Submitted by Steve L., Feb 26, 2008 12:26

During the Cold War, America negotiated with the Soviet Union, under both Democrat and Republican presidents, under both conservative and liberal presidents.

But with one proviso: We were sufficiently confident in our strategic position that such negotiation would not be viewed as a thinly disguised surrender. And we had some "bargaining chips" to bargain with.

The problem is that right now, the U.S. is in such arrears that we might lose our shirt in any negotiation. Our troops are bogged down in Iraq, surrounded by Iran to the east and Hezbollah to the west. The strain on our military from 6 years of war is really starting to show now. They are propping up a majority Shiite government whose fate is uncertain after we leave. Our country is more dependent on imports of foreign oil than it was when Reagan was president in the 1980s. The recent National Intelligence Estimate belittled the strategic threat from Iran, making military action against Iran virtually impossible. Afghanistan continues to be a mess and Osama bin Laden is still at large.

Under these circumstances, I cannot see how negotiating with Iran could lead to anything less than a total surrender on our part. What incentive does Iran have to make any concessions, when they see our military has been neutered and the U.S. is a worldwide paper tiger?

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