A mountain lion wanders up to a rancher's property, looks in the direction of his sheep, and licks its lips.

The lion charges towards the sheep, but the rancher hollers loudly and scares it off.

Later that day, the rancher runs into his neighbors in town and tells them about the mountain lion. They say "Oh, we don't think he really wanted to eat your sheep. He was probably just being sociable and wanted to play".

The next day, the same lion came back. After circling the ranch twice, it charges towards the sheep, extends its claws, and with a fierce roar, attempts to lunge at the nearest sheep.

The rancher fires his shotgun up in the air, scaring the lion off.

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That night, the rancher runs into his neighbors again at a party. After telling them what happened, they say "Oh, we don't think he really wanted to eat your sheep. He was probably just trying to go for a jog and get some exercise".

The third day, the same thing happens, but the mountain lion actually gets its mouth around one of the sheep and a claw on the sheep's back. The rancher's shotgun blast in the air does nothing, and he has to aim some buckshot right close to the lion's head before the lion will back down and let the sheep go.

Later, the rancher tells his friends what happened, and they respond:

"The lion was just wrestling with the sheep. We're sick and tired of you telling us that the lion is trying to eat your sheep! If he was that kind of lion, he would have already eaten a couple of your sheep by now!"
What's the lesson behind this story?

Well, top military commanders, Congress people, Senators, weapons inspectors and foreign governments have all said that the Bush administration is planning to attack Iran. In response, defenders of the status quo respond "we're sick and tired of you telling us that they're trying to attack Iran! If they were like that, they would have attacked already!"

Well, the mountain lion would have already eaten a couple sheep, but the rancher stopped him.

Similarly, the Neocons would have already attacked Iran, but those patriots fighting to save America from the fascists and warmongers have successfully warded off the attack so far by:

The Neocons have gotten busted in so many lies (Iraq, torture, etc.) and illegal acts, that they have had to push back their timetable somewhat for an attack against Iran.

But trying to argue that they are not still hell-bent on bombing Iran is like the rancher's neighbors saying that the mountain lion has only pacifist intentions towards the sheep. Unless we remain as vigilant as the rancher, the lion will attack.

This is not to say that Iran is run by a bunch of nice guys. The fundamentalist Ayatollahs are radical nuts. But most Iranians are very moderate, and the government harbors no military ambitions to invade foreign countries.