Joachim Fest, Hitler's best biographer, characterized Hitler as the last of the warrior-conquerors, in the mold of Alexander the Great and the other great captains of history.  While Hitler may not have quite seen himself in this mold, he certainly did see himself as a Man of Destiny, chosen by Fate to lead the German volk to world dominance. 

Hitler saw his mission in the East, from whence the German race had come originally.  The swastika came from India and Himmler sent out SS researchers to find the origins of the Teutonic race in Tibet.  While it was necessary to crush the West, particularly France, first, Hitler's purpose was the invasion and conquest of Russia.  On the occasion of his 50^th birthday on April 20, 1939, he told some of his generals that it was essential to start the war soon because he wanted to conduct it while he was still young enough to do so.  In fact, one of the reasons he railed at Chamberlain after Munich was because "that old man" had foiled his plans for starting the war then.

What is the point of all this? 

You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to see that the mullahs in Iran are in an analogous position.  They see themselves as the vanguard of the rekindled Islamic movement to take over the world, starting with the Middle East.  Acquiring The Bomb is an essential step on the way to that goal.  It also establishes Iran as a great power, able to propose and dispose within its sphere of influence.  Not only does The Bomb protect them from being attacked, it adds a metaphysical element to their image, their influence.

Getting The Bomb is Iran's destiny in the eyes of the mullahs.  It may even be used to create the violence and chaos said to be the predicate for the Return of the 12^th Imam.  But even if Iran does not go that far, The Bomb vaults them to a world historic position.

Given that, how likely is it that they are going to negotiate The Bomb away for a mess of pottage?  We are negotiating with Iran the way we would negotiate with Canada over fishing rights -- they give a little, we give a little.  Those negotiations work because both parties want them to work and are prepared to live with the outcome. 

That is not the situation with Iran.  Our only hope in terms of Iran and The Bomb is that the present government is overthrown and then their nuclear program is dismantled as South Africa's was.  We seem to have blown that option by not supporting the Green Revolution in 2009.

It is bewildering how clueless our leaders can be.  It is impossible to plumb the depths, if any, of Kerry's mind.  He seems a man divorced from reality from as far back as his Christmas in Cambodia.  Obama?  Some days he is president, some days he is a resentful third world neocolonialist with hatred for America's heretofore dominant position in the world.  Neither can truly believe that this will slow down Iran's nuclear program for so much as a day. 

Woe betide.