The Policy Blender

There are many of all political dissuasions that long for the days of the crude simplicity of the Cold War.

Chief amongst them would seem to be Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who today was granted a US visa to allow him to address the UN Security Council to defend his Iran's controversial nuclear programme. Feels like the Cuban Missile Crisis, right?

Also today, the Iranians have kidnapped fifteen British Sailors who were patrolling the smuggling runs in the Gulf. Smells like a Cold War bargaining chip, right?

So who gains from another Cold War? On the face of it: everyone. We get a clear nation state as an enemy instead of all this asymmetrical warfare stuff. And that’s just easier for Governments, newspapers, soldiers, protesters, arms dealers, Bono, churches, film makers et al.

We get an automatic balance of power in the Middle East with Iraq becoming the new Berlin. Let’s not forget that many pro Cold War theorists point to 50 years of peace in Europe as a bit of a result.

Someone will hand nukes over to the Iranians; probably the Ruskies, or the French (actually the French would sell them, but that’s by the by), so all the people worrying about the US being the world’s only Super Power would have a new hero to replace the USSR.

The only people who might lose out on the stability of a good old Cold War would be the Chinese. But then they could have had one if they wanted, but they chose instead to be rich and friendly (to other countrys – they’re still Bastards to their own people, but that should pass).