Semi-lost in the pre-debate punditry, and post-debate rumination, is the latest news on Iran's economy. It's tanking. Its currency has collapsed. Sanctions, it's clear, are having a devastating effect. In some ways it makes me feel bad for the countless innocent people being so greatly affected; but it's better than killing hundreds of thousands of them, as we did in Iraq. And it leads one to hope those people might demand of their leaders that they stop being crazy.
Whatever it is, one thing is very clear: when Mitt Romney and his RWS™ marching-orderers claim President Obama has done nothing to stand up to Iran, when Mitt says he'd employ tougher sanctions, it's clear they're lying or have no idea what they're talking about, or some combination of both. Since it's a consistent pattern in all of their claims, probably both.
From Foreign Policy:
Hey, it turns out that the sanctions against Iran really are crippling -- so much so that even Mahmoud Admadinejad is admitting it and Benjamin Netanyahu now has sanctions fever. Based on my own sanctions model, I'd predict that the sanctions are now becoming so costly that Iran will in fact be willing to compromise on its nuclear program -- but any concessions will seem tiny compared to how devastating the sanctions have been.What absolutely drives me crazy is the brazenness of the lies about Obama. There's plenty to criticize, but it's not persuasive enough, evidently, to stick to the truth in doing so.
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