"We don’t understand the Iranians because the Iranians don’t understand themselves. The regime isn’t sure whether it is an ideological movement championing global jihad or whether it is merely regional power seeking Middle East hegemony. Until the Iranians resolve this internal ambiguity, you can talk to them all you want, but they won’t be able to make a strategic shift or follow a more amenable path."
Full article [nytimes.com]
I think he doesn't understand the Iranian regime because he reduces their intentions to wanting to take over the world or merely wanting to take over the Middle East (see False Dilemma [Wikipedia]). What's Brooks's advice?
"...to restrain Iran’s momentum until the fundamental correlation of forces can shift. For amid all the doleful news, there is a hopeful tide. Opinion is turning slowly against extremism."
On the last point I agree. Americans are sick of Republican Party extremism. I'm sick of reading David Brooks.
