Torpedos?!

Well, turns out there IS something new going on. Talk about entertainment. Who decides, in the middle of being investigated for potential nuclear weaponry, to show off a new high-speed torpedo? Yes, that's going to inspire faith in Iran during this so-called "international showdown". And indeed, the provocative move sparked renewed discourse about potential military actions as the majority of world leaders considered the test a show of force that raised the stakes in the nuclear weapons standoff. They considered the test to imply that Iran would respond agressively to any pre-emptive attacks. Thinking about the possible impetus for such a show, it seems entirely possible that Iran is responding to the rumors disseminated by the media that military action by the United States is impending. The rumors covered in the media must be pretty powerful then, to induce this kind of a reaction. It just makes you wonder how many other newsworthy events are actually a result of rumors floating through the media-- begging the question yet again of how seriously we should take what the media tells us.
The attempt to ward off threats by Iran seems as staged as an election campaign-- the leaders know how to get the attention of their audience and are trying to sell their point that they are not afraid. But the difference here is that instead of employing a politics of charm and reliability, they are banking on a politics of fear. And unfortunately, rumor has it, thats not going to get them very far.