Dum Pendebat Filius

Looney-tunes John Bolton was the subject of a brief, breezy interview in the Sunday New York Times Magazine. It wasn’t fawning and sycophantic like Crazy Pammy’s famous Bolton interview, but they didn’t exactly challenge him, either. Here’s the best part:

[Q] Lately members of the Bush administration have been making newly menacing-sounding comments about Iran. What do you think they’re planning?

[A] I think diplomatic approaches are not going to stop Iran from continuing to perfect its nuclear-weapons programs. Our options are very limited and not all that attractive, one being regime change in Tehran, the other being the use of force.

[Q] Why do you think Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons?

[A] When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence. Retaliation for them, which would obliterate their society, doesn’t have the same negative connotations for their leadership.

[Q] Why are you assuming that the leadership of Iran shares the philosophy of suicide bombers?

[A] Well, that’s the most extreme case.

That’s right, readers: According to John Bolton, the leaders of Iran would have no trouble using nuclear weapons, and they can’t be deterred, because it would be A-OK with them if they and all their countrymen were to die tomorrow in a nuclear holocaust. They’re just crazy like that! So, we ought to be prepared to just kill them all, pre-emptively.