Bush Threatens to Confront Iran Over Alleged Support for Iraqi insurgents
NEW YORK - George Bush yesterday ramped up the war of words between the US and Iran, accusing Tehran of threatening to place the Middle East under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust and revealing that he had authorised US military commanders in Iraq to “confront Tehran’s murderous activities”.
In a speech designed to shore up US public opinion behind his unpopular strategy in Iraq, the president reserved his strongest words for the regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which he accused of openly supporting violent forces within Iraq. Iran, he said, was responsible for training extremist Shia factions in Iraq, supplying them with weapons, including sophisticated roadside bombs. Iran has denied all these accusations. 
Mr Bush referred specifically to 240mm rockets which he said were made in Iran this year and smuggled into Iraq.
“Iran has long been a source of trouble in the region,” he said.” Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust.”
The blunt terms in which Mr Bush portrayed the Iranian threat, and his threat of military confrontation with Tehran involving US troops based in Iraq, elevated the tense standoff between Washington and Tehran to a new level.
The speech also contained the implicit desire on Mr Bush’s part for regime change, calling for “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”.
Equally menacing words emanated from Tehran yesterday, where Mr Ahmadinejad said US influence in the region was collapsing so fast that a power vacuum would soon be created. “Of course, we are prepared to fill the gap,” he said.
Though the Iranian president said he backed the leadership of the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, and welcomed the involvement of Saudi Arabia, his offer to occupy the space the Americans might leave behind is unlikely to cool emotions in Washington.
He went on to deride the possibility of the US pursuing military action in Iran, saying it was in no position to do so and claimed that Iran had already acquired enriched nuclear fuels, though they would only be used for peaceful purposes.
In a further cause of tension, Mr Bush accused the Quds force within Iran’s revolutionary guards of leading the supply chain to Iraqi extremist groups. As the Guardian revealed earlier this month, the Bush administration is preparing to declare the 125,000-strong Revolutionary Guard Corps a “global terrorist organisation” - a move that would be seen as provocative within Tehran.
According to reports from Baghdad last night, a group of Iranians were detained last night in a raid by US troops on a hotel in the city. Of 10 people arrested, seven were said to be Iranian, including an employee of the Iranian embassy and six members of Iran’s electricity ministry in Iraq to discuss contracts for electric power stations. It was not immediately clear why the men had been arrested, or where they had been taken. The US military would only say the action was part of an on-going operation.
Mr Bush’s bullish talk of his determination to “take the fight to the enemy” in the carefully choreographed setting of a veterans’ convention in Reno, Nevada, was the second of a two-part appeal by him to shore up public support for his flagging strategy on Iraq. In the first speech, made last week, he invoked Vietnam to argue that quitting Iraq now could put the lives of millions of innocent civilians at risk.
Mr Bush yesterday vowed to persevere with his controversial military policy in Iraq, insisting that political and security progress was being made, despite a rising tide of dissent even from high up within his Republican party.
“Our strategy is this: every day we work to protect the American people. We will fight them over there so that we don’t have to fight them in the United States of America,” he said.
The twin speeches were intended as preparation for a crucial series of debates on Iraq that will dominate Washington for the next few weeks.
In a fortnight the senior general in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and American ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, will give two days of testimony in which they are likely to argue that the troop “surge” is having some beneficial impact on security levels, though political progress lags behind.
Under the current policy, US troop numbers in Iraq have risen by 30,000 to about 165,000.
As the climax of these intense hearings, Mr Bush himself will present his latest assessment.
Yesterday’s speech was the latest clear indication that he will resist any attempt to change course in the prosecution of the war.
Mr Bush’s latest attempt to reassure the American people that the war is moving in the right direction came on another tumultuous day in Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims attending a Shia festival in Kerbala, 68 miles south-west of Baghdad, were ordered to leave the city after intense fighting broke out, reportedly between warring Shia factions. At least 52 people have been killed since Monday, mostly police officers engaging in the battle.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007
Democrats were so wise to give Bush war powers to attack Iran, since he has proven his case in Iraq (WMD were found) and Afghanistan (Bin Laden was caught). What a wonderful set of politicians we have representing us in DC!
Democrats were so wise to give Bush war powers to attack Iran, since he has proven his case in Iraq (WMD were found) and Afghanistan (Bin Laden was caught). What a wonderful set of politicians we have representing us in DC, I’m a proud American!
Not.
One life being equal to another as far as I am concerned, I hope for the citizens of America that this evil cabal at least avoids staging another false flag event like that which occurred on Sept. 11 2001.
I would much rather have seen this whole sordid progression stopped by impeachment immediately following the openly stolen elections of 2004.
Too late now. It’s World War 3 and it’s only days away.
I only hope one day history will record the truth. Otherwise we’ll never learn.
The risks that Bush and gang are running by inviting a fight with Iran are so incredibly high for the US economy and for world oil supplies (for starters) that these men must be fuelled by some messianic madness. What other explanation is there? It is unbelievable. Citizens of the USA — fight to take your country back from these crazed zealots!!!
The war making branch of the US gov’t is the world champion of horror.
If the pentagon, white house and capital hill were all reduced to ashes in the middle of some night, billions of good people (especially those who are not victims of American propaganda) would rejoice.
Bush and his masters are out of their minds.
It is ironic that Bush will not speak to some national leaders because it may give them a status that they do not deserve, but he will respond in speeches where it gives those same leaders the opportunity to reply and keep the back and forth going. This is not any way to run foreign relations. It is talking past one another using speeches as vehicles. This is childish and unfitting for someone in the office of the president to conduct themselves this way.
We do not learn from history. We carve monuments to the dead of past wars and claim that their sacrifice was not in vain; lest we forget. But the bush administration launched a war against Iraq for the same reasons that Hitler launched a war against Poland; greed and to ‘make up’ for an earlier lost war. It’s a damn good thing that the Soviets never allowed a foolish idiot like bush to become their leader, had they done so the west would have been nuked for supporting the Afghani’s during the Soviet occupation. Just when you think the yankee arse can’t be more stupid…
Hope the edit works this time,
I know that bush wants to think of himself as a modern day W.S. Churchill (hah!), too bad that bush seems not to have heard one of my favourite quotes from the man “to jaw jaw, is better than to war war.”
If Americans believe the rest of the world is made very,very nervous by the Bush Administration and their sabre rattling foreign policy they are correct but are underestimating the depth and solidarity of this feeling. With whom is the rest of the world going to align its support if the US follows through on this “attack Iran” policy. I can only speak for myself but I see the US going it totally alone . Who else is going to “sign up”? They are appearing more and more unbalanced by the day. It seems that because Americans don’t pay attention to what is going on in the rest of the world (let alone in their own country) they believe that the rest of the world is also not paying attention. Not True! We are and we are not happy!
According to the reasons the President cites for war with Iran, we might have to attack ourselves.
We are supporting militias throughout the Middle East in our attempt to control the region. We helped bring Saddam Hussein to power and we supported him during his war with Iran. We supported Osama bin Laden and other islamist radicals in Afghanistan. We continue to support the repressive Saudi Arabian and Egyptian governments Al Qaeda is fighting against.
The President says Iran is supporting Shiites in Iraq, but so are we. We are supporting the government in Baghdad that is made up of people who were exiled to Iran while we supported Saddam Hussein. Did we expect Iran not to play a role in a post Saddam Iraq even though we took military action to allow democracy to elect the religious rulers backed by Iran?
Why is it OK for the United States to travel thousands of miles to take an active role in determining the future of the Middle East, but it is not OK for Iran to be involved in Middle Eastern affairs? Would we feel threatened and a need to intervene if a foreign power was threatening the United States while invading and occupying Mexico and Canada?
I want democracy and open markets in the Middle East, but I don’t support using war to achieve the goal. I especially don’t support misleading the American public into war in order to make the desired political changes.
From Public Opinion by Walter Lippman.
“Abnormality in these instances is only a matter of degree. When an Attorney-General, who has been frightened by a bomb exploded on his doorstep, convinces himself by the reading of revolutionary literature that a revolution is to happen on the first of May 1920, we recognize that much the same mechanism is at work. The war, of course, furnished many examples of this pattern: the casual fact, the creative imagination, the will to believe, and out of these three elements, a counterfeit of reality to which there was a violent instinctive response. For it is clear enough that under certain conditions men respond as powerfully to fictions as they do to realities, and that in many cases they help to create the very fictions to which they respond. Let him cast the first stone who did not believe in the Russian army that passed through England in August, 1914, did not accept any tale of atrocities without direct proof, and never saw a plot, a traitor, or a spy where there was none. Let him cast a stone who never passed on as the real inside truth what he had heard someone say who knew no more than he did.”
Have we learned nothing about the reality of war since Lippman wrote this in 1920’s?
The reality that this cabal MUST be REMOVED FROM POWER is staring us in the face. We have to really turn up the heat on the opportunistic and spineless Dims if we have to shut the country down to do it.
The speech also contained the implicit desire on Mr Bush’s part for regime change, calling for “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”.
Oh my, couldn’t we just remove the word “Iran” and insert “Amuuurika”? The man is a lunatic and has surrounded himself with fellow lunatics. These said lunatics will not be happy until they rule the World or kill us all trying. IMPEACH TODAY! (cuz tomorrow is questionable)
Yet more proof that the USA is the biggest terrorist nation the world has ever seen.
Watch and see. Gonzalez left because he was an embarassment to the admin, but more importantly Snow and Rove left because they no longer have the energy to spin, decieve, and propogate America into another war.
Just look at the quote from White House when Snow resigned, something like “If Snow is going to step down, he ought to do it no later than Sept. 11th, 2007.”
They’re up too something. This is just like when Rumsfeld mysteriously “resigned” when his concious finally hit him, and he decided to go against the Neocons vision of Imperial Perpetual war.
Look for Rice to be resigning soon as she is the last obstacle in the way of war with Iran.
NATHAN ANDOVER & MANCHILD: Good, important postings. Coming from my realm of celestial expertise, it strikes me as far more than metaphor (as per the age old “As above, so below” Divine equation) that Bush would recite these obvious FICTIONS just on the year’s only full moon in Pisces, an eclipse no doubt. Just as the Republican convention 3 years ago occured on the PISCES full moon. Pisces invokes the two fish opposing one another, and represents the end of an age that has lasted 2200 years. The fish teach us that we either learn to find correspondences and get along, or we OPPOSE each other. When the opposition reaches critical mass and the weapons consist of what they do today, all sane minds recognize the benefits of choosing the path to cooperation over conflict. Pisces is the sign of deception beginning with self-deception. It is a sign of subterfuge and relies on drugs, escapist behaviors and addiction. (There are many Pisces who choose “the fish less traveled by” but the sign carries the significant danger of DECEPTION.)
If the FATES genuinely observe the affairs of planet earth, and the powerful role its so-called leadership plays, then Bush making these false allegations on the full moon Pisces eclipse fulfills the portent of deception in the boldest of ways.
WE should all get to Washington for the protests scheduled for September 15… these MONSTERS must be stopped!
“POLAND HAS AMMASSED 2 MILLION TROOPS ON THE BAVARIAN BORDER” GERMANY MUST RESPOND.
You see, our American imperial wars are always a “response” to fiction drummed up by the media, and swallowed without any critical thought by the herdish public, so easily manipulated and controlled.
Ya know this photo of Bush, and the Chertoff photo on the data mining article, I don’t know where commondreams keeps picking up the blatently propogandistic photos of the government officials, and I don’t know why they continue to use them. They only serve to help the very same government officials who are corrupt and criminal.
insanity
Main Entry: in·san·i·ty
Pronunciation: in-’sa-n&-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
1 : a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder (as schizophrenia)
2 : such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or as removes one from criminal or civil responsibility
3 a : extreme folly or unreasonableness b : something utterly foolish or unreasonable
oligarchy
Main Entry: ol·i·gar·chy
Pronunciation: ‘ä-l&-”gär-kE, ‘O-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -chies
1 : government by the few
2 : a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes; also : a group exercising such control
3 : an organization under oligarchic control
plutocracy
Main Entry: plu·toc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: plü-’tä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: Greek ploutokratia, from ploutos wealth; akin to Greek plein to sail, float — more at FLOW
1 : government by the wealthy
2 : a controlling class of the wealthy
- plu·to·crat /’plü-t&-”krat/ noun
- plu·to·crat·ic /”plü-t&-’kra-tik/ adjective
- plu·to·crat·i·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb
mperialism
Main Entry: im·pe·ri·al·ism
Pronunciation: im-’pir-E-&-”li-z&m
Function: noun
1 : imperial government, authority, or system
2 : the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas; broadly : the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence
- im·pe·ri·al·ist /-list/ noun or adjective
- im·pe·ri·al·is·tic /-”pir-E-&-’lis-tik/ adjective
- im·pe·ri·al·is·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb
fascism
Main Entry: fas·cism
Pronunciation: ‘fa-”shi-z&m also ‘fa-”si-
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control
- fas·cist /-shist also -sist/ noun or adjective, often capitalized
- fas·cis·tic /fa-’shis-tik also -’sis-/ adjective, often capitalized
- fas·cis·ti·cal·ly /-ti-k(&-)lE/ adverb, often capitalized
corporatism
Main Entry: cor·po·rat·ism
Pronunciation: ‘kor-p(&-)r&-”ti-z&m
Function: noun
: the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction
- cor·po·rat·ist /-p(&-)r&-tist/ adjective
I wonder what stability Bush has brought into the ME and Afghanistan….Pot calling the kettle black here.
reactionary
Main Entry: re·ac·tion·ary
Pronunciation: rE-’ak-sh&-”ner-E
Function: adjective
: relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction; especially : ultraconservative in politics
- reactionary noun
- re·ac·tion·ary·ism /-”i-z&m/ noun
It’s bad enough we let Bush lie us into one war and occupation, so why not let him do it again, eh? You bet we will let him do it. I no longer have any faith in the American people which is why I am planning on moving to another country. I’m very young so I can start fresh. Yes, congress and America will let Bush attack Iran, and maybe even Pakistan or Syria after. The American left will do absolutely nothing as always, except give their blessing by “protesting” and “calling their congressmen”. Compared to the left in other countries, the American left is the most inept bunch of effete p*ssies in any industrialized country. Not that I’m any better.
I will only return to America when Bush and Cheney are behind bars, and all the criminals in the Congress voted out and their careers destroyed for their complicity.
reactionary
adjective
1. Vehemently, often fanatically opposing progress or reform: die-hard, mossbacked, ultraconservative. See politics
2. Clinging to obsolete ideas: backward, conservative, unprogressive. See politics
noun
A person who vehemently, often fanatically opposes progress and favors return to a previous condition: die-hard, mossback, ultraconservative. See politics
The strangest thing happened yesterday. I had C-SPAN on listening to Washington Journal and suddenly the TV made a high-pitched noise, the program was interrupted and a big statement went across the screen, “THIS IS THE WEEKLY EMERGENCY TESTING SYSTEM”…….
I haven’t seen that since 1960!
And Aug. 31st the Board of Governors of The Federal Reserve are having their yearly pow-wow, guess where? In Wyoming in the underground bunker at the Continuity of Government headquarters! Why not Tavern on the Green or Kennebunkport?
I know the economy and the stock market and the hedge funds and real estate are all tanking, but C.O.G. headquarters? And I thought I was paranoid.
I wish I knew what was really going on and what on Earth I could do to stop it. I feel like we’re all on flight 93 and can’t get into the cockpit.
Any suggestions? I’m getting tired of sitting here in my pajamas typing.
Nam - Myoho - Renge - Kyo (World Peace Begins With You) may be all we have left.
the·oc·ra·cy audio (th-kr-s) KEY
NOUN:
pl. the·oc·ra·cies
1. A government ruled by or subject to religious authority.
2. A state so governed.
Dr. Suess [very short] Commencement Address at Lake Forest
Lake Forest, IL 4 June 1977
On Healthy Skepticism
MY UNCLE TERWILLIGER ON THE ART OF EATING POPOVERS
My uncle ordered popovers
From the restaurant’s bill of fare
And, when they were served, he regarded them
With a penetrating stare …
Then he spoke great words of wisdom
As he sat there on that chair
“To eat these things,” said my uncle
You must exercise great care.
You may swallow down what’s solid …
But … you MUST spit out the air!”
And as you partake of the world’s bill of fare
That’s darned good advice to follow
Do a lot of spitting out the hot air
And be careful what you swallow.
“The speech also contained the implicit desire on Mr Bush’s part for regime change, calling for “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”.” —did he really say nuclear and not nucular?
now think of this in terms of the American Republic, or what’s left of it. An American Republic whose government is accountable to ts people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons.
it’s plain to me that any sane and logical person can see that g.w. bush is a nutjob. he can’t be taken seriously.
abbybwood August 29th, 2007 1:30 pm
Do you have a link or source about them meeting at that location abby?
“Never forget that it was Iran…er…Iraq…er…Afganistan…er…Taliban….er Pakistan..( that attacked the USA on 9/11…they have WMD …they hate us for our freedoms, and they tried to kill ma Daddy!!
(and please forget that it was actually Saudi Arabian under my business partner Osamma Bin Laden and Bandir Bush)”
As i predicted after our invasion of Iraq that Bush and his insane thugs would start a war with Iran. The time is near. Any psychologist can see that Bush is not in his right mind. Power has gone to his head. The American people or the military better get rid of him, Cheney and their thugs before he starts WWIII. But the Pentagon wants to invade Iran. There job is to kill people, innocent especially cause they can’t fight back. But the American military only fights those countries that can’t fight back, like Iraq that had no weapons to fight with, except AK-47’s and homemade bombs. Everyone knows Bush is a lunatic along with his gay buddy, Cheney. Greed and Power is what got us into the situation we are in now. The only ones who side with them are the Republican cultists. There is no Republican Party. It is a cult, has been for over fifteen yrs. now. The stable military men in the Pentagon better do to Bush and Cheney what the Pentagon leaders did to KEnnedy. Assination is the only way out of this predicament. America is in a sorry state. You notice Bush can only hold his speeches in front of ex military men that fought for freedom, which we are losing by the day. God help us. And God save us by getting rid of Bush and his thugs. But even if that happens, it’s too late to change things like they were before 9-11. Those days are gone forever. If it were up to me i’d hang every politician in WAshington DC from the Capital building. If the American people don’t wake up and get involved to get rid of these insane people leading the country we are all doomed. In my opinion, everyone that voted for Bush are traitors to our founding fathers and the constitution. God help us. Amen.
UNDER THE NUCLEAR NON PROLIFERATION TREATY, IRAN IS ALLOWED TO HAVE A CIVILIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM, AND THE USA IS SUPPOSED TO BE REDUCING ITS NUKE ARSENAL.
SO WHO IS THE CRIMINAL HERE?
ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE USA IS CURRENTLY ARMING ALL SIDES OF THE IRAQ CIVIL WAR, EVEN THE “INSURGENTS”
“Something wicked this way comes.”
Russia and China need the oil just as much as America does. I suspect one of them to be supporting the insurgency to make a stupid American president start a war in Iran and watch the American super power fall apart from within. Remember the Russian war in Afghanistan? We were supporting Bin Laden’s efforts against Russia.
China holds in excess of 800 billion in US currency. A weak American economy and an even weaker American dollar caused by a war in Iraq and a possible war with Iran, China can dump it all on the market and the dollar will fail.
Has anyone taken a look at the price of gold lately? From 97 to 02 gold moved between $250 and $350, it has since moved to a high of $700 currently at $660. It looks like someone is preparing for some sort of crash.
Not all wars are fought with guns and tanks. The American Achilles’ heel is its vulnerable federal reserve fractionalized debt based economy. You can’t fight a war without when you have no money. To quote a popular Hip Hop phase, “If you aint got no money, take your broke ass home”.
So don’t get all pushed out of shape when Bush and Cheney look toward Iran to blame their troubles in Iraq. Someone is a few steps ahead of their game on a much bigger playing field. I do not think that Bush plays chess, do you?
Remember, once we’re “involved” (at war) with Iran, this opens the door for the imperialists to blame any other developing problems on VENEZUELA.
Watch and see.
The madmen in washington of both parties are a threat to all life on the planet. Evidently people don’t realize how serious the threat is. Rage against the heartless, soul-less American empire!
======================================================
Iranian President Ahmadinejad to the UN General Assembly:
“Some seek to rule the world relying on weapons and threats, while others live in perpetual insecurity and danger.
“Some occupy the homeland of others, thousands of kilometers away from their borders, interfere in their affairs and control their oil and other resources and strategic routes, while others are bombarded daily in their own homes; their children murdered in the streets and alleys of their own country and their homes reduced to rubble.
“Such behavior is not consistent with the status of human beings and runs counter to the Truth, to justice and to human dignity. The fundamental question is that under such conditions, where should the oppressed seek justice? Who or what organization defends the rights of the oppressed, and suppresses acts of aggression and oppression? Where is the seat of global justice?…
“Would it not be easier for global powers to ensure their longevity and win hearts and minds through the championing of real justice, compassion and peace than by continuing their production and proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons and the threat of their use?
“The experience of the threat and the use of nuclear weapons is before us. Has it achieved anything for the perpetrators other than exacerbation of tension, hatred and animosity among nations?…
“Occupation of countries, including Iraq, has continued for the last three years. Not a day goes by without hundreds of people getting killed in cold blood. The occupiers are incapable of establishing security in Iraq. Despite the establishment of the lawful Government and National Assembly of Iraq, there are covert and overt efforts to heighten insecurity, magnify and aggravate differences within Iraqi society, and instigate civil strife.
“There is no indication that the occupiers have the necessary political will to eliminate the sources of instability. Numerous terrorists were apprehended by the Government of Iraq only to be let loose under various pretexts by the occupiers.
“It seems that intensification of hostilities and terrorism serves as a pretext for the continued presence of foreign forces in Iraq…
“Today, the most serious challenge is that the culprits are arrogating to themselves the role of the prosecutor. Even more dangerous is that certain parties relying on their power and wealth try to impose a climate of intimidation and injustice over the world make bullying, while through their huge media resources portray themselves as defenders of freedom, democracy and human rights.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2006/iran-060920-irna02.htm
WDMAX3
You nailed it. Our over agression throughout the world is not only straining our economy to the tipping point, but its allowing other world power IE China and Russia to sit on the sidelines and watch it crumble. I feel that our republic has failed us. The “cure” to this type of executive abuse was always intended to be in the form of impeachment. Sadly, its quite obvious that the washington lobbies are more powerful than the voice of the people. Your point about the federal reserve is the most glaring truth. If people looked at the links between the central banking system, coorporate interests, and these wars its not hard to see the connections. We cant say we werent warned. The founders biggest fear was the control of goverment by bankers and coorporate interests. Americans should be ready for either some kind of provoked aggression by Iran or False Flag event to gain support for both a war with IRAN and eventually a draft. Its sad that more Americans cant see through the tinted glass of their McMansions and print outs of their 401k savings.
If anyone is a danger to the survival of the world, i.e., nuclear holocaust, and has meddled in Iraq and has been on a murderous rampage there, it is George Bush. He is such a ridiculous hypocrite. He is guilty of the things he accuses others of. It would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic.
The Democrats have failed miserably to rein this mass murderer in and are complicit in the war crimes of the Bush administration. Pelosi and Reid are useless.
The American Legion is a bloodthirsty organization. I think it may have a alot to do with the fact that even though they are veterans, many of them have not seen actual combat.
I don’t know if many people know this, but actually only about 20% of the troops see actual combat. The rest are largely behind the lines in support roles, desk jobs, etc.
In my small Nebraska town, the American Legion marches every year. My Dad, who passed away last year at 90, knew these guys and said that in WWII, they never were in combat. My uncle, however, was in the worst of the fighting during the allied invasion of Germany. Bayonetted and got the Purple Heart. He never talked about his experiences and never belonged to the local Legion post. The nephews and nieces hardly new about his war experiences. A quiet man, he died an alcoholic in 1969 at the age of 45. There were other men in my community who were REAL vets that saw genuine action in WWII and Korea. Many of them died alcoholics, untreated and disregarded in my small rural community, while those who bravely pushed pencils in the armed services now proudly march and loudly proclaim their support for the Iraq war.
To properly understand Weasel Boy’s speech, substitute the words “United States” every time he says “Iran”. The Iranians probably can hardly believe their good luck at the power we have given them. Even if we try to bomb them, they can’t lose and the world knows it. It is truly “blowback time” for the good ol’ US of A.
If you liked the chaos caused by our illegal invasion of Iraq, you’ll love the maelstrom of madness unleashed by our pre-emptive strikes (quite possibly nuclear) on Iran.
abbybwood August 29th, 2007 1:30 pm:
“Any suggestions? I’m getting tired of sitting here in my pajamas typing…. Nam - Myoho - Renge - Kyo (World Peace Begins With You) may be all we have left.”
Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo – IS EVERYTHING that we have to make change for our lives.
It moves mountains. There’s no blind faith in this practice.
We all need to wake up to our Buddha nature (one who is enlightened) and pray with confidence and conviction that our collective prayers WILL change the greedy stagnant condition of our politicians… and their puppet followers.
Check out Dr. Ikeda’s peace proposals & other works at:
http://www.sgi.org/about/president/works/speeches/mahayana.html
Also see: http://www.sgi-usa.org/thesgiusa/index.html
I agree… I can’t sit here in my PJ’s or evening gown reading, researching, writing, and send out emails that my friends don’t read anymore because it’s “too depressing” or “you can’t do anything about it” or “nothing is going to change”…
We KNOW how HORRIBLE the state of this nation is and the evils that this government should be accountable for…
It’s time for me to put Faith into action and chant – Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo for world peace as if my life depends on it - because - IT DOES. And not that it is all that we have left…
It IS what we can rely on to effect change.
It moves mountains.
Nam = Devotion to
Myoho = Mystic Law
Renge = Cause and Effect
Kyo = Vibration
Devotion to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect through Vibration.
It works, you aught to try it for 90 days… at least!
NMRK
I read an article yesterday in the NY Times about N. Sarkozy in France and a speech he made, stating “Iran will be attacked if it continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons, but not by us” and he just spent two weeks with Bush in the US. He said other things too, but it goes hand in hand with this article and Bush’s speech, Sarkozy said it would be a “catastrophe” but he also implicitly supports it and is doing some more “saber rattling” for the US.
Seems like some of the other western countries will SAY things against attacking Iran, but they will support it behind the scenes/cameras/reporters.
Hey folks, its clear to anybody with a 3 digit IQ that the stock market needs to see new corporate revenue streams to keep it bouyant. The American consumer can’t borrow much more money and the amount of corporate welfare that can be fanagled for the Iraq occupation is limited, so another occupation (or war as the media will label it) is just the ticket to propel the stock market!
Since Iran is much larger than Iraq, and the US Army is scraping bottom to get “boots on the ground”, the Iran occupation will be more of an Air Force and Navy show than an Army and Marine show. In other words, lots of bombs and possibly nukes. The military-industrial complex, escpecially the nuclear sector will love every minute of it and those Goldman-Sachs executives will continue to get their seven figure bonuses.
NMRK: Thank you for the suggestion. It’s always been hard for me to meditate as my mind doesn’t want to go blank. It badgers me, “Why are you just sitting her chanting! You have books to read, your screenplay to work on, organizing things to do blah, blah, blah.”
But I know you are right and I should try it. Because the Valium certainly isn’t working. (Kidding)
Mastershake: I found this link when Googling The Federal Reserve:
http://www.federalreserve.gov/calendar.htm
I think that’s the right one. The meeting appears to be this Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Jackson Hole is actually quite nice this time of year.
BTW, on the issue of the U.S. striking Iran militarily we also need to keep in mind that China has major investments in Iran ($3.5 Billion), particularly in relation to oil:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6783
Remember, we do have three (3) carrier attack groups and 3 USMC Expedtionary forces standing by.
I wonder how high the price of gas will be when the ballon goes up. I guess the multi-national oil companis do need higher windfall profits.
there is no way to stop this insanity. after all that has happened to this point from this madman, and no resistance from within the political system, i just can’t see anyway out of this. you can thank the media, the rapturists and the apaphty of the american people. welcome to w.w.3.
apathy
abbybwood - it’s not easy to chant w/ the roar of a lion - especially alone. It’s a practice to share w/others in unity in the name of world peace.
NMRK
ymso4sgi-usa@sbcglobal.net
Fellow Patriots!
It is time to take up arms and fight the enemies of our country! They are in Washington, not Iran.
We MUST do something, before W has the whole world going up in flames.
The Dims will never impeach Bush, no matter how many protests, calls, or letters. Yesterday on Democracy Now! Conyers said there is not enough time or votes.
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/28/1526252
Guess there are enough votes, and time, to give this madman posing as our leader to bomb Iran.
This lisping, inarticulate moron, this pretend president, this wisecracking frat-rat, this draft-dodging coward, is going to get us all killed.
How anyone can respect this rodent or any of his enablers in the Republican party is beyond me.
Bush’s IQ has descended from imbecile to moron to complete idiot. Anyone who believes him couldn’t be much smarter.
Do you really think that all this current chaos is caused by Bush and Co.? I don’t. I think that the Multinationals - Arms, oil etc. call the tunes and Bush and all the other lackies just follow orders. We must understand that the only real power is in this world is held in the hands of those who hold the wealth and the rest are just lead like sheep.As for politicians,they are just part of the charade that con’s us mere mortals into thinking that we are part of a functioning democracy. DO NOT BELIEVE IT!!!!!
If Bush suckers us into another war, let’s find him a permanent padded cell somewhere where he can never again cause such mischief.
“We will fight them over there so that we don’t have to fight them in the United States of America,” he said.
I say, let’s fight ‘em right here in the USA. We’ll have ‘em greatly outnumbered. It will be a lot cheaper to mass our forces, and there will be a lot less collateral damage (many fewer dead Iraqis and Iranians).
I had a nightmare monday night. it completely ruined tuesday for me. I dreamt we were in a state of martial law and Bush and Cheney had nuked the Boston harbour, Miami, and SanDiego. I guess they figured 9/11 was enough to get them into Iraq but they would need something really huge to blame on the Iranians to get the sheep to follow this time. I can’t tell you how much this frightens me, having these insane madmen in control, knowing that they scripted 9/11, knowing of the outlines laid down for dictorial power with his signing statements. Knowing that 90% of Americans want the occupation of Iraq to end, and wondering why the Bush crime family would lay out such absolute power going into what should be his final year and then what?, just walk away? I wonder what this years October surprise will be. I hope that Bush will leave Fenway Park standing, I hate the Yankees…….
“Ya know this photo of Bush, and the Chertoff photo on the data mining article, I don’t know where commondreams keeps picking up the blatently propogandistic photos of the government officials, and I don’t know why they continue to use them. They only serve to help the very same government officials who are corrupt and criminal.”
I think the photos are great! The Satanic New World Orderist has never looked so presidential! You should be down on your knees mastershake, groveling in the presence of the Great Corporate Puppet!
And while you’re down there, bend over a little more that I may stick an RF ID chip up your ass giving thy Leaders Knowledge of thy every move.
Amen!
People its not when we will be at war its we already are at war where have you all been? Bush has troops at Iran’s border thanks to the surge and they are already doing skirmishes back and forth. Bush has several warships in the Persian Gulf. Bush funded Jundullah, a terrorist group in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province to go across the border and attack the Iranian National Guard (which has been declared a terrorist group by Bush). Bush has armed the Khuzestani Iranian Arab minority (they sit on Iran’s oil fields) along with the Iranian Kurds, Azeris and the Mujaheddin Al Khaq or MEK. The MEK is a known terrorist group which has been meeting in DC the past few years to conduct their annual conferences and hob knob with the bigwigs who plan to let them take over once the Ayatollahs are toppled. AIPAC and its crowd of lunatics has pulled out all the stops to make sure we go to war and Nancy Pelosi took out the provision that we won’t attack Iran from the Iraq spending bill-which passed. Now I cannot stand Ahmedinijad or the Iranian gov’t as they oppress thier own people but I cannot stand the idea of harming innocent Iranian civilians and launching WWIII. Damn these neocons to hell for the trouble they have caused us all.
G(awd)W(hatta)B(astard)must be stopped. The speech was frightening in its similarity to the rhetoric preceding the invasion of Iraq. The same tenor, the same unsubstantiated accusations, the same key words designed to instill fear in the ignorant. I fully expect to awake one day to the announcement that USA has “preemptively” bombed numerous sites in Iran “destroying their nuclear capabilities,” unleashing retribution from Islamic groups both radical and until-now-moderate. I imagine OBL waiting with bated breath for the US to make the same mistake it made in Iraq, and thus trigger the retaliation you know he’s been plotting these last six years.
Will somone please take George Bush out to the barn and give him a spanking?
“Let’s say it bluntly. War with Iran is inevitable before January 2009 unless Bush and Cheney are both impeached first.”
Dr. Z. War with Iran is inevitable before the next full moon.
mastershake wrote: “POLAND HAS AMMASSED 2 MILLION TROOPS ON THE BAVARIAN BORDER” GERMANY MUST RESPOND.”
I understand what you are trying to say, but that would actually have been a real act of war on Poland’s part as the border with Bavaria is about 200 miles inside Germany from Poland. In 1939, Poland bordered Upper Silesia, Brandenberg, East Prussia and Prussia.
“I fully expect to awake one day to the announcement that USA has “preemptively” bombed numerous sites in Iran “destroying their nuclear capabilities,”
JH… Ok, call me paranoid or whatever, but yes, i think military operations against Iran are IMMINENT (and i hate using that word), ie within one month-possibly very soon.
Gonzalez, Snow, Rove all resigning over the past few weeks, all either embarassments to the admin, or now too exhausted to keep up spinning and decieving for the admin. Either way, they had zero credibility. RICE will stay because somehow, braindead America likes her (guess being a Black Woman finally pays off eh?)
The federal reserve is having that meeting this friday, August 31, at their special location in Wyoming.
The amped up Rhetoric and propoganda (seemingly out of nowhere)against Iran, blaming Iran for the problems in Iraq.
The amped up propoganda from Fox news and other conservative media conglomerates.
The Bush request for 50 billion more in war funds (in august!?) after he was already given his annual Iraq ammount and then some.
General Patreaus’ report, but not actually HIS report.
Several executive orders, signing statements, and even congressional legislation nearly garunteeing the power of the President to enact a neo-police state (though they’ll never call it that, and conserves will never admit it is in fact a military police dictatorship).
Prison camps built to incarcerate HUNDREDS of thousands of prisoners…
The list just goes on. These are too many coincidences.
Point is every morning, before work, first thing i do even before taking a shower is put the TV on and check the internet because something is going to happen soon (though the internet might be gone by the time the false flag event/strike against Iran occur).
And i can’t help but feel helpless and despondent. There’s nothing I or anyone can do to stop it, no matter how many Americans oppose the military action. I garuntee you though, when shit does go down, a significant portion of our country will blindly buy into the Iran war mongering propoganda from the admin, my guess is 33-50%- and even more will swallow it whole if another terror attack occurs on American soil.
Anyhow, there’s nothing we can do- and even complaining on a blog will get us first tickets right to the detention/concentration camps. Just enjoy the ride I say as our lords run this country right into the ground, and you and I are made into slaves mere spectators of everything.
or as Bush says, go out and spend more money.
and Yes, as someone else pointed out Venezuela will soon follow Iran.
Did Shub really say “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”…
How could he say that with out the words turning to shit in his mouth and choking him?? Chutzpah and Hubris…
War is only inevitable IF the armed forces cooperate with this stunning lunacy. There must be enough people of integrity in key positions in all branches of the military, US, NATO and Israeli, who understand that they are directly enabling these unbelievable, planned Crimes against Humanity.
If we go over the edge of the precipice before us, to fall into the depths of the nuclear cataclysm that could well erupt, it will be those who were ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS who pushed us over.
A true patriot in the armed forces of any country should understand that their job, their sworn duty, is PRIMARILY to protect their COUNTRY from all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is NOT to carry out orders to bring about the messianic visions of the terminally mad. Whoever they are, whatever their name.
Should this madman manage to commit this crime, the only response possible from the rest of the world will be TOTAL OSTRACISM for the US, the NATO countries involved and of course, the real cause of all this trouble, Israel.
It is in the hands of the real patriots in the US military whether or not we descend into the New, Dark Stone Age, that is the Neocon’s #1 wet dream.
It is in the hands of the real patriots in the US military..
Did Shub really say “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”…
How could he say that with out the words turning to shit in his mouth and choking him?? Chutzpah and Hubris…
War is only inevitable IF the armed forces cooperate with this stunning lunacy. There must be enough people of integrity in key positions in all branches of the military, US, NATO and Israeli, who understand that they are directly enabling these unbelievable, planned Crimes against Humanity.
If we go over the edge of the precipice before us, to fall into the depths of the nuclear cataclysm that could well erupt, it will be those who were ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS who pushed us over.
A true patriot in the armed forces of any country should understand that their job, their sworn duty, is PRIMARILY to protect their COUNTRY from all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is NOT to carry out orders to bring about the messianic visions of the terminally mad. Whoever they are, whatever their name.
Should this madman manage to commit this crime, the only response possible from the rest of the world will be TOTAL OSTRACISM for the US, the NATO countries involved and of course, the real cause of all this trouble, Israel.
It is in the hands of the real patriots in the US military whether or not we descend into the New, Dark Stone Age, that is the Neocon’s #1 wet dream.
It is in the hands of the real patriots in the US military..
Of course, this does not factor in the 100000+ strong mercenary army that Blackwater has put together for President CheneyBush and what plans, domestic and foreign, the incumbent madmen have for them.
We can talk about the “strategic” consequences, we do it all the freakin’ time! But when was the last time a mainstream personality talked about the LIFE consequences?
When was the last time someone, anyone, talked about the LIFE consequences of war? How many creatures have had their lives ended by bombs? People meekly talk about the human casualties, but the NEVER talk about the non-human victims. Domestic - cats, dogs, cows, goats, sheep, horses, etc, etc.
What about all the other LIVING BEINGS (birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, marine life - they are ALL sentient beings!) who inhabit the Eco-systems that exist in a war zone? How do they survive breathing in depleted uranium? How do those LIFE-BEINGS cope with being blown up and poisoned? How many TRILLIONS of lives has bushInc slaughtered during this illegal attack on Iraq? How many more LIVING BEINGS will be slaughtered when the crazy men attack Iran? Trillions and trillions of LIVING souls! They have NO respect for life. Money is their god.
Sick Sick Sick.
bushInc and all their ilk are the enemy of LIFE. Someone should exterminate them. Send them to their Karma…. Sooner rather than later.
We know better. Support LIFE!
“Of course, this does not factor in the 100000+ strong mercenary army that Blackwater has put together for President CheneyBush and what plans, domestic and foreign, the incumbent madmen have for them.”
Private mercenaries, not bound by any law, will more than make up for the very few thousands, maybe hundreds, of American servicemen/women with a concious enough to oppose this President when he strikes at Iran
Bush calling for “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people,”
Bush must be referring to his own regime as he has been ignoring the will of the majority of the American people to end the war in Iraq. What a hypocrite!
The sad thing is all this destruction and waste of human lifes is about RICH FAT WHITE CORPORATE AMERIKKKANS making money…
I just finished reading every blog,___ twice. I Put the ones that made good sense on the right side of my brain, ___ and the ones that were nonsense on the left side.
Score: 74 to 1 ____ for the right side.
We-are-screwed.
Victory Fries anyone?
Explanation: Do some research on the history of the Bush family, and their corporate and political connections and it all starts to fall together.
Bush is the New Hitler he has tried to call everyone else… crazed, power-mad, probably drug-addicted, and the puppet of a ruthless rightwing corporate alliance that is probably itself dominated by cocaine and speed addicts who are oblivious to reality but lust for satisfaction of primal psychological cravings (sex, money, power).
Both are puppets. Dangerous ones, and clearly the puppeteers are willing to risk the United States being bombed in response to Bush’s continual hostile moves. Perhaps the puppeteers don’t care. Perhaps the top-level puppeteers aren’t American, and plan to watch from the sidelines as Bush dukes it out in the Middle East, and then the puppeteers swoop in and take the spoils. Israel is too close to be a logical suspect. So is Russia. The old Axis countries are safely distant from the battlefield, and seem to be doing quite well through all this recent chaos.
Could it be we are witnessing a literal Nazi/Fascist Revival (in the context of current political realities)? That would include colonies of Nazis and Fascisti given safe haven in South America and South Africa… the Saudi Royal Family was pro-Nazi and they can simply leave their country and obviously don’t care about anyone but the Saudi Royal Family.
Thousands of neo-Nazi hate-crimes have been reported each year in Germany during the last few years, and little seems to be done about stopping it…. and the same applies to neo-Nazi activities in the USA. Recent Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi said ‘Mussolini wasn’t so bad’. The last Japanese Prime Minister was visiting Japan Fascist military graves to the horror of the families of East Asian WW2 victims. One of the first visits of the Bush-controlled Reagan puppet administration was Bitburg cemetary where Nazi heroes are honored.
The old corporations which propped up German Nazism are still around and doing Quite Well these days. Mercedes/Daimler/Benz is one major example… very rich and influential. I G Farben chemicals another. Members of the old Austrian Hapsburg circuit that Hitler so diplomatically claimed he hated, but which helped put him in office and propped him up. Hitler was a total fraud… pretended to be a socialist to get in office and then implemented pro-corporate policies. Pretended to be a man of the people but implemented ruthlessly elitist and inhumane policies. Publicly touted progressive policies but implemented some of the most most reactionary in fact. Born in Austria but ruled another state, Germany’s first nominally-elected foreign president via election rigging and badgering. Oh my God sounds like AhnOld SchwaziLekker! Was ist das?
Can we stop it before we are Terminated (or repossessed and privatized) by the Barbarians?
Seriously, look at how much American money and corporate assets are amassing along the Chicago-StLouis-Dallas-Houston line…. ATT, Yahoo, WalMart, McDonalds, and other NAFTA bloodsuckers, many if not all financially connected with Bush friends and family. SchwaziLekker is handing California assets over to them and his/their old Nazi/Fascisti friends in Europe and Japan/Taiwan too.
And just when we all realized we were going to Hell in a handbasket………..we found out that the handbasket was made in China and has been recalled for safety reasons………
When will the rest of the world label Bush and Cheny the new
AXIS OF EVIL?? That also applies to anyone else that thinks we need to destroy another country with our nukes and poison bombs to keep everyone safe. FEAR, FEAR,FEAR__some legacy.
Until the US populace gets the courage to take to the streets and follow the example of Gandhi’s non-violent marches and demonstrations nothing will change. The people have got to WANT the Constitution restored enough to ACT accordingly. If there is no such desire, there will will be no more US Constitution (except in name only).
Things will change only when the populace is alienated and hopeless.
Then they may :
STAND UP - for what they beleive to be right.
SIT DOWN - in the nearest street to bring transportaion, retail, everything to a standstill.
FIGHT - I hope like Gandhi’s Pathan friend Badshar Khan(Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan) (check him out)a Pashtun nonviolent Muslim
FIGHT - Even if it means sacrifice to themselves to totally repudiate the oligarchy
FIGHT - As if their lives depend on active resistance - which they do
When people realize that they cannot ignore the actions of the government and relaize they themselves are the governmet, only then is change possible.
What a shame to let cowardice bring down such a noble experiment of human governance!!
Here are some comments by a man who stood by Gandhi - Badshah Khan, who led a 100,000 person army of non-violent Pashtuns from the Khyber pass region. He was a Pashtun (Afghan) political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition to British Rule during the final years of the Empire on the Indian sub-continent. He was a lifelong pacifist and a devout Muslim. He was known as Badshah Khan (sometimes written as Bacha Khan), the `King of Chiefs’, and `Frontier Gandhi’.
“To me nonviolence has come to represent a panacea for all the evils that surround my people. Therefore I am devoting all my energies toward the establishment of a society that would be based on its principles of truth and peace.” –
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
“Today’s world is traveling in some strange direction. You see that the world is going toward destruction and violence. And the specialty of violence is to create hatred among people and to create fear. I am a believer in nonviolence and I say that no peace or tranquility will descend upon the people of the world until nonviolence is practiced, because nonviolence is love and it stirs courage in people.” – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan to an interviewer in 1985
His story is contained in ‘Nonviolent Soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan, A Man To Match His Mountains’, by Eknath Easwaran (Published by Nilgiri Press).
Also see NPR highlights:
http://www.npr.org/programs/musings/2003/jan/khan.html?sc=emaf
As angry as you people are as I read the above comments, multiply it ten times and that’s about the amount of rage within me toward this whole corrupt degenerate Congress. But before I blame them, I have got to blame Joe and Jane Q. Public for complacency, docility, lethargy, and, my regular standby, “IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS, IT IS UNFORGIVABLE!” WE THE PEOPLE are the one’s that could stop this group of crooks and liars if we really want to instead of venting our diatribes on the internet, but it takes courage and sacrifice and a firm personal belief in so doing. I’ll get into that in a minute. EVERY one of the above comments are great but I’ll pick out some that really touched me. Again, I don’t know any of you or do any of you know me, but for some of the ‘regulars’ on Common Dreams, I feel close to you.
Zooeyhall: Your story touched me very much. So many combat veterans of all wars of all countries silently suffered like your uncle did. Especially in WW2 with massive casualties in many battles. The human pysche can only take so much death and destruction, misery and suffering, and affects all people involved with varying degrees of reactions.
When I returned from Vietnam, my uncle, a WW2 vet, wanted me to join his VFW post, but I said no to that as well as no to the American Legion. I wish you the best.
NMRK: I used to chant those words twenty years ago and then stopped??? I believe Tiny Turner, the singer, chants.
Siouxrose: I wrote a true (but funny) non-violent war story for you on the Majorie Cohn article about Vietnam. Did you read it? Also, did you check out Caroline Casey yet? She’s also an astrologer and you two have a lot in common.
MrFoad, RestoreDemocracy, Laddy, PeaceisTruth, good posts.
I’m willing to listen if anyone of you have a plan to stop this psychopath in the ‘DarkHouse’, but in the meantime, here is my plan. Sept.11,2007. Stay home from work and don’t shop that day. If you can get to D.C. on the 15th, go! I still think the Strike Action is more important and reducing consumer good spending. Work Stoppage in all industries needs to be coordinated. Remember when the Iranians got rid of the Shah? The Strike!
On KPFA.ORG today, on ‘Living Room’ (scroll to programs and that show) they interviewed several counter military recruiter people and I highly recommend listening to that hour show. (commercial free) I’m a Luddite and don’t know how to post it like a lot of you girls and guys do.
I saw John Conyers on Amy Goodman’s show yesterday and he wiggled out of ‘Impeachment’ again. It was frustrating.
One more thing before I fall asleep at the computer. Go to WWW.rense.com, and see “The Kennebunkport Warning (8-26-07) McKinney,Sheehan,Tarpley Warn Of New Cheney 911
Support the Vichy democrats. They’ll solve the problems.
“I read an article yesterday in the NY Times about N. Sarkozy in France and a speech he made, stating “Iran will be attacked if it continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons, but not by us” and he just spent two weeks with Bush in the US. He said other things too, but it goes hand in hand with this article and Bush’s speech, Sarkozy said it would be a “catastrophe” but he also implicitly supports it and is doing some more “saber rattling” for the US.”
Sarko won because the xenophobic right in France decided that it hated Arab immigrants & female socialists was far greater than its hatred for its own Jewish neocons.
Seeing BookTV’s broadcast of Jeremi Suri’s talk at Politics & Prose about his new book on Kissinger leads me to the conclusion that, despite the fact that the majority of Jews are steeped in liberal & even leftist traditions, the acceptance of the German experience as THE paradigm fuels AIPAC & the fascist course of Israel. The equation is: Hitler manipulated diplomats & our communities did not resist; therefore diplomacy and signs of weakness are equal to collaboration with those who want to destroy us; therefore, anyone who insists on diplomacy rather than military action are anti-semitic, desiring the destruction of Jews. To be anti-fascist now & to point out the fascist nature of contemporary Israel & of its supporters, when fed into this equation, to be anti-semitic; therefore, no matter how militaristic the US and Israel are, no matter how much their actions reseemble those of the Nazis, it is obligatory to be militarist & fascist in order to be philosemitic.
This is how Dershowitz, Horowitz, Wolfowitz, Lieberman, etc., all wind up telling themselves that they are truly defending “the West” — itself the ultimate fascist concept, which is intimately linked to the American ideal that the US is particularly chosen by God — against racism.
As always, the political landscape is distinctly non-euclidean.
As i awake this morning there is a near full moon in the clear sky, and when i looked at the surface of the moon, i swear i saw an image of a baby in the fetal position.
I’m aware that this is just my personal opinion, but i think the ship has turned and remedy is on the way. This remedy is “exponential”. People are beginning to choose Peace and there is not a damn thing cheney or bush can do. Of course, they and the complicit, enabling “demoncats” can still cause a lot of trouble, but the US will not attack the great country of Iran which has been around so much longer than us (>99% probability per my sensibilities).
The only thing going on with cheney’s chains is that they are starting to wrap around him and those few who choose to remain his “subjects”. The “texas” days of cheney/bush fabricating, stealing, killing, maiming, raping, pillaging, and plundering are coming to an abrupt end. Thank goodness because it could not have happened sooner.
Better times are on the way.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
“i swear i saw an image of a baby in the fetal position.”
Was a black monolith floating near it?
“People are beginning to choose Peace and there is not a damn thing cheney or bush can do”
We might choose peace, but the political class chooses war, and will continue to do so; look at Washington representative Brian Baird, coming back from Iraq, ready to support ‘victory’ — ‘The American people don’t want to lose the war’.
If the American people could choose peace, they would choose the peace candidate — everyone know that’s Dennis Kucinich. The political-media complex excludes non-aggression, even any discourse that could lead to non-aggressive policies. How many times do we hear even the angriest of leftist talk-show hosts thanking soldiers for their “service”? Until the structure of our governance is irrevocably destroyed, it will continue to rattle on with the “War on Terrorism” — i.e., “Defense of the West”, i.e., invasion of other countries. (Anyone heard from Somalia lately?)
We fear the responsibility involved in breaking the structure, because there is no guarantee that what would follow could be structured to be transform the society into something different. Reactionaries are far better armed than revolutionaries in the US; the military command structure would have little civilian supervision of its weapons; but we aren’t going to get peace simply because the people wish it. Cows probably wish not to be slaughtered & eaten, but as long as they don’t stampede their slaughterers, they will be.
I didn’t say People were wishing Peace. This ain’t no disney land.
I said People are Choosing Peace, and it is exponential. You understand how exponential things work don’t you - once it gets going you might as well just get out of the way or better yet jump on board. Now, if there are better ideas out there, let them prevail, but just now, Peace is the best thing going.
Why do you and so many other here insist on thinking the worst all the time. Be practical but don’t be a servant of fear. Fear sucks, and I choose not to abide it.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
The speech also contained the implicit desire on Mr Bush’s part for regime change, calling for “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”.
Too bad Mr. Bush does not take his own advise. Substitute
USA for Iran in this sentence and see if it makes sense.
“I said People are Choosing Peace, and it is exponential.”
How so? I would prefer to believe such a formula; but history, neither remote nor current, suggests that it’s either true, either theoretically or practically. We have had two elections stolen in the US, and the elected representatives we thought would derail the regime, while picking off a few of the henchmen, are nonetheless committed to supporting it, with modifications. I support both Cindy Sheehan and Dennis Kucinich, but look at all the official liberals who attack the electoral aspirations of both.
If ‘choosing peace’ were exponential, then the summer of love would have yielded decades of peace; the reverse happened.
“Why do you and so many other here insist on thinking the worst all the time. Be practical but don’t be a servant of fear. Fear sucks, and I choose not to abide it.”
The current regime naturally feeds on fear; but I can’t see any indications that its official critics are engaged in any different project: they want a different strategy, but aimed at the same thing.
After weighing things for a long time, Ward Churchill’s “Pacifism As Pathology” tipped the balance for me: nonviolence can be used as a tactic in the struggle against oppressors, but it isn’t a strategy.
If ‘choosing peace’ means doing everything we can to impede & disarm the ruling class, I agree; if it means that one refuses to recognize the eventual issue of the conflict, which will demand what all revolution demands, I disagree. The former path offers true hope, that latter offers what I call ’servile hope’, a hope which only serves the rulers.
Dichterfreund - I think we agree.
The only thing I might add is that for a long time history has been repeating but there is no reason why this must continue to be so. During this time humans have spread across the globe and although there has been much undue and shameful suffering, our numbers have grown. Great, we are all over the place as much as we ought to be, so now it is time for us to better appreciate the “here and now” instead of thinking about some imaginary future that no-one can claim to know for sure.
Also, there may be ways for conflict resolution that do not entail any further shameful suffering of innocence. There has been too much of that for too long.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
* I support House RESOLUTION 333
** I want to know - who the hell still supports the current regime - don’t you care about the unborn that have yet to come? Are you so afraid that you have no integrity? Wake up or get out of the way.
Most of the world uses the US dollar when trading in oil. If this were to stop, some experts say the US economy would collapse. Saddam made noise about switching to the Euro…
Iran Asks Japan to Pay Yen for Oil, Start Immediately
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=worldwide&sid=aLaColVYu5LA
More fuel to help Bush stoke his fires of aggression.
Being that the US “economy” is a house of cards built on pyramid-style “credit-schemes” backed by nothing and controlled by centralized power-crazed false entities; well, collapse seems to be imminent regardless.
In fact, collapse of something that is psuedo in the first place could be tremendously positive medicine. No one said taking medicine is easy, but if you want to get better, why not just take it and then go from there.
Who said oil was married to the dollar in the first place. Why would this be rationale for war (rhetorical question). Lets be honest and just take our medicine like realistic, but loving grown ups that we ought to be. RIGHT all you bible-thumping folks?
If you call yourself a “christian” and all the while you advocate death of innocence, then I say you are a FALSE christian and should be ashamed.
We ought to start “framing” issues in a way that encourages resolution instead of always worrying so much and being so fearful of the uncertain.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
The President said - “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”.
How about a little of what he said in this country?
There is little doubt in my mind that the bottom would drop out of the stock market if we launched a strike on Iran. Most rational people–even Republicans–must make a similar calculation.
A unilateral, unprovoked strike without the explicit consent of congress will kill the Republican Party for a generation if not eternity. I think most Repubs understand this, even if their leader does not.
I just want to add my complete opposition to ANY kind of bombing of Iran. Untold Millions opposed the invasion of Iraq. Despite all the attempts to make Iran look like some kind of threat, most people do not buy it.
If the world has another World War forced on it, DO NOT EXPECT SUPPORT FROM THE PEOPLE FOR THAT WAR. The attempts to destroy the middle east and Iran will lead to the internal disintigration in the West. One day the masses will lynch Bush and any others who supported such a war. They will not only turn on Muslims but the hatred for Jews will also escalate beyond anything seen before as people look for groups to blame for all the mayhem and social/ economic collapse around them.
Only rats and cockroaches will do well after it is all over.
.
That image i saw on the near full moon this morning. I am going to think of it as the possibility (or lack thereof) of all the unborn babies that may or may not be born in the future.
Think about this. What is the “present day” value of a baby born in the future? What interest rate should we use?
Some few individuals are taking some huge unprecedented risks that are not in the interest of everyone else. They are trying to take away choice and apparently they will kill billions upon billions (especially if you consider the future unborns) to do this. Wow, and all the while many seem to just want to let them. Not me.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
The article stated: “The speech also contained the implicit desire on Mr Bush’s part for regime change, calling for “an Iran whose government is accountable to its people, instead of to leaders who promote terror and pursue the technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons”.
Why does Dubya think Iran’s government should be accountable to its people, when he doesn’t think his own government should be accountable to its people?
Ken Hausle,
Have you ever read Derek Parfit’s book about future utilitarianism? I read it a couple of decades ago and was fascinated by it. Generally economic theories are justified on the grounds that they are utilitarian (provide the greatest good for the greatest number), but Parfit asked the interesting question of “utilitarian for what population” — those alive now, or now and in the immediate future, or alive at any time in the future. And if we are counting those alive at any time in the future, then do we discount those lives far in the future and, if so, by how much?
I believe Parfit knew that the whole speculative exercise undermines traditional utilitarianism as it shows that value based on purely speculative determinations can dwarf the value based on solid, evidence-based determinations of today. For example, some Cheney-like scheme that will result in the deaths of maybe a billion people today can be justified by a Cheney argument (dishonest of course with ulterior motives) that it will result in a more stable and economically healthy world that over the centuries will result in billions of more healthy happy people. Of course the response to this is (besides pointing out the mendacity and ulterior motives), regardless of whether there is a time-based discount on future lives, there must be a discount on future benefits that are speculative, and the further into the future, the more speculative the benefits are.
Hopefully someday most Americans will recognize that such speculative long-term benefits such as those to be derived from the plans of the neocons are not worth the short-term real and determinable costs and that such plans are most likely hatched and promoted either in the minds of deluded simpletons such as Bush or in the minds of sophisticated mendacious criminals such as Cheney who merely use the promise of long-term speculative benefits as cover for short-term corruption and self-dealing.
kivals - thank-you for your note.
I think we can all agree that life is priceless. To sacrifice life today on a massive scale for some percieved future benefit is ludicrous (and i’m sure everyone here has a whole bunch of other words that could be used besides that one).
Both bush and cheney should be removed from the non white house in chains. Chained to each other. The sooner the better.
I better go drink some tea.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
To all of the above
Bleat, hoot and holler that its Bush, the Dems, the republicans, the right, the left, The Israelis, the Muslims, the Christians, this one or that one, but the truth is it is all of us collectively which will cause the fulfillment of what has been written and prophisized in the dogmas of almost all religions, we will destroy our selves and it looks like sooner rather than later. It is innate and genetic within us and there is nothing we can do to stop it. We have been at war with each other since recorded history and will continue to do so until the last stone kills the last of the parasites called man
In the mean time you will all talk yourselves to death and blame everyone but yourselves
What you say your name was - salvation ???? what a joke.
I’m doing more than talking, I’m WALKING. That name “walker” needs to reclaim a bit of honor anyhow.
Peace,
Ken Hausle
“To initiate a war of aggression…is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime,differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.”
Nuremberg Tribunal
“Any excuse will serve the tyrant”…Aesop, from ‘The Wolf and the Lamb’
“Liberty is not for these slaves; I do not advocate inflicting it against their conscience. On the contrary, I am strongly in favor of letting them crawl and grovel all they please before whatever fraud or contributors of frauds they choose to venerate…Our whole practical government is grounded in mob psychology and…the Boobus Americanus will follow any command that promotes to make him safer.”
H.L. Menchen—1956
The scary thing about Bush is his
decider’ attitude while his finger is on the red button. He could easily push the red button just to prove to the world that he is indeed ‘the decider.’ More spoiled child than adult, more reacionary than realist, more self-centered than visionary. Poor traits for a leader in the modern world. Poor traits for anyone.
Salvation has a point.
It seems we are doomed to follow the dinosaur. Eventually, the Sun will grow cold and Salvation will be proved correct. Kudos, Salvation.
However, there is no need to go into that cold night quietly, right Salvation?
We can attempt to have the human race present at the Sun’s last day, can’t we?
There is no doubt that the deck is STACKED against us and that our attempts will be in vain, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be undertaken. If for no other reason than to entertain the entity that created this mess, we should rail against the evil that threatens to consume us.
And America is without a doubt EVIL. Like a petulant child, our diaper is full and Mommy has taken an Ambien. We’ve broken the windows on the neighbors house, stolen all the mail and all that’s left to eat is our own snot. Tuck in. Fortunately, there’s plenty.
May the revolution be as swift as it is peaceful.
RESTORE DEMOCRACY & DICTENFREUND: Interesting points and analysis.
PEACEMAN: I’m “on” end of the month deadlines AND have a houseguest, so I am a little behind with commentary, but I will check out what you wrote. Thank you for sharing.
If you can’t do something right, don’t do it at all. With that in mind, I say we dissolve our government and start fresh.
Come on Americans! Who’s with me?
If you think the Democrats are going to get us out of Iraq…
“With the president continuing to stay the course in Iraq, Republicans will have to decide whether they will continue to vote with him or join Democrats and the vast majority of Americans who are demanding a new direction in Iraq and refocusing America’s efforts on fighting the real threats of terrorism around the world,” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Note how she carefully selected wording in “…Democrats and the vast majority of Americans who are demanding a new direction in Iraq…”. Note that nothing is mentioned that most Americans want us out of Iraq and not continuing the occupation. Withdrawing from our little oil state is not part of the Democratic (elite) plan.
Nuclear powers:
Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, United States, Israel, North Korea.
At least six of the above don’t want more US led invasions and occupation of Iran, Venezuela and other countries. Unlike our prez, they’re probably not dumb enough to start a nucular war over another invasion. Cheney knows that and is using his protege’s craziness to keep them guessing. But these six nuclear powers know that if they were to supply US and Israeli targets with nukes, the US will probably stop targetting them. See how we made nice with N. Korea after they acquired nukes? Will we invade Iran before the inevitable nukes are supplied?
And also:
1. The oligarchy has put our economy into the toilet so they can privatize everything, get richer at everyone’s expense, and rule the world.
2. Banks and multinationals own our 65 trillion debt (see recent CD article) and have not stopped lending and foreclosing on all our homes as long as warfare is giving them a positive cash flow.
3. The Democrat Congress is timid because they know that if they stop the war profiteers, these will stop lending, foreclose on our homes and we’ll be the biggest third world country in the world.
4. The oligarchy believes they are superior to the unwashed masses in every way and know how to run the world better. That people have to be kept oppressed and poor otherwise they’ll make a mess of things.
He really does look like a chimp, doesn’t he? LOL
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushchimpanzee.htm
We have a mad emperor leading us to destruction and an “opposition” party that only knows how to roll over and play dead. What will it take?
Declare the CIA a “terrorist” organization. Fair is fair.
ezeflyer: I admire many of your one-liners, but the 2;20pm post is tops. The 4 Items mentioned seem correct with one exception. The Democrats are not timid by any means. Most of them are willing enablers of the Bush Crime Family, including my ‘Democratic Senators’, Feinstein and Boxer. (especially the former) When confronted at her $16,000,000 mansion in San Francisco last week, Diane told the protestors that as long as troops remain in Iraq, she’ll fund them. Who’s kidding who?
What is sad is that nobody wants to help the Iraqi people. Perhaps if 500,000 ‘Chinese volunteers’ were deployed to Iraq to repel the invader and occupier, then the cannon fodder, also know as the ‘troops’ would return to U.S. soil
The United States has a very heavy karma to pay. What a shame!
i thought if ya had some rabelrousers, that crossed borders to play havoc..that ya had to catch em B4 they flee the region. isn’t there some type of sovernty or protection by crossing certain borders? and all the army need do is chase em into iran (some real desperados ya)..and presto you got your next engagement, nice and legal. i wonder if your afgani, or pakistan you get this sort of thing already?
Good point peaceman. A 16 million mansion may not make an oligarch. Just one of their well paid employees.