Don’t Let The Dogs Out! Don’t Bomb Iran!
How well I remember, during the Nixon years, the question, “Would you buy a used car from this man?”
Why aren’t we asking similar questions about George W. Bush? Would you buy a used car from the man who crashed and looted the U.S. economy and destroyed Iraq? Then how about another war? Would you buy that?
Bush has 14 months to go, and it appears that he wants to start World War III.
During the past year we’ve read many accounts of “war game” scenarios being played out by the military and the White House. The target is always Iran.
Iran is certainly working on obtaining nuclear power - although the country claims it will be used for peaceful purposes. Still, all the experts agree that the country is years away from having nuclear weapons.
Bush, however, has been once again rattling the cages of the dogs of war he loves so much. He said in late August, “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.”
Discounting the fact that a great deal of the “instability and violence” in the region has been caused by Bush, note that words like “active pursuit,” “could lead,” “threatens” and “shadow” mean that Iran is far from being a current threat.
“Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere,” Bush said. “We will confront this danger before it is too late.”
You’d think Bush would have a hard time trying to sell the world another preemptive war with a straight face - we’ve all seen how well the last one went. But here he goes again.
Already, a U. S. naval force - two aircraft carrier groups and half of America’s warships - is stationed close to Iran.
According to some reports, the United States has a three-day plan for ending Iran’s status as a “rogue terrorist nation.” It calls for a massive air strike against 1,200 targets that would, in effect, take out Iran’s entire military. Another set of plans I’ve seen targets 400 sites, only a few dozen of which are linked to the nuclear program. It doesn’t matter which plan Bush might eventually use. All of them end in disaster.
Author Chris Hedges has thought through the possible outcomes. He recently wrote, “Iranian… missiles, which cannot reach the United States, will be launched at Israel, as well as American military bases and the Green Zone in Baghdad. Expect massive American casualties…The Strait of Hormuz, which is the corridor for 20 percent to the world’s oil supply, will be shut down… Oil prices will skyrocket to well over $4 a gallon. The dollar will tumble against the euro. Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon, interpreting the war as an attack on all Shi’ites, will fire rockets into northern Israel. Israel… will begin retaliatory raids….Pakistan, with a huge Shiite minority, will reach greater levels of instability… and could become the first radical Islamic state to possess a nuclear weapon. The neat little war with Iran, which few Democrats oppose, has the potential to ignite a regional inferno.”
Compare Hedges’ more-or-less realistic scenario with Bush’s fantasy that Iranians will be dancing in the streets and tossing flowers as they celebrate “regime change.”
We know that Congress will not stop Bush. In fact, as Hedges points out, Democrats as well as Republicans contribute to the demonization of Iran.
The only time Bush has ever backed down is when he has been faced with strong, organized and vocal opposition - for example, when he tried to use his “political capital” to deconstruct Social Security. He backed down because too many people had a stake in protecting it - we all have grandparents, parents, or the hope of growing old ourselves.
We have even more of a stake in protecting the Middle East from all-out war.
F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” That sounds like a perfect description of today. Look around us. Everything is OK, and yet everything is not OK. While we are reading about celebrities, people are coming back to this country limbless and with their brains scrambled.
We don’t have to scratch the surface too deeply to understand that the reckoning is coming. If 9/11 was a surprise, many more will be shocked when everything comes tumbling down.
I may sound more paranoid than possessed of a first-rate mind, but I truly believe that Bush has ruined our country. He’s ruined our future. It will take decades to recover from the crazed neocons who think that bombing Iran is a good place to start, but let’s take out Syria, too. And that’s not even throwing in peak oil, global warming and economic collapse.
There is too much blood on our hands already. Even our great-grandchildren will be dealing with the fallout from the last six disastrous years.
What can we do? Taking to the streets for demonstrations is not enough. It didn’t stop Bush from attacking Iraq, and it won’t stop him from bombing Iran. The loudest, strongest, most forceful and vehement opposition must start right now and be maintained at full pitch until that basest of men turns tail and runs.
In the last six years, I’ve watched everything I’ve loved and devoted my life to turn to dust. In my anger and despair, all I can do is scream. Please join me. Bomb Iran? No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!
Joyce Marcel is a journalist and columnist based in Vermont. A collection of her columns, “A Thousand Words or Less,” is available through joycemarcel.com. And write her at joycemarcel@yahoo.com.
Remember Bush, doesn’t really have 14 months left to do this. The Republican party would be telling him that a new war in the middle of the elections would completely sink a lot of Republican candidates that are struggling to stay afloat. They already have to run in a political environment where some 70% of the people oppose the Republican war policies. And just take a gander at what’s happened to McCain’s campaign when he was very visible in his support of the war.
An attack on Iran is equally unpopular. I saw an off-the-record sort of comment that said the White House staff would be happy if their propaganda got support for this UP to around 35%. That might be ok for a lame-duck White House, but that would be suicide for other Republican candidates.
So, Bush’s calendar is running out. He doesn’t have 14 months left. He only has a few months left. And the US military always schedules its attacks in this region for the winter time.
The only thing that would stop this would be the American people having so had enough that they’d walk out on strike if this happens. Most the spin and PR in the media is there just to cause enough confusion to keep that from happening.
Oh, and you want to know what’s crazy on the left. This article about a coming war which would be disaster for this country gets zero comments while a debate rages amongst the 9-11 conspiracy nuts in another thread about stuff that happened six years ago. There’s a huge amount of energy and time wasted on something that’s already happened. Since its already happened, that debate can’t save any lives and can’t prevent any disasters. Meanwhile, another disaster is coming and tens of thousands of lives are at stake. But this is ignored while everyone pursues bizarre conspiracy theories. Amazing.
Kevin Zeese: “Hawkish Israeli Lobby Wants War with Iran!
Author
William Hughes
Date Created
25 Apr 2006
http://baltimore.indymedia.org/newswire/display/12448/index.php
The Israeli Lobby, with others, helped to instigate the Iraqi War. A scholarly report, the “Harvard Study,” which was recently released, also documents the “unmatched power” of the Lobby over the national interest. Now, the Bush-Cheney Gang is targeting Iran for a pre-empted strike. Is the hawkish, hard right, pro-Israeli Lobby pushing for a war with Iran, too? Kevin Zeese, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate In MD, thinks that it is.
“So likewise ‘a passionate attachment’ of one nation for another produces a variety of evils…” - George Washington’s “Farewell Address,” September 19, 1796
Washington, D.C. - Kevin Zeese was the first speaker at a public forum held on Monday evening, April 24, 2006, at the West End Neighborhood Library, near the community of Georgetown. The topic for the event was, “Is the Israel Lobby Promoting War on Iran?” He said the question of whether the hawkish, hard-right, pro-Israeli Lobby in America wants to see war with Iran “gets answered in an ad which was in the New York Times, the Financial Times, and other newspapers. It’s a full page ad by the American Jewish Committee, put out on April 4th. The center of the bull’s eye is Iran and the headline is: ‘Can Anyone Within Range of Iran’s Missiles Feel Safe?’ I think that’s a pretty inflammatory ad. It’s signed by more than a hundred people…I think it’s a pretty strong indication of where the Lobby stands. That isn’t the only proof we have that the hawkish Israeli Lobby wants to go to war.”
Zeese is the director of DemocracyRising.U.S., an organization working to end the Iraqi War and the Occupation. He was also an ex-press secretary for Ralph Nader in 2004. Presently, Zeese is an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, who is looking to bring together, in a voting block, the combined electoral efforts of the Green, Populist and Libertarian Parties. (1)
The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) presented the evening program. (2) David Kirshbaum and Carol Moore of DAWN acted as co-moderators for the event and did a splendid job. Other speakers were Simin Royanian and Alex Patico. Alex is a U.S. coordinator of the multi-country “Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran.” Ms. Royanian is an economist and the cofounder of the “Women for Peace and Justice in Iran.”
Ms. Royanian, in her remarks, pointed to U.S. “militarism and imperialism” as being the root of the problem of injustice around the world and in the Middle East as well, and as posing the main threat to Iran today. She did acknowledge that the Israeli Lobby is “brainwashing” the American people. She also emphasized that Iran is not making “any nuclear weapons.” Mr. Patico saw the U.S. government itself as the main issue with respect to Iran. He said it has “exacerbated the situation.” Patico asked: “Why did it (the U.S.) put the nuclear option on the table?”
According to DAWN’s press release, the focus of the event was the new “Harvard Study on the negative influence of the Israel Lobby and what activists can do about it.” (3) The report was authored by Professors John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt. (4) It generated hostile reactions from Israeli sympathizers, like Alan Dershowitz, David Gergen and the Washington Post. (5) Essentially, the document revealed what most objective observers of the Middle East already knew: The Israeli Lobby, which includes the Neocons, has exercised “unmatched power” over U.S.’s policies to the extent that its role is harmful and not in the national interest. In fact, pundit Charley Reese, was even more blunt. He called Israel, “The dead roach in America’s salad.” He also accused the Lobby of “beating the drums for war with Iran.” (6) Recently, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh revealed, that the Bush()-Cheney Gang was planning a nuclear strike against Iran. (7)
Continuing with Zeese’s comments, he said: “Another important, hard line group is the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). They have been advocating ‘regime change’ in a number of Arab counties: Iraq(), Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and with the Palestinian Authority for years. JINSA’s board of advisors has included many Bush administration leaders: Dick Cheney, John Bolton, Richard Perle, James Woolsey and Douglas Feith…They (JINSA) put a report out on April 12th, called, ‘Iran, Iran, Iran and Iran.’ Iran, the document said is the ‘whole list of national security priorities.’ Yes, they want to see ‘regime change’ in Iran. They want to see an attack on Iran.”
It’s interesting to note that one of the members of the U.S. Congress, who supports a U.S. air strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities is the Israeli Firster, Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). He told the Jerusalem Post, he would, if necessary, advocate such a measure to “deter the development of their nuclear program.” (8) What, of course, Lieberman didn’t say is that his favorite country, Israel, is suspected of having over 400 nuclear weapons! (9)
Meanwhile, as gas prices soar above $3 a gallon, the resentment in the U.S. towards the Israeli Lobby’s role in inflaming that problem, too, can also be expected to grow exponentially. Some fondly recall that before the creation of Israel, the U.S. didn’t have any Arab enemies in the oil-producing Middle East and that buying gas for the car wasn’t an issue. Other matters, like: Israel’s launching of the notorious “Lavon Affair,” in 1954; its bulldozing to death, in 2003, of peace activist Rachel Corrie; its deliberate attack in 1967, on the U.S. Liberty; its unleashing of the spy/traitor, Jonathan Pollard; the over $140 billion in dollars in foreign aid that it has extracted from our treasury, since 1948; and the Larry Franklin/Pentagon Spy case, with its ties to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)-will continue to simmer in the bosom of many Americans. (10)
There is, too, another factor which causes friction. It is the arrogance of some of the Israel’s apologists! Their condescending attitudes and their use of smear tactics towards those who dare to speak out for the good of our Republic is deeply resented by their targets and, too, by the wider community. It reminds some of how the British imperialists regularly abused our gallant patriots before the Revolution. As brave Americans die daily in the Neocon-inspired Iraqi War, and others ingest the toxic depleted uranium dust, those feelings against a militant Israel, and its haughty and schoolyard bully of a Lobby, will only persist. (11)
Finally, in his over fifteen-minute-talk, Zeese underscored the importance of the Harvard Study and how it can open up a discussion on matters that have long been a “taboo topic among elected U.S. politicians.” He had high praise for its two authors. Zeese spotlighted for the audience some of the significant items, and findings, contained in the report, including one of their conclusions that Iran is Israel’s next target for “regime change.” He emphasized that the “lopsided U.S. policy in favor of Israel” needs to be changed. He pointed out that aid to Israel over the last 58 years has far outstripped aid to other nations. He gave as example the fact that, “Aid to Israel is greater than all of U.S. aid to sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America combined.”
Zeese said that our “democracy is threatened by the stifling of debate.” He said now is the time to confront that “special relationship. It is evident that the current approach has not benefitted Israel, the Palestinians, the Middle East on the United States.” He finished up by urging people who are opposed to any war against Iran “to get organized.”
while i understand the concern this piece is pretty alarmist. at this point, though, i don’t think military action against iran is going to happen. the tenuous hold we have in iraq would be completely undermined (meaning risking losing control of the oil fields) if we strike iran now. the tough talk creates a holding pattern for the u.s. in that region-the military gets some breathing space and the pres. gets to maintain his cowboy swagger. the generals have the administration boxed in pretty well also. the military, stinging from the embarrassment of being mislead on wmd’s and now looking bogged down and losing in iraq, probably will not be united in allowing another front to open up. conspicuously, many of the original war-planners have left the administration as well. the only chance i see for an attack on iran is if bush has completely lost the plot and decides to stay in power past the end of his term. that would makes things really interesting.
Bush’s calendar will never run out. He is only the most recent icon of American imperialism. Whoever takes over from him (providing Bush doesn’t cancel elections and put the country on an emergency war-measures footing) will not stray much from his path. If Bush doesn’t bomb Iran, his successor will.
Of utmost importance here is that Iraqi oil bill — and, of course, that beautiful US military base outside Baghdad, the one they’re calling the “American Embassy in Iraq.” Once the final coat of paint has dried and the oil bill is signed, the occupation begins in earnest, and Bush and his successors can declare victory. With this beachhead established, Iran can be attacked whenever it’s convenient for the US.
lastdregs September 12th, 2007 2:02 pm
Although I sympathize with yours views, all Bu$hCo have to do is orchestrate another ‘Bay of Tonkin’ false Flag attack in Iraq or on the American mainland; then link this with Iran’s Government and your ideas and Iran will be blown to bits…resulting in a total conflagration in the ME….unspeakable mayhem
lastdregs September 12th, 2007 2:02 pm
Although I sympathize with yours views, all Bu$hCo have to do is orchestrate another ‘Bay of Tonkin’ false Flag attack in Iraq or on the American mainland; then link this with Iran’s Government and your ideas and Iran will be blown to bits…resulting in a total conflagration in the ME….unspeakable mayhem… as if Iraq wasn’t enough!
Bush can’t even handle Iraq. Is he stupid enough to invade Iran, which is 4 times larger? Sadly yes.
What is mindboggling about the entire scenario is he pulled this act already and, though it was obvious at the time it was built on a pack of lies, it is more than evident now for any fool who was bamboozled then. Yet, he proceeds with inpunity to the next catastrophe…
It seems that the democrats in congress are either so in the pockets of the military industrial complex that they owe their very existence to corporate power, they are simply afraid to live by their convictions, or they want the republicans to drown in the sewage they have created. But if either of the last two speculations are true they might just be brought down by their own inablity to act. If the first idea is the right one, it truly does not matter which party is in office.
The idea that elections could be cancelled is a very scary one - and certainly not beyond question. Americans seem unable to reach their legislators concerning the invasion of Iraq, impeachment, health care, economic inequality, or dreadful laws like the misnamed Patriot Act. Our power to influence the government is waning, and the power of the executive branch seems to be growing in spite of the unpopularity of the president, vice president, and their henchmen.
Is the American dream over? I hope not.
over time the law of averages encourages a strike on iran and, of course, my idea is easily successfully argued against as it is impossible to prove a negative. i realize that my point is pure speculation. essentially that is the purpose of this thread.
i am not convinced that military action is not coming, but as the occupation has progressed i see the momentum to achieve goals in iraq faltering as the sun sets on this administration. i think that the rest of the world does not want their largest consumer market to dry up, yet want u.s. aggression to be contained. iranian regional influence has been increased by our actions and the economic ties that country shares with asia could be used to seriously damage our own faltering economy. there are many reasons for our aggression and how it initiated; one of the primary reasons was due to economics, which interestingly, is the same reason many use to argue for coming military action against iran. it’s a judgement call on whether an attack would be beneficial or harmful economically. remember that bush’s weathly base look at economic benefits somewhat differently than some others not as well off. also, many of the oil fields to be privatized if the oil law is passed are undeveloped so as they become more developed conflict runs the risk of damaging the infrastructure investment.
again, pure speculation, but based on fairly realistic considerations that are by no means the only ones. lately, i have read more progressive authors leaning toward no escalation in the near future (which is the time frame i am thinking about now). obviously the current conditions are tragic and escalation would cause unspeakable loss so maybe i am just being hopeful but not realistic. time will tell.
I don’t think we should bomb Iran yet because I am not convinced their oil assets are necessary at this point. Iraq’s reserves are though to be 4x Iran’s, and Iraq has been easier to conquer.
We need to subdue Iraq completely before we start bombing Iran and Venezuela.
You know, once I realized that we take what we want when we want it, starting with the Native Americans 400 years ago, this whole thing started making a lot more sense.
But, I agree completely with the author — Iran would be gratuitous at this point. At least, we have to completely sap Iraqis of all national will. We’ll know we succeeded when the suicide rate starts spiking.
Why is it that the pro-war guys, civilian and military are totally unable to predict when we can get out of Iraq safely, but can tell us exactly in detail what will happen if we get out too soon?
Iranians aren’t stupid. They’re not going to attack anyone and invite the U.S. to bomb them to Kingdom Come, no matter what Bush’s dogs of war say.
While they’re at it, why doesn’t the IAEA inspect Israel’s nuclear weapons facilities? How many hundreds of nukes do THEY have?
JUST A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME IF ISRAEL GETS IT’S WAY ON IRAN…….
“Oil Hits $80 a Barrel for First Time”
Wednesday September 12, 3:09 pm ET
By John Wilen, AP Business Writer
Oil Prices Reach $80 a Barrel for First Time After Government Reports Decline in Inventories
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil futures prices rose sharply Wednesday, briefly climbing above a record $80 a barrel after the government reported a surprisingly large drop in crude inventories and declines in gasoline supplies and refinery activity.
The report from the Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration suggested oil supplies are tightening as demand remains strong. That’s why oil prices are rising despite OPEC’s decision on Tuesday to boost crude production by 500,000 barrels per day this fall, analysts said.
simonhhh, why sympathize with my view? isn’t promoting a view that does not predict the escalation of violence a good thing?
He will…no he won’t…he will…no he won’t. Why oh why is congress sitting on the sidelines wringing their hands? The American people don’t know half the story. The whole thing stinks and once more we’re walking into deep dodo. Wake up and smell the stench. They stick a gun to the world’s head while sermonizing about salvation. Criminals all of them.
Cheney shoots lame ducks. Doesn’t he?
simonhhh, agree with the bay of tonkin false flag possibility. i just think that bombing iran will not be economically beneficial and our military on the ground and at sea could receive blowback. bu$hco is greedy not insane. unlike vietnam, the considerations are more economic than idealogical. setting up democratic governments and leaving is not an option-creating a democracy (although we seem to prefer dictatorships) that bows to our economic issues and allows us to stay is. bombing iran will not allow us to occupy it and gain access to their oilfields or deny that country possible nuclear weapons forever.
It not so much about democrecy Iran or Iraq, those who bank the person to be selected president make war on those taht would displace the dollar from becoming the dominent currency. If we have to exchange EURO for dollars we are in deep caca. It takes $1.38 US dollars to get 1.00 EURO, you do the math what we pay for oil.
Its not the oil lobbies people. Halliburton tried to do business in Iran when Dick Cheney was in charge but due to sanctions could not.Those sanctions were put in place due to the efforts of the Israel lobby AIPAC which is also pushing for increased sanctions as I speak. Oil companies don’t give a damn whether they are trading with a democracy or dictatorship their buttom line is stability and getting the oil out. Walt and Mersheimer devote a whole chapter in their new book about this.
A good example is the Afghan natural gas pipeline. Plenty of negoiations went on under the Taliban and those bastards were even brought to Texas by UNOCAL. In the end the pipeline project went to a different company under Karzai.
The lobby wants war with Iran. No one else in their right mind in the region does especially those with commercial/trade interests. I don’t think our military wants this war either–alot of people are being removed (fired) in the military for speaking out.
Kucinich was the first one back in 2002 who said (during his presidential run), “I wouldn’t buy a used car from this administration; I’m sure not going to buy a used war from them.”
Joyce Marcel writes, “I truly believe that Bush has ruined our country. He’s ruined our future…”
It’s easy to sympathize with this view emotionally, but actually, it’s not really Bush who’s ruined our country — regardless of whether or not he finishes off what’s left of “The American Experiment” by bombing Iran. If it wasn’t him, it would have been someone else. Bush is the natural & inevitable product of the true nature of US society; he’s a perfect reflection of it. Long before the thuggish mediocrity Bush stole the presidency, US society had become a war machine. Internally, the mass of the population had become entirely divorced from any role in influencing policy, and politics was reduced to infighting between competing corporate elites, with the public interest playing virtually no role.
Bush is not the cause of the US decline; he is rather a proof of it, and a manifestation of it. It was inevitable that the vicious greedy thugs behind him would choose an ignorant sociopath like him, with a famous last name, to function as their frontman. When you think about it, he’s really perfect for the job — a headstrong sadist convinced of his own magnificence, & thus contemptuous of, and unreachable by, any kind of dissenting opinion.
I wonder what China would have to say about this? Did they not sign an $8 billion oil deal with Iran? Also, Russia just tested a non-nuclear bomb they call the “daddy of all bombs.” My guess is that both of these countries would not be too keen on the U.S. bombing Iran, although I would not put it past the Bush Administration to do so. Call it a haunch.
all hail the pro-life, compassionate conservatives!
“In an interview after his appearance before a congressional panel on Monday, General Petraeus strongly implied that it would soon be necessary to obtain authorisation to take action against Iran within its own borders, rather than just inside Iraq. “There is a pretty hard look ongoing at that particular situation” he said.”
“British forces have been sent from Basra to the volatile border with Iran amid warnings from the senior US commander in Iraq that Tehran is fomenting a “proxy war.”
Either we hit the streets and get radically disobedient right fu*king now, or fuggeddaboutit.
Bush has been given power to declare a national state of emergency, giving him the dictatorial powers he has always wanted. He then can suspend the 2008 elections and prolong his power as long as he sees an emergency justifying it, such as the hokey threat he sees in Iran. Satin.
Note: these powers come from Congress’ authorizing him to impose martial law if and when he thinks it is needed. Satin.
The neocons will keep Iran involvement low intensity. That plan has more use to them at the moment because they can use Iran as a false threat to stoke fear. A large scale attack would only weaken them and inflame opposition at home and abroad.
If Little George follows up on all his sabre rattling and launches a bombing campaign of any type against Iran, impeachment comes off the table.
Don’t forget, one of the House bills of impeachment against Tricky Dick was for unlawfully invading Cambodia without prior Congressional authorization. The only reason that bill was never reported out was because there were sufficient high crimes and misdemeanors arising out of the Watergate break in and cover up that there was no reason for the Ervin committee to go further.
Bill from Saginaw
The White House is sociopathic. They are taking a mafia-like position. Manifest Destiny has become an abberation and a monster.
The only sane candidate is Dennis Kucinich and after him, Mike Gravel. Ron Paul is not a true Progressive but a Libertarian in disguise. (Maybe not such a disguise).
The people that voted for Bush are enablers and collude with the Administration without thinking. Iran is just another step in the takeover of America by corporate gangsters. It’s about oil, hegenomy and religion, all a witches brew in the caldron of America’s foreign policy.
Bill from Saginaw (5:54 pm) writes, “
If Little George follows up on all his sabre rattling and launches a bombing campaign of any type against Iran, impeachment comes off the table.
Actually, Pelosi already took it off the table. You must mean “comes back ON the table.” But that’s still wrong, because the Democrats will not make that move against Bush. That’s why they removed language from the funding bill last spring, that would have imposed restrictions against attacking Iran.
Bill continues,
“Don’t forget, one of the House bills of impeachment against Tricky Dick was for unlawfully invading Cambodia without prior Congressional authorization. The only reason that bill was never reported out was because there were sufficient high crimes and misdemeanors arising out of the Watergate break in and cover up that there was no reason for the Ervin committee to go further…”
That’s absolutely wrong. The reason the Cambodia article of impeachment was not reported out of committee was that the Democrats were not really williing to take action against Nixon for illegally bombing another country. In contrast, however, they agreed to take action against him for stepping on their (the Democratic Party’s) toes, by burglarizing their offices. In other words, they were more or less aligned with him over Cambodia (though miffed that he had done it secretly, without consulting with them first). But they felt that his burglarizing their offices was intolerable.
It makes no sense to claim that “there were sufficient high crimes … arising out of the Watergate break in …(so) that there was no reason for the Ervin committee to go further.” Are you kidding? Bombing Cambodia on the sly was a thousand times more serious — it was a major war crime, an outrageous atrocity. But the Democrats were full partners in that atrocity. They weren’t about to bring down a president over a war in SE Asia that they themselves were major supporters of.
Great! The US Dollar is falling through the floor, national spending on the prison-military industrial complex is out of control, the spending on the war of genocide against Iraq is out of control, not to mention the needless loss of human lives, and now the US want to expand the war by targeting Iran. Insane!
What’s all this talk of bushco not doing something insane? Insane to whom? If they can think of a way to spin it, then it can become a reality. Be it a false flag incident or more WMD fears. LOL, they had an excellent practice round with Iraq. Hopefully this time they could at least make the effort to plant evidence of WMD in Iran. Remember those nuclear bombs on that plane last week? Just spray paint over the “u.s.a.” and rewrite “death to america”. I bet it would work.
I a currently watching a cartoon fantasy “Mae Otome” where a young queen is forced to come face to face with a constituency that she severely neglected. She was raised as a totally spoilt brat, and she cared not one bit for the less fortunate. She did things that cause poverty and grief, and then instead of caring for her victims, the new poor, she had her guards clear them out. Later, she is forced to re-evaluate herself with much tears. She comes to realise what a worthless piece of shit she had been. And part of the story is that she changes much for the better.
Could we possibly make George W Bush understand his true worth? Here is a guide to the worthiness of GWB:- http://www.bordergatewayprotocol.net/jon/media/bush/
mirf59
Hey Nazi, it’s already working:
HEALTH-US: Soldier’s Tragic Suicide Just One of Dozens
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39203
Way to go High RWA sheep, you’re a model boot licker, spit and buff, spit and buff.:
Bob Altemeyer’s - The Authoritarians
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/
The corperate criminals are losing their foothold in Central and South America, so they’re moving to dominate other peoples in other regions.
Yeah the war is about oil to some degree, but the wars of afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and in turn Syria and Turkmenistan (don’t forget about them) are all about corperate imperialism and control of these nations. It has nothing to do with liberation.
Oil, Military industrial profits, other war profiteering, while corrupt and twisted in and of themselves are only secondary to the real motive and primary reason behind the war. Domination and subjugation of (what they think) is a helpless region. Regardless, “opening up” this regions brings massive profits to the financiers, far beyond that of the oil/energy and military conglomerates.
Democracy…Freedom… Liberty…human rights. The financiers couldn’t care less (Saudi Arabia, Nigeria for example) as long as the cash flow keeps coming to them, and remains stable (ie the nations and the billions of people remain dependent upon them).
Oh this is also not to say they won’t go after Venezuela and other South American countries after they’re finished with Central Asia.
The best bet for Iran is that the US will launch massive military bombings for 7 days, cripple the Iraninian military and leave the Iranian regime to crumple. It will basically be a US backed coup of the Iranian government in favor of any government that will give away all it’s oil to the corperations, and drive the country into massive debt.
We have only to look in the mirror to see who is to blame for the current state of affairs.
I hate those simplistic metaphors, curmudgeon99, maybe when you look in the mirror you see this completely rational being, far from poverty, nice health plan, a 401K retirement fund. You belittle people in desperation. But you put the blame on them. You bushco sympathizer.
are you going to play the victim right up until it is your eyes looking out the little crack in the side of the rail car door?
Iran is more useful to BushCheney Inc. as a bogeyman than as a enemy in a real live shooting war.
Iran is the excuse they use to cover their own massive failures.
Iran has been blamed for supplying high explosives to Iraqi insurgents (pay no attention to the tons of HE the U.S. Army left unguarded at Al Qa’qaa in 2003).
Iran has been blamed for training Iraqi insurgents to fire mortars accurately enough to hit the Green Zone several times a day (pay no attention to all those Iraqi Army artillery men disbanded and sent home to unemployment in 2003).
With Saddam gone, Iran is the new excuse for supplying Israel with $billions in American weapons (courtesy of the U.S. Taxpayer).
The only reason I can see why BushCo would start a hot war with Iran is to make it impossible for President H. Clinton to do anything constructive in Iraq… anything that would threaten the predatory contracts that BigOil Inc. is forcing upon them at gunpoint.
That’s reason enough to raise a ruckus now:
HANDS OFF IRAN!
The only thing I would buy from Bu$h the inferior is a grave, only if he moves in immediately.
I believe that our so called congress gave the dictator the power to proclaim a national emergency - martial law and concentration camps or starvation for desenters. Heck of a job Congress!
Unless the Democrats in Congress take action to stop Bush’s authorization, Iran WILL be bombed producing Shiite escallation of warfare in Iraq, at the least The Neocons need perpetual war and chaos to hold power. They are looking to reduce the oil production in order to raise their profits just as they have with the Iraq occupation. Do not confuse the US government as acting in We the People’s interests. There was a takeover in 2000. The law was overthrown by corrupt justices. Again in 2004 the elections were corrupted. Bush and his cohorts have demonstrated repeatedly that they are not public servants and do not uphold the Constitution as they swore to do. Bush has been recorded boasting of his loyalty to an ultra-wealthy elite early on. Nothing has changed.
Curmudgeon99 @ 8:21pm:
“We have only to look in the mirror to see who is to blame for the current state of affairs.”
Unlike the ubiquitous denigrator, I think that epigram has a lot going for it, ~ thankyou. Many other comments above also have the ring of pertinence, thanks too for those.
Whatever the lunatics in the Grey House may *actually* be plotting, for them to be just SPEAKING of yet more wars (in an already war-torn world) is the very epitome of madness, ~let alone for them to be actually *planning* still more catastrophes for the human race! -Just how low can this group of maniacs sink?
I agree with the point of view which opines that these war-obsessed scorpions could not be speaking of increased warfare without *some* sort of complicity on the part of their electorate, (even if that’s only by a majority of people not making enough NOISE, or taking enough effective ACTIONS of protest, to prevent those obtuse leaders play their highly menacing game).
I think it’s always useful to bear in mind that there are numerically FAR more of us, than there are of them.
True, -they are armed to the teeth and well-organised, so pitched battles on the street with their henchmen are of questionable use, but there is, [surely] more than just one way to rid ourselves of their despotic tyranny?
I believe that creative, original thinking, alongside *unity* of vision and purpose, coupled with *persistence, courage and commitment* is probably our best way forwards.
- Cindy Sheehan and Dennis Kucinich are maybe good examples here?
It’s apparently not known exactly who originally gave us the quote “It’s only necessary for evil to succeed if enough people of goodwill do nothing” ~ but it holds true anyway…
The above is not intended to point blame, but more an amateur’s attempt to look at how we might best take power away from the nit-wits in charge, and put the train of Civilisation back on it’s tracks, - heading somewhere sensible, - not into oblivion!
US of A Your atitudes are beyond me. Our ancestors survived beyond oil otherwise none of us would be here today. To butcher our neighbours for our suposedley well being is worse than obscene Peace and batter those evil basta$$$rds. When you strip aside the nice numbers and oficial reports. What is left - Bullshit and Death.
Yes, Joyce, not only I would buy one, but would buy as many used cars as I can afford from our dry drunk president, because I love to witness his ass kicked hard and the fascist military-industrial complex destroyed for ever, so that humanity can live in peace thereafter.
Bush has had it easy in Iraq, real easy. Iran is not Iraq. If bush unleashes his bombing dogs on Iran and destroys its infrastructure and murders its people, no American will dare to walk safely on the face of this earth. Having read about Iranians, I imagine that the entire family members of those responsible for this war crime and crimes against peace will not die a natural death should they start the war. The Iranians are very friendly, but at the same time extremely vindictive, and will never forget a wrong. They’re not like Japanese who got A-bombed, then later became friends. This is a horse of a different color.
forextrader September 12th, 2007 6:38 pm
Hey you’d appreciate this….One of the reasons {since there are many reasons} the US dollar is self-immolating is the REAL M3 figure is running at 13.9%….Yeah I got it right…Holy Crackers….
One of the immoral {or even perhaps illegal} ways Bu$hCo is paying for his imbroglio in Mess-O-Potamia …they’re simply monetizing it….
This has not gone unnoticed by every Federal Reserve Board in every Western Developed country….also why Gold is currently at US$705….jeeeessss where is the jewelry box…lets melt it.
.
We have let madmen lie us into madness.
Now they want to attack Iran.
Does anyone think that will end the madness?
Impeach Bush. Stop the madmen. Stop the war while we still can.
.
If only half of what Chris Hedges predicts were to come about, the Republican Party would be dead meat. Rational Republicans (if that’s not an oxymoron) know it. Therefore Jaded Prole’s (@4:56 pm) scenario is the most likely.
By the way, here is the link to the Hedges article.
www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601009_bushs_nuclear_apocalypse/
I’m with COMarc again. 100%. Well, almost. I think he wants to wait until the consequences for bombing are clearly shouldered by the next administration. He doesn’t want to be the one that starts the draft.
How could even power-hungry Democrats who put the election above saving the last wasted lives of our troops while they pretend they’re powerless must realize this scenario: a death kiss for Democrats after 2008. Between this, the oil, and hastening the return of the Messiah, Bush has plenty of reasons to bomb, and very few to resist. Still, Pelosi and Reid say impeachment is off the table.
For that, they deserve to lose their jobs.
Just say, for instance, we were able to do to Iran what we did to Iraq. Which country would be next on the chopping block. and next after that? You want to talk about the ‘domino effect’?
If the American people are willing to sell their souls and give up their lives and limbs for the most corrupt regime in U.S. history, then the nation is doomed and will suffer the consequences of its actions. Cause and effect.
To some it may sound strange, but the best thing for our country and the world, would be a defeat of our military forces. If we attack Iran, and I certainly hope we don’t, Russian military power backed by Chinese forces have to crush our military in the region and also drive our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan
I and a few others have encouraged our fellow citizens to take non-violent action, especially work stoppages and the coordination of a national strike of all working people who are opposed to war and imperialism, like I did two days ago, on 9/11, but people really don’t want to make any sacrifices. Talk is okay, but action is invaluable.
Those like Jaded Prole or WmC and others, that suggest that Bush is constrained by US negaive reaction, seem to be way off mark. Even without any precipitating event, the monent Bush starts his massive bombing and cruise missle attacks, the US people will rally behind him. Forget Goerings dictum, all the leaders need to say is simply “we’re at war!” and the people will fall in line, while they continue shopping.
This will be particularly true if it no ground forces are used -the US still has enormous airstrike resources, including tactical nukes.
I agree that only a military defeat combined with severe economic depression provide any chance of the US people changing their ways - but this entails a very high risk that the change will be toward an even uglier fascism.
I found this article by K. Darbandi very interesting:
The War on Iran, Iraq Fiasco & US Public
By K. Darbandi (August 31 2007)
Why is the US so close to another major war in the midst of the Iraq war fiasco? While polls show that the majority of the US public is for pulling out of Iraq, there is no indication that they are having any anti-war sentiments about an attack on Iran. In this country there is no massive outcry against the current administration’s obvious and public call for yet another war. Ordinary logic would have guided one to believe that the global bully has learned its lessons and will start negotiating with the regional bully, Iran. To the amazement of many, it seems as if the political space is there for Bush administration to keep pounding the war drums. Reports indicate massive fire power is ready to be launched against the I.R. regime and the Iranian state and society as a whole. The US public is hardly blinking.
Only if People Knew
There are, of course, a lot of individuals and political movements and action groups in US and Europe that are spending valuable time and effort opposing US current policy. The vital connection, however, between these trends and the public at large is missing. Some in the progressive anti war camp might be thinking that the US public at large is not opposing Bush policies on Iran because of media propaganda by networks such as Fox, or the intrigues of big business like Halliburton and other employers of Bush and Cheney, or even maybe the Israeli lobby and other mysterious interest groups.
These assumptions, are however, truly insult to peoples’ intelligence. It assumes that after 4 years the US public is not yet aware that 9/11 and Iraq are not connected,-other than the fact that both involve Arabic speaking peoples. It assumes that people do not still realize that Iraq war was pre-emptive, a war of choice, and waged on shaky allegations and against international law. It assumes that in the wealthiest democracy on earth, the public has been stupefied to such extent that they just need to know the facts and they’d be acting in a very anti-warish fashion. The Fox news and a few very large conglamorates have done it again: the US public still does not know that Israel is the biggest recipient of US aid and with it, has been slowly exterminating a whole group of people. Only if people knew after more than 40 months that their soldiers in the filed are also torturers, kill detainees in their custody, and rape and murder 13 year olds and their whole families; only if they had seen the Abu-Ghraib pictures and videos, they would know how criminally disposed the US military can be and how much worse the next war is going to get! Only if the US public knew how they have destroyed a country of 25 million people they would stop their president from picking on another one of 70 million!
The simple fact is that no public is that stupid and ignorant; they might not stand up to the moral and ethical standards of progressive intellectuals, but in the social context of US society, with all the availability of information, social comfort and leisure time, people can not be in such depths of intellectual deprivation. There is nothing in water or genetically wrong with the American public to force such general behavior, and there is no lack of access to alternative information other than big media in this country. The vast majority has enough leisure time and basic life comfort to access and pursue all sorts of information that affects them.
The US public is so not anti-war that in the past weeks, even front-running Democratic presidential candidates have shown their worth to be head of state to the public by leaving “the military option on table” against Iran (Clinton), or to promise to invade unilaterally another country’s territory, in this case Pakistan, in pursuit of the ‘terrorists’ (Obama). Somebody needs to explain how front-runners of the so-called opposition party are so overtly against international law and pro-military in the midst of Iraq war fiasco? The lady and the African-American candidates are only responding to the trends already present in the country. They are trying to look Presidential in the eyes of the US public. As Mr. Chomsky has put it, the assumption of the US ruling elite is that they own the world, and in my view, Clinton and Obama are only working based on this assumption.
Anti-war activists in the US could be having a wrong assumption about US public, in that they assume people in general are inherently good, moral and ethical beings. So if they are complicit in participating indirectly in one genocide after another, send their sons to commit one atrocity after another, then there must be a lot of brain washing and false propaganda going on that has led them to act that way.
Superman, Video Games & Disney World
The US public turned against the Iraq war only after it started going South. Check the US opinion poll history on Wikipedia for yourselves. The public image of the war, promised by Rumsfeld was to get in quick, smash everything, make it safe for oil drilling and to pull out, putting the place in the hands of a loyal puppet regime to deal with the aftermath. Sort of like the rhythm of events in classic Superman movies, where things are as clear as black and white: it is Superman, and there are the Bad Guys. And the red and blue guy can’t just take it slow like Sherlock Holmes and use his head to solve the problem. No, there is not much to dwell on; he is muscular, fast and invincible. And boy is he American!
Well, the Iraq war started and was projected like the ending of a Superman movie, but in time gradually turned into Raiders of the Lost Arc, with the US forces playing the German Nazi nitwits of the movie: they are on the set only to be blown away. And Harrison is, by the way, totally absent from the Akron! So people gradually lost interest, and I don’t blame them; what happened to the happy ending? Most of them want Out now, allowing Iraqi warring factions to fight each other to total death and destruction. You see, even the sentiments against the Iraq war has a very Xenophobic and racist tone to it: they know fully that it was US boys that smashed up the place, but the ethical conclusions are not drawn from it. Instead, the slimy sense of superiority kicks in that the Iraqi’s are not worthy of our reconstruction help and our boys getting blown apart for it, so give me the remote and let’s change the channel; forget about it! All right, maybe the mess is too much for Iraqis to clean up by themselves, let’s ‘internationalize’ the situation, i.e.: let’s call the foreign-speaking Cleaning Ladies to take care of the mess, just like how the German, Polish, S. Korean and other forces are cleaning up Afghanistan. You see, it is not inspired labour to do a spotless job cleaning another one’s mess, hence the perpetual dirt in Afghan land!
The opposition of US public to Bush policies in Iraq is not really against the initial policy of going to war, and it is not really about abandoning the ‘mission’ and the devastated Iraqis, but simply that the ‘involvement’ in Iraq is not culturally digestible any more: it has become too culturally alien to watch.
It used to look like video games: buildings or tiny figures on the screen only to be blown away in a cloud of dust. It used to be sanitized. It is now a bit too messy: the tortures, civilian deaths; the clean-cut look is not there any more. What happened to the smart bombs Rumsfeld?! US Military spent billions since Vietnam war to repackage foreign wars and bring a whole new look to the sensory internalization of its global crimes in US public eye. The US public is now used to this cleansed packaging and gets very uncomfortable when wars are not presented to it in that way. The US military has succeeded very well in its packaging strategy since Vietnam, so much so that the public does not even have the stomach to tolerate the real thing any more!! Pentagon strategists over the years have indeed become victims of their own success!
The number of injured-to-deaths is disproportionately high in this war thanks to the same Military planners that repackaged wars since Vietnam. So too many young soldiers are coming home without limbs or faces, and that have totally ruined the Superman image all were expecting. This war has caused a cultural crisis in this country.
The advance in medical evacuation and body armors has not helped much to foster the culturally familiar ways of war. The idea was to bring down the death casualties, but Pentagon and its huge Medical establishment got so busy saving combat wounded lives that they totally forgot that what is saved are basically human remains with heart beat: mutilated, faceless and brain-damaged young men and women of the volunteer armed forces. The number of these victims of the economic and educational system of US is growing everyday, and the financial, social and medical infrastructure to support their tattered existence has yet to be constructed.
Cultural identity is dear to all but the pocket book is a completely different matter for the public. The US public has realized that this war is costing us too much and might, just might, ruin the plans for the next vacation to Disney World. Taking away the fairy tale image is one thing, but you can’t rub us of our fairyland! Hardship is for losers, and Americans are winners, especially when it comes to their fun time! People did not turn against the Iraq occupation because of the crimes against the Iraqis, or the complete disconnection of 9/11 with Saddam; but they did partly depart from supporting it after all the implicit economic rewards turned into a financial nightmare.
At this juncture, the cultural crisis is compounded with the financial fiasco, one that the public knows it has to pay for it sooner or later. The public needs a change, is desperately awaiting a solution to this quagmire. The progressive intellectuals propose solutions; the Democrats have several solutions, but so does president Bush. Frighteningly, his might be the most compatible in presenting itself as a solution to the current cultural crisis.
Give me Back my Culture
Well then, Bush says, let’s reflect calmly on the true reasons for this fiasco. There must be something in the picture now that was not there when we went to save the Iraqis from Saddam. Uh of course, it is the hostage-taking terrorist-breeding, girl-stoning Jew-hating Iranians! They are the real cause for the havoc in Iraq. Bush says: “I can fix it for you all; I will restore your Superman, fix your video games and arrange your trip to Disney World. Just let me get these hairy dark bastards, and I will get you to your blond Cinderella in time for the 9 o’clock fireworks extravaganza!
So says Bush:”Hear me out folks! I have the cruise ships ready in the Gulf. We’ll go in fast and swift, mostly from air and the sea; from that altitude you won’t even see blood; I promise it will be clean, like the games. Then we occupy the southern oilfields, and I will bring all the money back with cheap Iranian oil, and Iraq will be ours again to manage…How’s that?” Go get them Tiger!
Fox News and ‘300’
What Fox news does in the current political and cultural context is quite similar to what the movie 300 has done: to make the public feel good about itself by inviting them to attack and destroy a sub-human race of evil creatures. A “Few Good Men” will annihilate the incompetent, savage and inhuman enemy in a very one-sided event. A large number of people who watch Fox actually do not care about the truth, they want to hear what is said, it is a sort of an affirmation ritual to feel better; but as the war-junkies that they are, they won’t rest until they get their war. In this context, the movie 300 is part of the war plan; to de-humanize the Persians, who are depicted in the picture as actually all the colored and sexually ambiguous people on this earth. The neurotically selfish culture will reaffirm its racial superiority once again while we all wait for the anti-war sentiments to grow in the US public. As Ostad Dehkhoda would have said it: this calf has aged, but has yet to turn into a cow!
We need to understand better why people turn against wars. The US public, by and large, is disposed of a very anti-intellectual culture and with the current popular cultural traits, it will never turn against wars for the reasons that progressive intellectuals do. The link is missing, and has been missing for decades between us and the social body. The prime reasons lie in the current cultural traits of the public and our failure to understand the public in its fullness, with the good and evil that it carries with it, like all other peoples in other societies.
More wars will come and go, but what we can start to accomplish for a beginner, in my opinion, is to smash the Democratic hold on the Left in this country. Everything else will follow from that.
AB6444: Excellent essay, thank you for posting it. And thank you JOYCE for words that echo my observations and sentiments. This whole thing is almost too depressing to respond to. There have been a variety of writers, some quite illumined, who have spoken of different TYPES of individuals born to participate in what distills to a human mosaic. High teacher souls enter the earth plane with the hope of lifting mass consciousness above these redundant outcomes, war, in particular (the crime from which all crimes follow). Since I grew up in the 60’s when film & TV were virtually new products, my ideas attached to these media venue as pathways to lift awareness. It is tragic that media empires like Fox have instead made use of these gifts from the gods (air waves/Mercury/the Divine messenger and its systems) to only fan the flames of brute consciousness creating a mass rationale for war. It is sickening… inordinately so when after many centuries, the same calamities recur. It is NOT human nature, it is the part of human nature that is intended to be tamed by ideals, not cultures/governments/religions that use authoritarian tactics to force control and uniformity, but that which is inspired. The sell-out that is underway and involves a great many players in supportive roles is so massive, that it invites the earth changes that global warming promises. Nature will act as the ethnic cleaning lady, and when she rolls the dice, mortal egos beware. Atlantis falls to the sea yet again. The fate might have been avoided, perhaps there is still an iota of possibility… but when so many people go to their graves like sleep or invite that fate for others, every elemental system devised by Divinity to support life is insulted, and when compromised substantially, has little choice but to revert back to a clearing of the proverbial drawing board. Whatever consciousness you claim, whatever good you do, whatever acts of love and altruism, these become your legacy, the bank account the soul takes into its future incarnations. Perhaps that provides some peace.
This article about a coming war which would be disaster for this country gets zero comments while a debate rages amongst the 9-11 conspiracy nuts in another thread about stuff that happened six years ago.
Understanding a conspiracy that led to multiple wars (including the coming war) is paramount. Without a good understanding of the Neocons’ methodology, we increase the risk of a second conspiracy, as a booster shot. The second 9/11 will not be pretty. A police state will not be fun. Our understanding should not be limited to foreign policies, but the covert efforts (conspiracies) performed to justify such.