Why libertarians (and gunnies) ...

... should be on board with Ron Paul re Iran.

One of the biggest things that libertarians in general (and gunnies in particular) hate is the idea that you can stop bad behavior by passing a law (or a resolution). Firearm owners for years have had to put up with the most onerous regulations imaginable, and yet, crime still happens. History shows that even those who are 'prohibited' from owning firearms just don't care and get them anyway.

Why should it be any different for nation-states and nuclear weapons?

You'll get no argument out of me that Iran is a bad world actor, but so what? There are lot's of bad actors in the world, but we don't threaten military action on them all, do we? The US developed nuclear weapons first but we didn't bomb China or the Soviet Union when they started developing theirs.

Like firearms, bad nation-states will get nuclear weapons ... one way or the other. And one day, a bad actor will use a nuclear device on another country, maybe even us. The only thing we can do is promise so much retribution that the bad actor is afraid to use his nukes.

pm