"This is not so honest: seldom does one hear them point out what additional verification would make them support the deal. No cynicism is needed to suspect that it does not exist."
It is false that it does not exist. Opponents of the JCPOA, at least those of us who opposed it strictly on policy grounds and not on political ones, lobbied very clearly for what an acceptable deal should look like, and the majority of Congress agreed with us via an on the record vote. The 5 prerequisites for an acceptable deal were in the areas of full access for inspections, possible military dimensions of the nuke program, sanctions, duration of the agreement, and dismantlement of next generation centrifuges. When one studies the 5 areas of concern, and what Congress wanted to see in a deal that properly dealt with them, it's hard to find people who objected to those requirements, even from deal supporters (as evidenced by the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that accompanied it). The facts are clear: opponents of a bad deal with Iran have been on the record sine 2015 of what a good deal would look like, and the vast majority of Congress agreed. This is not a situation where deal opponents are not interested in diplomacy. Far from it.
Good article, Dan. One point of contention:
"This is not so honest: seldom does one hear them point out what additional verification would make them support the deal. No cynicism is needed to suspect that it does not exist."
It is false that it does not exist. Opponents of the JCPOA, at least those of us who opposed it strictly on policy grounds and not on political ones, lobbied very clearly for what an acceptable deal should look like, and the majority of Congress agreed with us via an on the record vote. The 5 prerequisites for an acceptable deal were in the areas of full access for inspections, possible military dimensions of the nuke program, sanctions, duration of the agreement, and dismantlement of next generation centrifuges. When one studies the 5 areas of concern, and what Congress wanted to see in a deal that properly dealt with them, it's hard to find people who objected to those requirements, even from deal supporters (as evidenced by the overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that accompanied it). The facts are clear: opponents of a bad deal with Iran have been on the record sine 2015 of what a good deal would look like, and the vast majority of Congress agreed. This is not a situation where deal opponents are not interested in diplomacy. Far from it.