Steve Chapman on Iran and the Recurrent Fear of Arms Control

The question is not whether the agreement works miracles to soften the hearts of the Iranian rulers.

Dreamstime

"Reagan has accelerated the moral disarmament of the West by elevating wishful thinking to the status of political philosophy." — George F. Will, 1987, on the United States' nuclear weapons negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Amid all the criticism of President Barack Obama's proposed agreement with Iran on its nuclear facilities, it's worth keeping in mind that some people just can't stomach the idea of arms control. They see it as a trap, a delusion, a form of appeasement and a slow-motion surrender to evil.

They do not hope for good agreements. They hope for no agreements. Considering their opinions on this deal is like asking vegans to review a steak house: A negative response is predetermined, writes Steve Chapman.