Iran's latest nuclear advances: 4 reasons the world should worry

The State Department says Iran is overhyping its progress to look strong in the face of punishing sanctions. But how much of a comfort is that, really? With tensions already rising over Iran's nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday unveiled two "major" nuclear breakthroughs: Tehran has built faster uranium enrichment centrifuges, and loaded Iranian-made fuel plates into a medical research reactor. U.S. State Department officials insisted that Iran had "hyped" the news to prove it wasn't intimidated by international sanctions, and that the developments were actually "not terribly impressive." But that doesn't mean there's no cause for concern. Here, four reasons to worry:

1. Iran is pridefully defiant
It's true that "the nuclear revelations didn't live up to the hype," says Elise Labott at CNN. But Ahmadinejad's bluster is still troubling, even if it says "more about the defiance of the regime in the face of escalating sanctions" than it does about Iran's actual nuclear progress. With the regime's legitimacy within its own borders tied to the pride Iranians take in the nuclear program, Tehran might never back down.

2. Diplomacy isn't working
There aren't "any diplomatic, financial, or other means for bringing an end to what President Obama accurately calls Iran's 'nuclear weapons program,'" says Thomas Joscelyn at The Weekly Standard. Obama's "outreach to the mullahs failed." Iran has "already suffered substantial costs in terms of international 'prestige' and 'influence' — economic and otherwise — and has unquestionably decided that the benefits of acquiring nuclear weapons are worth it." Military force may be our last remaining option.

SEE MORE: The West's inimical posturing on Iran

3. Iran is pushing oil prices up
Iran's nuclear boasting isn't the only sign of rising tensions. Israel is accusing Iran of planting bombs targeting its diplomats in several countries. Iran has threatened to cut off oil supplies to six European countries and block Persian Gulf exports through the Strait of Hormuz. Put it all together, and Iran's feuding with the West has pushed the price of a barrel of Brent crude to its highest point since last summer, says Eric Lam at the Financial Post, at $119.99 a barrel. Thanks, Iran, for the "further harm [to] the global economy."

4. This all helps fear-mongers push for war
If anything, Iran's focus on producing fuel rods for a medical reactor backs up its claims that it wants nuclear knowledge for peaceful purposes, says Iran's Press TV. It's sad that media outlets are portraying this news as "a provocative step toward building nuclear bombs." We saw this before with Iraq, says Glenn Greenwald at Salon. "Fear-mongering" propagandists "exaggerate or fabricate bad acts by the designated Enemy du Jour," without bothering to check the facts, and we move closer and closer to an avoidable and unnecessary war.

SEE MORE: Coordinated attacks on Israeli diplomats: Payback from Iran?

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Will Kickstarter 'change the world'?

The crowd-sourcing site reaches a major milestone, prompting big questions about the future of online fundraising for tech products, creative projects, and more Since it went live in 2009, Kickstarter has been the go-to website for those who need cash for do-it-yourself projects of all kinds, from comic books to indie movies to iPod watches. But the site had never featured a $1 million project — until last week, when two projects over the course of 24 hours surpassed that threshold. That's real money, and it's turning heads in the business world. Here, a guide to the latest twist in Kickstarter's "trailblazing" path:

Which projects passed the $1 million mark?
The first was the Elevation Dock, a sleek, aluminum iPhone dock that attracted more than 10,000 individual donations. The second was Double Fine Adventures, a throwback video game of the point-and-click variety developed by Tim Schafer (of Psychonauts and The Secret of Monkey Island fame).

Is this a trend or an anomaly?
It looks like Kickstarter's solidly on the upswing. Schafer's haul of $1.6 million surpassed the site's previous one-day record of about $740,000 — which had been set the previous day. And Kickstarter garnered more than $100 million in donations in 2011, up from $28 million in 2010. 

Do the project donors receive anything in return?
Unlike venture capitalist firms, Kickstarter donors do not receive a cut of future profits in return for their investment. (In the case of Double Fine Adventures, donors will receive a copy of the finished game.) Kickstarter doesn't want to be a traditional investment company, according to co-founder Yancey Strickler. "That's the disruption of Kickstarter," she tells GigaOm, "changing the question from 'Can this make money?' to 'Should this exist?'"

What does this hold for the future of crowd-sourcing?
A wide array of industries could see a "profound" shift away from traditional sources of funding, says E.D. Kain at Forbes. Is it possible that venture capitalists and middlemen will be replaced by "a whole new era of grassroots fund-raising and audience participation?" Kickstarter "will change the world," according to Greg Tito at The Escapist, particularly in creative industries where developers have traditionally relied on big companies and studios for financial backing.

Sources: The Atlantic, The Escapist, Forbes, GigaOm

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Video pleas from Syria: What is the world waiting for?

Syrian activists call for help from abroad as President Bashar al-Assad's forces continue to bombard rebel neighborhoods in Homs

Anger is boiling over in Syria. Tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets Friday to protest against Russia for vetoing a U.N. resolution that would have condemned President Bashar al-Assad's deadly crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising. And as Assad's forces continued their bombardment of Homs, the country's third largest city, activists posted internet videos begging foreign leaders to do something to stop the killing. In one disturbing clip, activist Danny Abdul Dayem stands next to the corpse of a child in a field hospital, and implores, "Is this what the U.N. is waiting for?" (See the video below.) What will it take to end the violence in Syria?

First, anti-Assad forces must unite: "The people of Syria deserve better," says The Economist, but they won't get it as long as the opposition remains divided. "The Syrian National Council is a divided gaggle of exiles," and Assad's rivals inside the country are "a ragtag of militias, gangs, and the Free Syrian Army," which consists mainly of army defectors. Alone, none of these forces is any match for Assad's tanks. If they put up a united front, outsiders can help — and arm — them, and together they can prevail.
"How to set Syria free"

Then foreign leaders must quit delaying: "If the Europeans play their cards right," says Luke Coffey at The Foundry, they could "place tremendous pressure on the regime." The EU is "Syria's number one trading partner," and if Europe freezes the assets of Syria's central bank and bans commercial air travel from the EU to Syria, Assad might think twice about his crackdown. But European foreign ministers aren't even meeting about sanctions until Feb. 27. That dawdling is appalling. "International crises do not fit neatly into bureacratic timetables... February 27 is a long time to wait for people fighting for their lives in Homs."
"EU should act quickly on Syria"

Sorry, but Syrians will have to keep waiting: The West sees Assad as a "doomed despot" whose days in power are numbered, says Tony Karon at TIME. But Assad's ruling Allawite minority views this fight as "a battle to avoid the fate that befell Iraq's Sunnis after the fall of their brutal benefactor, Saddam Hussein." And with no foreign military intervention in sight, Assad's forces will be able to hold on for quite awhile. Sadly, thousands more Syrians may die before there's "a plausible end-game."
"Why Syrians fight, and why their civil war may be a long one"

Watch activist Danny Abdul Dayem's plea for foreign help. (Warning: Contains disturbing images)

SEE MORE: Ousting Syria's Assad: Whose responsibility is it?

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Video pleas from Syria: What is the world waiting for?

Syrian activists call for help from abroad as President Bashar al-Assad's forces continue to bombard rebel neighborhoods in Homs

Anger is boiling over in Syria. Tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets Friday to protest against Russia for vetoing a U.N. resolution that would have condemned President Bashar al-Assad's deadly crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising. And as Assad's forces continued their bombardment of Homs, the country's third largest city, activists posted internet videos begging foreign leaders to do something to stop the killing. In one disturbing clip, activist Danny Abdul Dayem stands next to the corpse of a child in a field hospital, and implores, "Is this what the U.N. is waiting for?" (See the video below.) What will it take to end the violence in Syria?

First, anti-Assad forces must unite: "The people of Syria deserve better," says The Economist, but they won't get it as long as the opposition remains divided. "The Syrian National Council is a divided gaggle of exiles," and Assad's rivals inside the country are "a ragtag of militias, gangs, and the Free Syrian Army," which consists mainly of army defectors. Alone, none of these forces is any match for Assad's tanks. If they put up a united front, outsiders can help — and arm — them, and together they can prevail.
"How to set Syria free"

Then foreign leaders must quit delaying: "If the Europeans play their cards right," says Luke Coffey at The Foundry, they could "place tremendous pressure on the regime." The EU is "Syria's number one trading partner," and if Europe freezes the assets of Syria's central bank and bans commercial air travel from the EU to Syria, Assad might think twice about his crackdown. But European foreign ministers aren't even meeting about sanctions until Feb. 27. That dawdling is appalling. "International crises do not fit neatly into bureacratic timetables... February 27 is a long time to wait for people fighting for their lives in Homs."
"EU should act quickly on Syria"

Sorry, but Syrians will have to keep waiting: The West sees Assad as a "doomed despot" whose days in power are numbered, says Tony Karon at TIME. But Assad's ruling Allawite minority views this fight as "a battle to avoid the fate that befell Iraq's Sunnis after the fall of their brutal benefactor, Saddam Hussein." And with no foreign military intervention in sight, Assad's forces will be able to hold on for quite awhile. Sadly, thousands more Syrians may die before there's "a plausible end-game."
"Why Syrians fight, and why their civil war may be a long one"

Watch activist Danny Abdul Dayem's plea for foreign help. (Warning: Contains disturbing images)

SEE MORE: Ousting Syria's Assad: Whose responsibility is it?

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