Vienna, Austria — Editor's note: In preparing this article about the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, we read the news stories from all of the most reputable sources, we read the reports from all of the best institutions, we read the statements from all of the governments and agencies, but nowhere could we find a reasonable, rational, or plausible explanation of what was happening. We decided the only answer was the absurd.


Ever since Alice had slipped down the Rabbit Hole, the news had been getting curiouser and curiouser. She found herself at a very large table where the March Hare, a dormouse, a hippopotamus, and the Mad Hatter were having tea.

The Hatter was telling a story about how George W. TweedleDum had just got back from a trip to India, where he was promising to give away shiny new nuclear technology. At the same time, TweedleDee had been getting very red-faced at the United Nations about some shiny new nuclear technology in Iran that he wanted taken away. He broke off his story to wave an empty teapot at Alice.

"Would you like less tea, my dear?"

"Don't you mean more tea?" asked Alice politely.

"No no no no. We don't have any "more tea" we only have "less tea." And it's very rude to ask for what we don't have. Now, would you like some more Peaceful Nuclear Technology and Less Nuclear Weapons to go with that?"

"Umm, yes please" said Alice, thinking this must be the correct answer and not wanting to upset the Hatter again.

"There you go again, asking for what we can't possibly give you!" cried the Hatter, springing to his feet.

"How about some safe, clean nuclear power instead?" offered the dormouse helpfully.

"That sounds quite nice, I suppose," said Alice with some hesitation.

"Wrong answer! No such thing!" the Hatter shouted with glee, politely adding "One lump or two?"

Alice was quite put out. "Isn't it rude to offer something you don't have?" asked Alice. "And even ruder to offer something that doesn't exist? What kind of a tea party is this?"

"Why this is an IAEA Board of Governors meeting, my dear, and we're having an NP Tea Party!" said the March Hare, glancing nervously at a very large watch which was chiming the hour by barking loudly.

"An NP Tea Party? What's that?"

"It's all very simple," said the Hatter as he handed out slices of cake and then went around smacking everyone's hand when they started eating it, "the NPT is a treaty in which the parties that have nuclear weapons agree to get rid of their nuclear weapons in exchange for the parties that don't have nuclear weapons promising not to get nuclear weapons. As part of the incentive for not getting nuclear weapons they're rewarded with the means to make nuclear weapons.  Slice of Cake?"

Alice eyed the yellow cake suspiciously. She heard a distant voice shouting "Off with their heads!"

"Now, at the moment we're discussing the case of Iran, which has signed the treaty and promised not to build nuclear weapons and so has been rewarded with the means to make nuclear weapons. But there are some people at this party who think that they're actually using those means to make nuclear weapons as a means to make nuclear weapons."

"Which they've said they don't want..." said Alice.

"Oh yes, but as you of all people should know, my dear, saying what we mean isn't always the same as meaning what we say. Saying that they aren't making nuclear weapons is just what you'd expect them to do if they were making nuclear weapons. Proof enough."

The Hatter took a slice of cake and pushed it into the face of the Hippo, who already had his mouth full. "You shouldn't eat so much cake," he sputtered.

George W. TweedleDum suddenly appeared. "Personically, I'd like to see less nuclear weapons in the world. Which is why I'm building more."

"THAT's the spirit!" cried the Hatter.

"But I don't understand!" cried Alice. "If you can use nuclear power technology to make nuclear weapons, and you want to get rid of the nuclear weapons, shouldn't you stop handing out the nuclear power technology?"

George W. TweedleDum patted Alice on the head. "You are an absurd little creature, aren't you? Hatter, why don't you explanify the Treaty thing?"

"The TREATY thing, yes yes, mustn't forget that!" cried the Hatter as he absent-mindedly dipped the dormouse in his tea.

"Now you see on the one hand, Iran has signed the Non-treaty on Weapons Proliferation, and the Treaty on the Proliferation of Non-weapons Nuclear, and the Proliferation of Treaties on the Proliferation of Weapons, Non..."

"Which are all the same thing," said the dormouse, yawning.

"So if THEY try to get nuclear weapons, that's quite illegal and we must send them to the Queen of Hearts' Security Council for punishment."

"India, on the other hand," said the Hatter holding up a second hand and dropping the teapot on the dormouse's head, "has never signed the treaty, so their nuclear weapons are perfectly OK and they should be rewarded with more nuclear technology."

"Pakistan, on the third hand," and oddly the Hatter actually produce a third hand at this point, " has never signed the treaty, but we're not so sure about them, so we're NOT going to reward them with more nuclear technology."

George W. TweedleDum smiled broadly. "The lessonification here is never, never sign a treaty. That's my motto. Lot of bother. I promise to keep my nuclear weapons and everybody else has to get rid

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jan 9^th, 2008 at 11:23pm:


 

I live for comments like these, Cheers!