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# Posted 9:57 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

IF A RADIOACTIVE SPIDER could transform mild-mannered over-achiever Peter Parker into the Amazing Spider-Man why shouldn't a black widow spider be able to transform mild-mannered over-achiever Josh Chafetz from an independent conservative into a pawn of the liberal media? "What?", you're probably asking right now. "That sounds about as plausible as the fact that Gary Condit planned 9/11 to distract everyone from Chandragate." But consider the facts: Josh reports that he has been shopping at a supermarket infested with black widow spiders. Suddenly, his posts take a strikingly liberal turn. He calls for "Stupid Trent Lott" to step down as majority leader. Then he praises a Tom Friedman column that bashes the President for using "his mandate to drive a hard-right agenda and indulge in more feel-good politics" even though this will cause "the world will become an increasingly dangerous place for every American."

But what I really want to talk about is Josh's take on Iran. I generally agree with his support for a "hearts and minds" approach to Iranian reform. But the NYT article Josh quoted also made a subtle but dangerous point: that America must choose between including Iran in the Axis of Evil and winning the support of Iranian dissidents. According to one expert the Times cited, "The people of Iran have seen that fundamentalism doesn't work. Appealing to them with cooperation and reasoning, rather than `axis of evil' talk, is a virtually risk-free proposition for the U.S." No alternative point of view is given.

Now consider this: What if Iran's dissident students have drawn strength from Bush's attack on the Iranian government as a repressive terrorist regime? While I am not a fan of the phrase "Axis of Evil", I do believe that there are few benefits to engagement with Iran. We need to win hearts and minds in Iran not just by showcasing the American lifestyle, but by showing that America stands up to dictators and terrorists. Period.

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