Iran conducted a highly visible test of mid-range and long-range ballistic missiles today; many reacted by declaring it proof that they’re crazy, when in fact it’s proof that they’re not.

…even as Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials have dismissed the possibility of attack, Tehran has stepped up its warnings of retaliation if the Americans—or Israelis—do launch military action, including threats to hit Israel and U.S. Gulf bases with missiles and stop oil traffic from the Gulf.

Think about it: For the last five years, Iran has literally had a gun pressed into its guts - a gun in the form of the most powerful military in the world. And over the last year or so, the person pressing that gun into their guts has been yelling about “obliterating” them or “eliminating” them, while another assailant - Israel - makes similar demonstrations of force.

So there you are, you’re Iran; you’re the guy in the dark alley with someone pointing a potential murder weapon at your head and promising your days are numbered … and you have a gun too.

And today, Iran just showed its gun. After having Israel conduct war games and John Bolton suggest that Bush would make sure we’re good and entangled in a military solution to Iran’s nuclear program before he left office, Iran has responded by saying, “I can hurt you too. Back off.”

It doesn’t make it look any safer. Hopefully, it makes it look saner.

Obama’s response has been to urge the President to actually address this with direct talks with Iran, just like in the good old Cold War days, rather than getting half-hearted Europeans and State Department water carriers to handle it.

McCain urged for a missile shield. I think that is completely without merit if it’s done like the Bush administration has handled the shield - namely, breaking all treaties pertaining to it and sparking an arms race before the thing is even able to protect us. Considering I expect no less from McCain, and that his plan doesn’t even begin to address the root of the problem of Iran, it’s no shock I think Obama has the better solution.

Iran needs to be talked to; convinced to put the gun down and back away from the podium of scary talk. Not threatened further by a gun that, in the case of our missile shield program, isn’t even loaded.

That, after all, would be crazy.