mikema63 wrote:That couldn't possibly devolve into a quagmire that will suck away hundreds of billions of dollars and countless lives for pretty much no gain. There is literally no evidence that controlling countries in the middle east is anything but a productive profitable cakewalk.
Well, with the way the west fights wars and occupies countries nowadays, I would have to agree. But this is a question of potentials and taking over Iran could "potentially" be profitable. I do not think it would be difficult militarily and what we do after the initial conquest would determined the relative success of it as a colony.
1. After defeating Iran I would give massive tax breaks and even some subsidies for American venture capitalists to go in and "re-build" from the perspective of profitability. Such would likely rebuild the devastated regions and employ the populace much quicker than our current method and without having to charge Americans a ton of money. The U.S. would control the oil reserves which will secure the supremacy of the Petro-Dollar and re-stablize OPEC firmly under U.S.-Saudi control and that alone will give a boost to the American economy.
2. I would cast down the theocratic system in place and punish rebels with the utmost severity. I would open the country to Christian missionaries and maybe even subsidize their efforts under the "guise" of them doing training in "English" and "Western Thought." I would import Sunni muslim laborers en masse just to keep the Shi'a population on their toes and from having a singular mindset against their western overlords.
3. I would also invest in permacultural design systems to increase the poorer citizens' self-sufficiency and food output which will also make the land more fertile and the environment healthier and invest in Soccer stadiums, movie theatres, etc. You know, bread and circuses. This will help prevent such groups from being as prone to radicalization and will keep them healthy and happy.
4. I would also extend special citizenship rights to any Iranian woman who marries an American male citizen under the "guise" of improving their lot as Iranian women have been a disproportionately "oppressed lot", but in reality, this would be for giving incentive to American investors and soldiers while weakening the ethno-nationalist morale of the Iranians. Persian women are pretty hot after all.
"To The Victor Goes The Spoils."
5. This is reality would all be much cheaper and more effective than our current methods. These methods have worked before in the middle-east and will work again, and certain local rule by Iranians will be permitted as long as they report all decisions to the local governors who are U.S. natives.
6. The U.S. government will also own and offer its own tourist company giving discounted vacations to U.S. citizens to the Caspian sea region as long as they sit through a seminar on the business opportunities available in Iran....
Sounds great to me.
- By Tainari88
- By skinster