make more trouble. Mind you, it may be overdue the US settle with our differences with these nations - either by a winner-take-all war or through a grand bargain to slice up the rest of the world between three great empires.

You've watched "Dr Strangelove" too many times.

Success in the Game of Nations requires a certain Machiavellian and Bismarkian sensibility.

 

[untermensche]

Oh my, Iran wanted a bomb says the nation with hundreds.

If I'm not mistaken, the nations which make up the P5+1 are all nuclear equipped.

As such, this deal is like a bunch of linebackers telling the punter he should probably hang back unless he wants to get hurt.

The +1 (Germany) doesn't have a bomb.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The point is that it shows they were after bombs.

"Were" being the operative word.


Of course, you're one of those people who thinks Iran has a super-secret bomb-making facility that they're waiting to spring upon the world when they nuke Tel Aviv.

And what's the reason to think they stopped wanting them??

 

[Ford]

"Were" being the operative word.


Of course, you're one of those people who thinks Iran has a super-secret bomb-making facility that they're waiting to spring upon the world when they nuke Tel Aviv.

And what's the reason to think they stopped wanting them??

Well I've never stopped wanting a brand new convertible Corvette, but no matter how much I want it, actually acquiring one is another matter.


The idea behind this agreement is not to stop the Iranians from wanting a nuclear weapon, but to stop them from getting one.


I've settled on a more economical and sensible car. If Iran goes along with this deal, they will have settled on the more economical and sensible path. Of course this means less chance of a shooting war between Israel and Iran, and I know that rankles you, but this is really the better way.

 

[arkirk]

That was all yielded by Iran in the talks. So what is your excuse now. The number and type of centrifuges they will keep and operate will only accomplish low level enrichment and the whole shooting match is open for inspection. Can you imagine Israel acceding to such a demand? They should be NEXT. We need to get rid of every bit of nuclear armament in the entire world....Russian, Pakistani, American too. It will happen or we will be up shit creek without a paddle. Einstein knew this more than sixty years ago and said so.

The point is that it shows they were after bombs.

So you KNOW THIS? You really don't, you know. The country I know that most endangers the world with its nuclear bombs is the United States. At this time there is legislation pending to "modernize" and make the American Arsenal of nukes more effective. So what makes you think we need to be in Iran's face about anything? It is truly a case of a mighty black pot calling an only slightly used kettle black...and you join the chorus loud and clear with drums beating and flags flying. You don't know how terribly uninformed and spiteful you look to the world.

The fact is our so called diplomats keep trying to convince folks like you they have the means to crush Iran and any other country in the world. Even if that were so, how does this give us license to do so? Isn't our government supposed to be for all the people? Yet people like you seem to think your thinking ought to be the only thinking that counts. Your fear of brown people is staggering. Your solution to your fears is something maybe you should take up with professional people. Too many people think of international politics as some sort of football game and the different nations in the world are always in a cut throat game for dominance and profit.

A prime example of what I am talking about....Venezuela. That country's leadership actually sponsored a heating oil price break for poor people in our northeastern states. What a good will thing to do! Our country's leadership has done everything it can to undermine that government...even sponsoring an attempted coups.

It is clear to me that no matter what either Iran or Venezuela might do, if it doesn't have one of our puppets heading it, it will be wrong, evil, a threat, etc. etc.
World cooperation will never be the result of Texas Hold 'Em Poker. This is no way to live a life or run a country.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The point is that it shows they were after bombs.

So you KNOW THIS? You really don't, you know. The country I know that most endangers the world with its nuclear bombs is the United States. At this time there is legislation pending to "modernize" and make the American Arsenal of nukes more effective. So what makes you think we need to be in Iran's face about anything? It is truly a case of a mighty black pot calling an only slightly used kettle black...and you join the chorus loud and clear with drums beating and flags flying. You don't know how terribly uninformed and spiteful you look to the world.

The fact is our so called diplomats keep trying to convince folks like you they have the means to crush Iran and any other country in the world. Even if that were so, how does this give us license to do so? Isn't our government supposed to be for all the people? Yet people like you seem to think your thinking ought to be the only thinking that counts. Your fear of brown people is staggering. Your solution to your fears is something maybe you should take up with professional people. Too many people think of international politics as some sort of football game and the different nations in the world are always in a cut throat game for dominance and profit.

A prime example of what I am talking about....Venezuela. That country's leadership actually sponsored a heating oil price break for poor people in our northeastern states. What a good will thing to do! Our country's leadership has done everything it can to undermine that government...even sponsoring an attempted coups.

It is clear to me that no matter what either Iran or Venezuela might do, if it doesn't have one of our puppets heading it, it will be wrong, evil, a threat, etc. etc.
World cooperation will never be the result of Texas Hold 'Em Poker. This is no way to live a life or run a country.

What other use for highly enriched uranium do they have besides weapons? I've already given the only things it's used for.

You're letting your desires for how the world "should" be color your perception of what's actually happening and are unwilling to consider that those who oppose America might possibly be bad guys.

As for your "prime example"--that was PR, plain and simple. They weren't trying to help Americans, they were trying to embarrass our government.