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An Iranian bomb is likely to unleash the most divisive partisan discord in this country since the 1949 debate about who lost China. In the end, neither the turbulent order of the Middle East nor the partisan politics of Washington can afford an Islamic Republic armed with nuclear weapons. ~Ray Takeyh

The first thing to say about this is that the debate over “who lost China” was a phenomenally stupid one. The correct answer was that the Nationalists lost China, and this wasn’t something that U.S. policymakers were in any realistic position to prevent. Since WWII, there have been many events around the world that partisan opponents of a given administration have used as ammunition for their attacks, and the refrain is always the same, “How could President [fill in the blank] have let this happen?” This is a politically useful tactic, but it vastly exaggerates what any President is able to control. Of course, when the government enjoys global preeminence and takes that preeminence as license to dictate terms to weaker states, it becomes hard for the head of that government to admit that there are things that this government cannot effectively influence or stop. This week, Obama is being >>>