Beating the Drums for the Next War

Last week brought heads of state and senior diplomats in number to New York for the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations. It also brought President Bush and President Ahmadinejad to the podium. For the larger audience in the world community, however, one of the most important questions of the day remains whether the verbal blows traded between these two pugnacious leaders will turn in the fullness of time into bullets and bombs. And the sense of the best-informed was clear: yes.

I spoke with a number of European diplomats who are keeping track of the issue, and I found a near uniform analysis. These diplomats believe that the United States will launch an air war on Iran, and that it will occur within the next six to eight months. I am therefore moving the hands of the Next War clock another minute closer to midnight and putting the likelihood of conflict at 70%. It’s still not certain, and it’s still avertable, but at this point it has to be seen as conventional wisdom to say that America is headed for another war in the Islamic world-it’s fourth since Bush became president, if we include the proxy war in Lebanon. And this time it will be a war against a nation with vastly greater military resources, as well as a demonstrated ability to wield terrorism as a tactic-Iran.

Let’s take quick stock of the further indicators from the last week or so.

Shifting Targets
On Sunday, Sy Hersh’s latest piece appeared, offering a good take on the Bush Administration’s changing plans for a war on Iran. The headline from the Hersh piece, called “Shifting Targets,” makes clear that the Pentagon has been tasked to redraft its plans for a war against Iran. The new plans are very close to what was reported in the London quality press a few weeks ago: an aerial war with a somewhat narrower focus on specific units of the elite Republican Guard. Hersh’s piece is full of color, and after reading it I immediately understood why the European diplomats were so convinced that the decision to bomb Iran was all-but-final. Here’s a key passage reflecting a series of discussions which give some flavor of the war spirit in the White House:

the President told [Crocker] that he was thinking of hitting Iranian targets across the border and that the British “were on board.” At that point, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice interjected that there was a need to proceed carefully, because of the ongoing diplomatic track. Bush ended by instructing Crocker to tell Iran to stop interfering in Iraq or it would face American retribution.

At a White House meeting with Cheney this summer, according to a former senior intelligence official, it was agreed that, if limited strikes on Iran were carried out, the Administration could fend off criticism by arguing that they were a defensive action to save soldiers in Iraq. If Democrats objected, the Administration could say, “Bill Clinton did the same thing; he conducted limited strikes in Afghanistan, the Sudan, and in Baghdad to protect American lives.” The former intelligence official added, “There is a desperate effort by Cheney et al. to bring military action to Iran as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the politicians are saying, ‘You can’t do it, because every Republican is going to be defeated, and we’re only one fact from going over the cliff in Iraq.’ But Cheney doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the Republican worries, and neither does the President.”

As we have noted before, the final order to proceed to hostilities has not issued. In all likelihood this would only happen in the immediate couple of days before bombing. However, the pace of preparations is quickening and the focus is becoming more and more apparent:

there has been a significant increase in the tempo of attack planning. In mid-August, senior officials told reporters that the Administration intended to declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization. And two former senior officials of the C.I.A. told me that, by late summer, the agency had increased the size and the authority of the Iranian Operations Group. (A spokesman for the agency said, “The C.I.A. does not, as a rule, publicly discuss the relative size of its operational components.”)

“They’re moving everybody to the Iran desk,” one recently retired C.I.A. official said. “They’re dragging in a lot of analysts and ramping up everything. It’s just like the fall of 2002″-the months before the invasion of Iraq, when the Iraqi Operations Group became the most important in the agency. He added, “The guys now running the Iranian program have limited direct experience with Iran. In the event of an attack, how will the Iranians react? They will react, and the Administration has not thought it all the way through.”

Hersh also finds a White House busily engaged in identifying the best casus belli: what precipitating event will best serve the Administration’s war effort? It’s been reported for some time that the White House has slowly reached a realization that the approach taken in the lead-up to the Iraq War will not work again. A National Intelligence Assessment dealing with the Iranian nuclear program has been all-but-final for some time; it has been held up. It would be reasonable conjecture at this point to say that it does not serve the interests of the war party. The alternative approach is simple: it is to say that Iranian weaponry and Iranian-trained terrorists are battling American soldiers in Iraq today. The death of some Americans in an attack involving a bomb linked to the Iranians could easily be taken as a pretext for war with Iran.

The testimony provided by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker seems to have been laying further foundation for this effort. The same can be said for the resolution proposed by Senators Lieberman and Kyle which was a thinly veiled effort to authorize the use of military force against Iran. The Democratic leadership succeeded in watering down this measure to eliminate its use as legal authority for a new war against Iran.

A major question is whether Europeans will join America in a war against Iran? Comments from the Élysée Palace have suggested both that France expects the war, and that France is moving towards a position that if far more supportive of the Americans. That’s still far from a promise that French bombers would join the Americans. The graver speculation now focuses on Britain, and indeed, some Bush Administration insiders are claiming that British forces will join in the effort, notwithstanding Gordon Brown’s efforts to put some distance between himself and Bush on security issues. Hersh reports that the situation between the U.S. and U.K. remains testy, and he cites a very revealing incident:

Another recent incident, in Afghanistan, reflects the tension over intelligence. In July, the London Telegraph reported that what appeared to be an SA-7 shoulder-launched missile was fired at an American C-130 Hercules aircraft. The missile missed its mark. Months earlier, British commandos had intercepted a few truckloads of weapons, including one containing a working SA-7 missile, coming across the Iranian border. But there was no way of determining whether the missile fired at the C-130 had come from Iran-especially since SA-7s are available through black-market arms dealers.

Vincent Cannistraro, a retired C.I.A. officer who has worked closely with his counterparts in Britain, added to the story: “The Brits told me that they were afraid at first to tell us about the incident-in fear that Cheney would use it as a reason to attack Iran.” The intelligence subsequently was forwarded, he said.

The retired four-star general confirmed that British intelligence “was worried” about passing the information along. “The Brits don’t trust the Iranians,” the retired general said, “but they also don’t trust Bush and Cheney.”

Of course that describes the attitude of most Americans as well these days.

“I Hate All Iranians”
Two key Bush Administration figures are busy grabbing headlines in Britain this weekend. London’s Mail on Sunday reports:

British MPs visiting the Pentagon to discuss America’s stance on Iran and Iraq were shocked to be told by one of President Bush’s senior women officials: “I hate all Iranians.” And she also accused Britain of “dismantling” the Anglo-US-led coalition in Iraq by pulling troops out of Basra too soon. The all-party group of MPs say Debra Cagan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coalition Affairs to Defence Secretary Robert Gates, made the comments this month.

And the Guardian reports on remarks delivered by John Bolton, Bush’s former ambassador to the United Nations, at a group meeting held in connection with the Tory conference:

“I don’t think the use of military force is an attractive option, but I would tell you I don’t know what the alternative is. Because life is about choices, I think we have to consider the use of military force. I think we have to look at a limited strike against their nuclear facilities.”

He added that any strike should be followed by an attempt to remove the “source of the problem”, Mr Ahmadinejad. “If we were to strike Iran it should be accompanied by an effort at regime change … The US once had the capability to engineer the clandestine overthrow of governments. I wish we could get it back.”

The fact that intelligence about Iran’s nuclear activity was partial should not be used as an excuse not to act, Mr Bolton insisted. “Intelligence can be wrong in more than one direction.” He asked how the British government would respond if terrorists exploded a nuclear device at home. “‘It’s only Manchester?’ … Responding after they’re used is unacceptable.”

This all reflects just the sort of mature and sober analysis that Britons have come to expect from the key advisors of President Bush in the course of the last few years.

NPod Strikes
In the last week The Politico reported that Norman Podhoretz, a titan of the Neoconservative movement, had a secret, off-the-schedule meeting that he had with President Bush and Karl Rove at which he decried the ridiculousness of diplomatic negotiations with Iran. The idea of diplomatic talks with Iran, he said, brought Rove and Bush to laughter.

And today, Podhoretz announces that he thinks the decision has been made in concept to bomb Iran before Bush and Cheney exit Washington. In a CSPAN interview, Podhoretz states:

I believe President Bush is going to order airstrikes [on Iran] before he leaves office. Because he has several times said - at least twice to my knowledge - that if we allow Iranians to acquire nuclear capabilities, 50 years from now, people will look back at us the way we look back at Munich and say ‘how could they have let this happen?’

Freedom Watch Gets New Marching Orders
Millions of right-wing dollars have been pumped into a mysterious new overnight wonder organization called Freedom Watch. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleisher plays a key role running it, though when interviewed he didn’t even seem to know who the people in its very slick advertising were. But today we learn that Freedom Watch’s propaganda volleys are being retargeted. Previously they were concentrated to support the Bush Administration’s arguments for an extension of the Surge in Iraq. Now, it seems they’ll be advocating the Next War. The New York Times reports:

Although the group declined to identify the experts, several were invited from the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington research group with close ties to the White House. Some institute scholars have advocated a more confrontational policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, including keeping military action as an option. […]

“If Hitler’s warnings were heeded when he wrote ‘Mein Kampf,’ he could have been stopped,” said Bradley Blakeman, 49, the president of Freedom’s Watch and a former deputy assistant to Mr. Bush. “Ahmadinejad is giving all the same kind of warning signs to us, and the region - he wants the destruction of the United States and the destruction of Israel.”

The New Rollout
Back at the end of August, Barney Rubin told us of word he got from a source suggesting that a week after Labor Day, the office of Vice President Cheney would be pushing a new product roll-out. It would involve the usual suspects and it would be a test-marketing of an air war against Iran. We’re two weeks and a bit into that process. If you go back and sift through your newspapers, you’ll find that Rubin’s unnamed source clearly knew exactly what he was talking about. Indeed, what I’ve summarized here is the tiniest fragment of the total rollout effort (I didn’t even mention the ADL’s program, and they actually even called it a “rollout”). Not only is it underway, Cheney’s role as the coordinator has become increasingly transparent. As psy ops projects go, this one isn’t terribly sophisticated. But no matter: the American media is just as easily suckered by this project as it was the last time. Just look at how the war party spun the broadcast media during the Ahmadinejad visit last week. The old adage is “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” America is well into the process of being fooled twice.

Scott Horton is a contributor to Harper’s Magazine and writes No Comment for the website.

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42 Comments so far

zoya October 2nd, 2007 1:20 pm

The MSM appears to be onside as well. It’s as if the whole embarrassing issue of the MSM’s complicity in the lead-up to the Iraq war never happened. (Did anyone watch Charlie Rose last night? Appalling . . .)

Looks as if we’re going to get to watch the end of the American empire on TV.

KaneJeeves October 2nd, 2007 1:25 pm

What if, when the order comes down, Attack Iran…what if the troops just said NO? Seriously, we can debate all we want, and Congress can approve or not approve money all day long. But if the troops say NO…

BugsBBunny III October 2nd, 2007 1:35 pm

Despite the insanity of losing two ‘wars’ (hostile occupations), Bush/Cheney and Co. seek yet another? I think the plan has always been Iran. It wasn’t WMDS in Iraq nor regime change nor bringing democracy…it was military staging areas in the mideast and securing Iraq’s oil to counter an expected cut off of Iranian oil in the advent of war. Iraq was supposed to be six months and cheap but …

At this moment we are poised on …or paused on… the elections in Pakistan.

DRAGONSLAYER October 2nd, 2007 2:03 pm

FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU…FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ALL OF US!!

johnwyclif October 2nd, 2007 2:20 pm

I don’t know if it is part of the ‘rollout’but seems to me that USA tv channels are running a lot of movies and documentaries about ‘the good war’- WWII.

I thought that a lot of that imagery went along with the push to attack Iraq: Saddam was Hitler; Bagdad Bob and Goebbels; Bush speech at UNO being called ‘Churchillian’.

Get people feeling good about making war-to defend values or way of life or whatever! And glorifying the warrior spirit of by gone days- ah, militarism.

KaneJeeves October 2nd, 2007 2:21 pm

johnwyclif…YES! I noticed that too. Absolutely pitiful isn’t it.

John F. Butterfield October 2nd, 2007 3:02 pm

What’s the record for wars lost by any one president?

jim oleson October 2nd, 2007 3:22 pm

There is only one solution for all this pathology. Impeachment. It is the only thing that will slow these
criminals down.

bariem October 2nd, 2007 3:28 pm

I had this dream that I heard this announcement from President Bush:
‘We, the American people, have decided to retreat from our previous stance with Iran realizing that it is counterproductive. We have reappraised our relationship with the country and regret the interference with the government of Mossedeq, our support for the Shah and the suffering under his rule and our support for Hussein during the Iraq-Iran war.
We regret the loss of so many thousands of lives. We also apologize unequivocally for shooting down the Iranian passenger jet.
We recognize how this can be interpreted as a terrorist act, indeed our previous foreign policy from your point of view must be considered to be extremely hostile.
We also understand in the light of this history why you might feel a little threatened by the United States and indeed in our recent threats to your country how you might be tempted to develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
We understand that even with your abundance of oil it is wise to prepare for the future and indeed aim for carbon free alternative energy supplies.

In the light of all this in order to demonstrate that we seek peace and cooperation and wish to turn away from the pathway of war in solving international disputes and recognizing the threat posed by WMD we will recommence our obligations under the NPT and commence further disarmament.
In the first stage of this process we will destroy a further 6000 nuclear warheads of the remaining 16000 in our possession and plan when we receive a Russian response to remove the remaining 1000 in the following year aiming to move to a total ban on Nuclear weapons in 2 years.
Only in this way do we see a way forward for the human race.
We are also renouncing the first strike policy which we understand is a serious mistake and leads to the destabilization of international relations and nuclear proliferation.
I believe that this shows that the United States is a peace loving nation and a mature nation that can admit and learn from its mistakes’.

peacesource.net

Demerara October 2nd, 2007 4:04 pm

The congress cannot affect any change. they are afraid of Antrax and false threats.

The people needs to demonstrate in the street to show the world that they do not condone current government actions and policy.

If the folks in Myanmar can do it, why not us? Are we too soft to show our disapproval? Are we going to miss little susie’s softball game? Or, your favorite show on TV? Time for us to make sacrifices to fight for what is right. Or, we will not like what we see in the mirror in the next administration, be it repugs or dems….

Jan Steinman October 2nd, 2007 4:19 pm

jim wrote: “There is only one solution for all this pathology.”

I chose “emigration.” The problems are so intractable. Do you prefer the corporate party that bombs other countries, or the corporate party that will “solve” the health care problem by making it illegal to not buy insurance?

Impeachment would just be another OJ Simpson/Paris Hilton/Janet Jackson diversion, with lots of metaphorical blood spilled on the floor of Congress for those uppity types who eschew physical violence for the equally damaging verbal kind. And when it’s all over, the winner will emerge: the other corporate party. And all the progressives will pat each other on the back and drive their SUVs to the nearest Starbucks to celebrate their pyrrhic victory. And more babies will be born, the environment will continue to crumble, and more food turned into fuel, and less and less fuel will be available, but the Democans (or Republicrats) will feel good until the pendulum swings back and the “other” corporate party takes over again.

Anniesee October 2nd, 2007 4:57 pm

johnwyclif - “Bush speech at UNO being called ‘Churchillian’”.
I don’t know whose quote that was, but it’s darn near blasphemy !

Churchill and Bush ought never to be mentioned in the same sentence or even in the same book!

I don’t see the screening of “The War” as part of any roll out - I see it as a chance for younger Amercians to understand what a REAL war is, and what it costs real people. The current generation doesn’t really know. People in the USA in general don’t know what it’s like to live as a civilian in a war - if they did there’d be more outcry at what is being carried out in their name now.

Roy Eidelson October 2nd, 2007 5:04 pm

Manipulation of public sentiment lies at the very heart of the White House’s entire Iraq war enterprise, and it will likely have a similar role in any military attack on Iran. For those interested in a psychological analysis of this warmongering, I have recently completed a 10-minute online video entitled “Resisting the Drums of War.” It examines how the Bush administration’s messaging targets five core concerns that often govern our lives–concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. The video examines their warmongering appeals and offers suggestions for how to counter them. It’s available for viewing HERE.

Demerara October 2nd, 2007 5:13 pm

Everyone needs to stop all work for a week and protest.

geoff29 October 2nd, 2007 5:17 pm

I’m not really sure the ruling class think the war is lost? As sorry as it is there, Iraq is currently occupied and under the control, inadequate and barbaric maybe, of the military industrial complex and also blackwater and other mercenary groups. It’s been great for business if you have connections that way, for the downtrodden, true, it sucks. but we ain’t them.

Some historian fill me in, was Vietnam ever as occupied and controlled as Iraq is?

They don’t care about the human cost, of innocent people and such, they care about the end run.

The goal is complete control of the region. that’s also the temptation and a pretty grandiose one. If I were them I’d kind of be wary that it was a set up by McFate. But they’re pretty stupid in that regard.

starislon2 October 2nd, 2007 5:32 pm

And we thought Soylent Green was just a horror show. And who would guess it’s star would morph into a NRA President?

We must all learn to perceive reality for what it is, but excuse me for circular thinking. . .

War is profit. Profit is for everyone. Everyone is universal.

After oil, natural gas, and uranium are depleated, the sun will shine, and we can re-cycle our grand-parents, our parents, ourselves, our children, and live on and on, world without end, and heaven above.

We are what we eat.

Sometimes we’re hungry enough to eat anything, or, everything.

Who said the national bird should have been the turkey?

gobble-gobble-gobble

Saila October 2nd, 2007 6:02 pm

Another hogwash article quoting a bunch of Zionists and AIPAC ass kissers sent out as a feeler to gauge the public pulse, and also to keep the war talk floating as a psy-op against Iran.

“The Brits told me that they were afraid at first to tell us about the incident-in fear that Cheney would use it as a reason to attack Iran.”

This is the most hilarious claim ever. The Brits who were humiliated over the capture of their sailors by Iran would love someone to punish Iran. Exactly why were they afraid of Cheney attacking Iran then, and why they’re on board now? Nonsense.

In fact, articles such as this one are intended to keep beating the drums for the next war. A Zionist stink tank propaganda.

frank1569 October 2nd, 2007 6:28 pm

It’s do or die time, people. Hit the streets, stop traffic, freeway blog, monkeywrench from the inside, leak the truth, quit if you work for any company which enables, aides or abets Cheneybush, drive less, buy less, and warn as many as you can about their impending doom.

Tick… tick… tick…

COMarc October 2nd, 2007 7:04 pm

One key point about the corporate media. A few admitted they were wrong in the lead-up to the Iraq war. But most just ignored the issue. And more importantly, none of the ones who admitted that maybe they were wrong have made any changes in their management or operations.

If an organization wants to make sure the same mistakes aren’t repeated, that’s how they do it. Manager’s that made the mistakes are fired or shuttled off to less important jobs. Changes are made in the proceedures used by the organizations. By such methods, if an organization wants to make sure mistakes aren’t repeated, this is how they do it.

Even with the organizations that published mea culpas about their pre-Iraq war coverage, there were never any presidents or senior editors fired because of this. I’d bet most are either in the same jobs or have been rewarded or promoted since. So the message sent to the organization is that the leadership doesn’t really regard any mistakes as serious, and in fact wants the same people still making the decisions.

Likewise, none of the organizations made any changes in their proceedures. For instance, a couple of obvious ones would be to start refusing to use ‘unnamed government sources’ in their articles. A lot of the crap that gets printed gets done by this sort of method. Or, another key organizational decision might be to decide not to trust the Bush administration any longer and thus no longer print what it says unless there is independent confirmation.

None of this has occurred, so thus it is no surprise to see the corporate media behaving in exactly the same manner as in 2002. In fact the message that has been delivered is that in spite of having to publish a few mea culpas, the ownership is very happy with the performance of 2002 and wants it repeated.

We need to do two things.
1) Constantly educate people to disbelieve the corporate media. Pointing out now that the same people beating the drums for this war were responsible for us getting into the Iraq disaster is a good method.
2) Develop our own communication and media. Email chains where people send articles to others can be a part of this. Same with a comments page like this. It doesn’t have to be high-tech or expensive. We just need ways of getting the truth out as widely as possible.

Do all of that, and then you are laying the groundwork for the American people to do a rejection of an Iran war en masse. They’ll know not to believe the propaganda on the corporate media, and have their own ways of getting other news. That’s the foundation of the American people stopping and just saying No to the next war.

COMarc October 2nd, 2007 7:06 pm

If things haven’t changed by next summer, please come to Denver.

Denver, August, 2008. The American people’s chance to tell the Democrats what they think. Please come join us.

COMarc October 2nd, 2007 7:09 pm

America’s only ‘lost’ war pre-Vietnam would be maybe the war of 1812 when DC got burned.

So, I’m pretty sure the previous record was “1″ war lost by a President with the title being jointly held by several.

Considering things in Afghanistan aren’t going so well either, it looks like Bush is trying to do raise the record all the way up to 3!

Warzoned October 2nd, 2007 7:17 pm

Look, the one thing these clowns understand is money, not human life. So the next question is, if we are already approaching $1 trillion dollars for war vs. Iran and Afghanistan, how much do we add to the bill for a strike on Iran? Since this is going to be a tech-heavy bombing and missile strike campaign, we are talking about another sharp spike in cost.

Given the current budget deficit — thank you George for your tax cuts for the wealthy — given the aforementioned costs of current operations; given the cost of the planned and Congressionaly approved expansion of the ground forces (Army to expand by 72,000 men over 4-5 years); given an economy that is on somewhat shaky grounds because of the subprime mortgage problems, etc etc…how long before we break the bank?

OK, next question: the combination of US operations in Iraq and Israel’s fiasco last summer in Lebanon has strengthened the hand of Hamas, Hezbollah, AND Al Queda. So what do you think will happen if we hit Iran too? How many more recruiting posters does Bush want to create for Osama? Wasn’t Abu Ghraib Prison enough? As the bumper sticker says, “We are creating enemies faster than we can kill them.” The more bombs we drop, the more Al Queda we make. And Hezbollah; and Taliban; and Hamas….and on and on…

Does Bush really believe that we can just kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out.

The one silver lining if Bush attacks Iran: you think we have had good crowds for the recent demonstrations in Washington? Guess what they will look like after the next war starts? Unfortunately, progressive movements have depended too much on the stupidity and cruelty of the establishment rather than our own ability to organize…but the stupidity of this Administration is about to go off the scale.

Johno October 2nd, 2007 8:07 pm

The neo-cons are making the same mistakes as they did with the invasion of Iraq. Their projection of the results of attacking Iran are irrationally optimistic. Attacking Iran is against the interests of the United States:

1. More US and civilian deaths as Iran supplies deadly weapons. money, and manpower to the Iraqi and Afghan fighters. Civil unrest in Irag will increase. The quagmire deepens.

2. Popular support for Iran’s president will grow as Iranians will rally around their leaders. The opposition will be marginalized and the chances of finding a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the outstanding issues will dramatically shrink. Talk of an attack effecting regime change is a fantasy unless you are talking about a more oppressive military dictatorship.

3. Western Economies will contract as the price of oil increases. Think “great depression”.

4. Isreal will face increased attacks as Iran and its allies will seek the closest US ally to attack.

5. Terrorist attacks on the US will resume as terrorists seek to avenge the deaths of their countrymen.

Given that Iran is at least 5 years from the capability of developing nuclear weapon and that its leadership may become more moderate (as will ours?), and the the US public is not behind this attack as it was for the attack on Iraq, it makes more sense work diplomatically. The risks are much lower and a desired outcomes are more probable.

Robert Settgast October 2nd, 2007 9:26 pm

Historical lessons, current events, and rational interpretation of intellegence have normally precluded egotism &; theocracy for major decisions in our republic. Unfortunately, this is not the case now.

The current administration is manipulated by ego, the energy cartel,& the radical religious right wing to extents never before experienced in our history. The ill conceived invasion of Iraq, the plans to provide arms to some Middle East Countries, current suggestion to invade Iran, & the dreadful war on our environment are only some examples.

Those who object or oppose his policies can expect retalation( ie the dreadful character assassination of a trip;e amputee Viet Vet because he promoted an investigation into the9/11 disasster which Bush opposed).

Unless Americans begin reacting to logic rather than rhetoric, and take back our country from this illegally placed administration now, the rights that we have enjoyed for two centuries may evaporate–and Americans we can blame themselves for this

milesofmusic October 2nd, 2007 10:10 pm

bolton says:

“The US once had the capability to engineer the clandestine overthrow of governments. I wish we could get it back.””

———-

nice to see shylock confessing the death machine.

maybe the in effectual problem is related to the policy being instated by if not its fuck ups like john bolton, dick cheney and crew.

i hope we can stop this.

if not its death to the iranians and fema prisons for the patriots.

the rest of you turds carry on watching tv.

dcbeltway October 2nd, 2007 10:50 pm

Al Jazeera’s Rageh Omar (Witness Documentries) in Iran a great film:
http://tinyurl.com/2ta9tz

shakker October 2nd, 2007 11:08 pm

I am resigned to the fact that Bu$h the inferior is following the psychopath and that Congress is so fascinated by the stupidity that they are going along for the ride.

loric1948 October 2nd, 2007 11:31 pm

I think we have a lifetime of work ahead of us all, calling our country to change its entire direction. As people of faith and conscience, we need to call for an immediate end to the war, the oppression of the Palestinian people and the international debt. We must demand that our government throw away the Star Wars proposal, cut the military budget, dismantle every nuclear weapon and every weapon of mass destruction, undertake international treaties for nuclear disarmament, and redirect those billions of dollars toward the hard work for a lasting peace through international cooperation for nonviolent alternatives, interfaith dialogue, feeding every child on the planet, joining the world court and international law, closing our own terrorist training “School of the Americas,” ending poverty, protecting the earth and showing compassion toward every human being on the planet.

phdog October 3rd, 2007 2:07 am

So do you really believe that those missiles with Nuclear warheads sent from North Dakota to a Louisiana was unplanned ???????? hope everyone can speack chinnies.
thats all and good night to all

willo October 3rd, 2007 2:30 am

This pack of murderous clowns running this place hasn’t been right about anything. They did 9/11. They started war’s against innocent nation’s and have murdered in the vacinity of 1 million people displaced 4 million and have ruined at least 3 countries including our own. From my perspective I believe Bush and our shadow secret government main task is destroy the U.S. from within. If they are some sort of evil foreign agents whose job it is destroy our country, they are doing a bang up job. The attack against Iran will be the coup de grace. For them it will be [Miller time], a job well done. Time for some high fives and back slapping. Mission accomplished.

twistoflex October 3rd, 2007 5:17 am

Warzoned

Don’t forget that they want to break the bank. They want the average Joe to be indebted so that they have to work. They own the companies like lockheed so they want the wars to go on endlessly so they can make more profits from the indebted Joes. At the highest levels, they want anotheer depression so they can make huge profits from stock market crashes and currency failures and bank failures. You aint seen nothin yet.

TonyVodvarka October 3rd, 2007 8:27 am

“Norman Podhoretz, the titan of the Neo-conservative movement…” Must we still, even at this point, speak in a politically correct code about one of the main engines of our war party, the Isreal Lobby, which, in conjuction with the oil industry and the military complex, is plunging our nation into disaster? We were not fooled even once, Mr. Horton, we were simply rolled over and we must suppose we will be rolled over again. Lament the loss of our late Republic, former citizens with only one passport, and Heil Militarism!
Tony Vodvarka, Hartly DE

FarhadAbdolian October 3rd, 2007 8:29 am

>If the folks in Myanmar can do it, why not us?
Because they have nothing to loose. People in the west, and specially in the US have so much to loose if they protest.

Leaving the comfort of their house, the easy protest of being behind a computer or in a bar discussing politics passionately while sipping the beer or at the office when they drink coffee from the “I hate Bush” mug or driving the latest car with 100s of bumper stickers to show the world what they think is more than enough for many people to feel exhausted and tired of being “active”.

herbert r chersonsky October 3rd, 2007 9:18 am

Here We Go Again !!!!!!

The CIA was founded with links to “Evil” people…..James Critchfield was the CIA Handler for two impressive men, Reinhard Gehlen and Saddam Hussein.

Reinhard Gehlen was the head of Nazi Espionage and was chosen by the American Government to head the New German Republic´s Spy Agency……Gehlen proceeded to protect all his former agents by hiring them.

Instead of being in the Nurenburg Trials as a “War Criminal”, Gehlen fed misinformation about the USSR to the United States. Critchfield said, “The CIA went to bed with the “Devil”.

So, for “Freedom Watch” (So, that is what Karl Rove is up to???) to cite Hitler as a “Fear Tactic” and compare a Nation that has no atomic weapon, no long range missle and has never threatened to invade the United States is hilarious.

Except, Cheney will bomb the heck out of Iran.

Oh, and our own CIA passed on the designs of a Russian Atomic Bomb to the Iranians through one of their Russian defectors. (”State of War”, by James Risen)………

Wake up America !!!!!!The dollar is going to drop to $1.60 for a Euro from a high of $.89 for a Euro in 2001 in a couple of weeks. It has already dropped to $1.41 which is a 55% devaluation and foreign companies are buying up American companies………Do you care that over 600,000 people have died since 2003? (John Hopkins Institute Study)

countess October 3rd, 2007 9:48 am

Attention all democrats! You will be pushing the same agenda you claim you hate. Please tell me the difference between Clinton, McCain or Guiliani? They are all pushing the Likud program of perpetual war.

Paul Bramscher October 3rd, 2007 10:44 am

If it weren’t for the MSM to magnify and amplify their “soothing” rhetoric, while ignoring their voting records in favor of the latest Britney news, they’d be dodging the pitchfork jabs.

Warzoned October 3rd, 2007 3:36 pm

twistoflex

What you say may be valid, given our history going back to the Great Depression. At its height in 1933, US unemployment hit 25%. OK, so 75% still had jobs and many of the rich — those whose wealth was in real assets and not in paper money — were able to survive without much problem. The main challenge affecting everyone was the Dustbowl, the drought that went on for years and exacerbated the depression, causing food shortages. But here again, the rich can hoard what they need, pay off whomever they have to for whatever they need. In good times or bad, they have always had their gated communities where they can separate themselves from the rest of humanity. And the excess human capital is left to fend for themselves. Yes indeed, depression or recession can conveniently eliminate competition, lead to consolidation and ultimately to monopoly.

c farris October 3rd, 2007 4:22 pm

Bush, Cheney and the entire neocon cabal should be tarred, feathered and run to The Hague on a rail.

swathingscientist October 4th, 2007 10:21 am

Thus far,only one contributor has dared to cast a small hint and have to wonder why.
EVERYONE WHO HAS A BRAIN,GIVES A DAMN ABOUT AMERICA better listen up!.Can you not see it as a fact that any action against Iran or Syria in that area of the world,will definitely bring on board Russia,China,mayhap North Korea and others,for goodness sakes folks,give your heads a shake.IF China decides to come on board to defend Iran/Syria,there will BE NO UNITED STATES.Trust the facts of the big picture,it’s one thing to knock China over some faulty toys and things,things which,in the end,mattel quite rightly took responsiblity for,not China’s fault.You don’t ever want to piss China off folks,not if one wishes to live to tell about it.Mayhap it’s long overdue for America to be run over,annilated,mayhap it’s the only way that we as the citizens will finally realize that we are NOT the world’s only superpower,that we cannot go around beating up on every nation because we can.Our military prowess has lead far too many citizens into complacency,arrogance and it’s long past time for a wake-up call to go out.Cripes sake,all Bill did was get a damned blow job in the Oval Office,pretty much and Impeachment proceedings were initiated.Yet,here we have a so-called “president” who failed his country in the Guard,was,likely still is,a drunkard behind the scenes;done his level best to downgrade our country,our economy,our overall position in the world at large with his ghastly war-mongering;and yet,we sit on our hands and let it continue??.WHY for goodness sakes has Bush not been impeached,thrown out of office along with Cheney and the rest of this sadistic regime;show the world that we recognize that the real terrorism threat started right here and we are doing something about it–finally.However,it’s safer to sit here and talk,talk,talk and actually DO nothing.Frankly,I thought sure,once people became aware(??)and we gave the Democrats the power,the ability to end this mess,it would have been over and done by now.Talk about arrogance,blindness,ineptitude,sheesh.Bring on World War 3,may as well because that’s just what’ll happen if we go after Iran or Syria today or at any time in the future.We have the Jews sitting there in Israel with the 4th largest nuclear arsonal in the world and it’s neighbors relatively defenceless,hells bells why shouldn’t Iran and/or Syria have nuclear capabilities,we would want it were the situation the same here.Nuff said.Get off your butts and start writing letters,making phone calls,sending emails,DEMAND our Congress to begin IMPEACHMENT NOW!!.

writer2 October 4th, 2007 12:59 pm

Demerara October 2nd, 2007 4:04 pm
The congress cannot affect any change. they are afraid of Antrax and false threats.

no, not anthrax, they are afraid of AIPAC, much deadlier than anthrax for a politician who disagrees with their agenda.

writer2 October 4th, 2007 1:03 pm

Johno October 2nd, 2007 8:07 pm
The neo-cons are making the same mistakes as they did with the invasion of Iraq. Their projection of the results of attacking Iran are irrationally optimistic. Attacking Iran is against the interests of the United States

well the zionist wing of the neocons clearly is working for the benefit of israel not the US. the disaster in iraq is a win for them. iraq is destroyed, so mission accomplished.

if a few thousand american soldiers die and more thousands are injured that is a very easy price to pay. and the death of iraqis is a benefit not a loss.

next: iran

writer2 October 5th, 2007 11:17 am

just checking for 41 comments

zoya October 2nd, 2007 1:20 pm

The MSM appears to be onside as well. It’s as if the whole embarrassing issue of the MSM’s complicity in the lead-up to the Iraq war never happened. (Did anyone watch Charlie Rose last night? Appalling . . .)

Looks as if we’re going to get to watch the end of the American empire on TV.
KaneJeeves October 2nd, 2007 1:25 pm

What if, when the order comes down, Attack Iran…what if the troops just said NO? Seriously, we can debate all we want, and Congress can approve or not approve money all day long. But if the troops say NO…
BugsBBunny III October 2nd, 2007 1:35 pm

Despite the insanity of losing two ‘wars’ (hostile occupations), Bush/Cheney and Co. seek yet another? I think the plan has always been Iran. It wasn’t WMDS in Iraq nor regime change nor bringing democracy…it was military staging areas in the mideast and securing Iraq’s oil to counter an expected cut off of Iranian oil in the advent of war. Iraq was supposed to be six months and cheap but …

At this moment we are poised on …or paused on… the elections in Pakistan.
DRAGONSLAYER October 2nd, 2007 2:03 pm

FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU…FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ALL OF US!!
johnwyclif October 2nd, 2007 2:20 pm

I don’t know if it is part of the ‘rollout’but seems to me that USA tv channels are running a lot of movies and documentaries about ‘the good war’- WWII.

I thought that a lot of that imagery went along with the push to attack Iraq: Saddam was Hitler; Bagdad Bob and Goebbels; Bush speech at UNO being called ‘Churchillian’.

Get people feeling good about making war-to defend values or way of life or whatever! And glorifying the warrior spirit of by gone days- ah, militarism.
KaneJeeves October 2nd, 2007 2:21 pm

johnwyclif…YES! I noticed that too. Absolutely pitiful isn’t it.
John F. Butterfield October 2nd, 2007 3:02 pm

What’s the record for wars lost by any one president?
jim oleson October 2nd, 2007 3:22 pm

There is only one solution for all this pathology. Impeachment. It is the only thing that will slow these
criminals down.
bariem October 2nd, 2007 3:28 pm

I had this dream that I heard this announcement from President Bush:
‘We, the American people, have decided to retreat from our previous stance with Iran realizing that it is counterproductive. We have reappraised our relationship with the country and regret the interference with the government of Mossedeq, our support for the Shah and the suffering under his rule and our support for Hussein during the Iraq-Iran war.
We regret the loss of so many thousands of lives. We also apologize unequivocally for shooting down the Iranian passenger jet.
We recognize how this can be interpreted as a terrorist act, indeed our previous foreign policy from your point of view must be considered to be extremely hostile.
We also understand in the light of this history why you might feel a little threatened by the United States and indeed in our recent threats to your country how you might be tempted to develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
We understand that even with your abundance of oil it is wise to prepare for the future and indeed aim for carbon free alternative energy supplies.

In the light of all this in order to demonstrate that we seek peace and cooperation and wish to turn away from the pathway of war in solving international disputes and recognizing the threat posed by WMD we will recommence our obligations under the NPT and commence further disarmament.
In the first stage of this process we will destroy a further 6000 nuclear warheads of the remaining 16000 in our possession and plan when we receive a Russian response to remove the remaining 1000 in the following year aiming to move to a total ban on Nuclear weapons in 2 years.
Only in this way do we see a way forward for the human race.
We are also renouncing the first strike policy which we understand is a serious mistake and leads to the destabilization of international relations and nuclear proliferation.
I believe that this shows that the United States is a peace loving nation and a mature nation that can admit and learn from its mistakes’.

peacesource.net
Demerara October 2nd, 2007 4:04 pm

The congress cannot affect any change. they are afraid of Antrax and false threats.

The people needs to demonstrate in the street to show the world that they do not condone current government actions and policy.

If the folks in Myanmar can do it, why not us? Are we too soft to show our disapproval? Are we going to miss little susie’s softball game? Or, your favorite show on TV? Time for us to make sacrifices to fight for what is right. Or, we will not like what we see in the mirror in the next administration, be it repugs or dems….
Jan Steinman October 2nd, 2007 4:19 pm

jim wrote: “There is only one solution for all this pathology.”

I chose “emigration.” The problems are so intractable. Do you prefer the corporate party that bombs other countries, or the corporate party that will “solve” the health care problem by making it illegal to not buy insurance?

Impeachment would just be another OJ Simpson/Paris Hilton/Janet Jackson diversion, with lots of metaphorical blood spilled on the floor of Congress for those uppity types who eschew physical violence for the equally damaging verbal kind. And when it’s all over, the winner will emerge: the other corporate party. And all the progressives will pat each other on the back and drive their SUVs to the nearest Starbucks to celebrate their pyrrhic victory. And more babies will be born, the environment will continue to crumble, and more food turned into fuel, and less and less fuel will be available, but the Democans (or Republicrats) will feel good until the pendulum swings back and the “other” corporate party takes over again.
Anniesee October 2nd, 2007 4:57 pm

johnwyclif - “Bush speech at UNO being called ‘Churchillian’”.
I don’t know whose quote that was, but it’s darn near blasphemy !

Churchill and Bush ought never to be mentioned in the same sentence or even in the same book!

I don’t see the screening of “The War” as part of any roll out - I see it as a chance for younger Amercians to understand what a REAL war is, and what it costs real people. The current generation doesn’t really know. People in the USA in general don’t know what it’s like to live as a civilian in a war - if they did there’d be more outcry at what is being carried out in their name now.
Roy Eidelson October 2nd, 2007 5:04 pm

Manipulation of public sentiment lies at the very heart of the White House’s entire Iraq war enterprise, and it will likely have a similar role in any military attack on Iran. For those interested in a psychological analysis of this warmongering, I have recently completed a 10-minute online video entitled “Resisting the Drums of War.” It examines how the Bush administration’s messaging targets five core concerns that often govern our lives–concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. The video examines their warmongering appeals and offers suggestions for how to counter them. It’s available for viewing HERE.
Demerara October 2nd, 2007 5:13 pm

Everyone needs to stop all work for a week and protest.
geoff29 October 2nd, 2007 5:17 pm

I’m not really sure the ruling class think the war is lost? As sorry as it is there, Iraq is currently occupied and under the control, inadequate and barbaric maybe, of the military industrial complex and also blackwater and other mercenary groups. It’s been great for business if you have connections that way, for the downtrodden, true, it sucks. but we ain’t them.

Some historian fill me in, was Vietnam ever as occupied and controlled as Iraq is?

They don’t care about the human cost, of innocent people and such, they care about the end run.

The goal is complete control of the region. that’s also the temptation and a pretty grandiose one. If I were them I’d kind of be wary that it was a set up by McFate. But they’re pretty stupid in that regard.
starislon2 October 2nd, 2007 5:32 pm

And we thought Soylent Green was just a horror show. And who would guess it’s star would morph into a NRA President?

We must all learn to perceive reality for what it is, but excuse me for circular thinking. . .

War is profit. Profit is for everyone. Everyone is universal.

After oil, natural gas, and uranium are depleated, the sun will shine, and we can re-cycle our grand-parents, our parents, ourselves, our children, and live on and on, world without end, and heaven above.

We are what we eat.

Sometimes we’re hungry enough to eat anything, or, everything.

Who said the national bird should have been the turkey?

gobble-gobble-gobble
Saila October 2nd, 2007 6:02 pm

Another hogwash article quoting a bunch of Zionists and AIPAC ass kissers sent out as a feeler to gauge the public pulse, and also to keep the war talk floating as a psy-op against Iran.

“The Brits told me that they were afraid at first to tell us about the incident-in fear that Cheney would use it as a reason to attack Iran.”

This is the most hilarious claim ever. The Brits who were humiliated over the capture of their sailors by Iran would love someone to punish Iran. Exactly why were they afraid of Cheney attacking Iran then, and why they’re on board now? Nonsense.

In fact, articles such as this one are intended to keep beating the drums for the next war. A Zionist stink tank propaganda.
frank1569 October 2nd, 2007 6:28 pm

It’s do or die time, people. Hit the streets, stop traffic, freeway blog, monkeywrench from the inside, leak the truth, quit if you work for any company which enables, aides or abets Cheneybush, drive less, buy less, and warn as many as you can about their impending doom.

Tick… tick… tick…
COMarc October 2nd, 2007 7:04 pm

One key point about the corporate media. A few admitted they were wrong in the lead-up to the Iraq war. But most just ignored the issue. And more importantly, none of the ones who admitted that maybe they were wrong have made any changes in their management or operations.

If an organization wants to make sure the same mistakes aren’t repeated, that’s how they do it. Manager’s that made the mistakes are fired or shuttled off to less important jobs. Changes are made in the proceedures used by the organizations. By such methods, if an organization wants to make sure mistakes aren’t repeated, this is how they do it.

Even with the organizations that published mea culpas about their pre-Iraq war coverage, there were never any presidents or senior editors fired because of this. I’d bet most are either in the same jobs or have been rewarded or promoted since. So the message sent to the organization is that the leadership doesn’t really regard any mistakes as serious, and in fact wants the same people still making the decisions.

Likewise, none of the organizations made any changes in their proceedures. For instance, a couple of obvious ones would be to start refusing to use ‘unnamed government sources’ in their articles. A lot of the crap that gets printed gets done by this sort of method. Or, another key organizational decision might be to decide not to trust the Bush administration any longer and thus no longer print what it says unless there is independent confirmation.

None of this has occurred, so thus it is no surprise to see the corporate media behaving in exactly the same manner as in 2002. In fact the message that has been delivered is that in spite of having to publish a few mea culpas, the ownership is very happy with the performance of 2002 and wants it repeated.

We need to do two things.
1) Constantly educate people to disbelieve the corporate media. Pointing out now that the same people beating the drums for this war were responsible for us getting into the Iraq disaster is a good method.
2) Develop our own communication and media. Email chains where people send articles to others can be a part of this. Same with a comments page like this. It doesn’t have to be high-tech or expensive. We just need ways of getting the truth out as widely as possible.

Do all of that, and then you are laying the groundwork for the American people to do a rejection of an Iran war en masse. They’ll know not to believe the propaganda on the corporate media, and have their own ways of getting other news. That’s the foundation of the American people stopping and just saying No to the next war.
COMarc October 2nd, 2007 7:06 pm

If things haven’t changed by next summer, please come to Denver.

Denver, August, 2008. The American people’s chance to tell the Democrats what they think. Please come join us.
COMarc October 2nd, 2007 7:09 pm

America’s only ‘lost’ war pre-Vietnam would be maybe the war of 1812 when DC got burned.

So, I’m pretty sure the previous record was “1″ war lost by a President with the title being jointly held by several.

Considering things in Afghanistan aren’t going so well either, it looks like Bush is trying to do raise the record all the way up to 3!
Warzoned October 2nd, 2007 7:17 pm

Look, the one thing these clowns understand is money, not human life. So the next question is, if we are already approaching $1 trillion dollars for war vs. Iran and Afghanistan, how much do we add to the bill for a strike on Iran? Since this is going to be a tech-heavy bombing and missile strike campaign, we are talking about another sharp spike in cost.

Given the current budget deficit — thank you George for your tax cuts for the wealthy — given the aforementioned costs of current operations; given the cost of the planned and Congressionaly approved expansion of the ground forces (Army to expand by 72,000 men over 4-5 years); given an economy that is on somewhat shaky grounds because of the subprime mortgage problems, etc etc…how long before we break the bank?

OK, next question: the combination of US operations in Iraq and Israel’s fiasco last summer in Lebanon has strengthened the hand of Hamas, Hezbollah, AND Al Queda. So what do you think will happen if we hit Iran too? How many more recruiting posters does Bush want to create for Osama? Wasn’t Abu Ghraib Prison enough? As the bumper sticker says, “We are creating enemies faster than we can kill them.” The more bombs we drop, the more Al Queda we make. And Hezbollah; and Taliban; and Hamas….and on and on…

Does Bush really believe that we can just kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out.

The one silver lining if Bush attacks Iran: you think we have had good crowds for the recent demonstrations in Washington? Guess what they will look like after the next war starts? Unfortunately, progressive movements have depended too much on the stupidity and cruelty of the establishment rather than our own ability to organize…but the stupidity of this Administration is about to go off the scale.
Johno October 2nd, 2007 8:07 pm

The neo-cons are making the same mistakes as they did with the invasion of Iraq. Their projection of the results of attacking Iran are irrationally optimistic. Attacking Iran is against the interests of the United States:

1. More US and civilian deaths as Iran supplies deadly weapons. money, and manpower to the Iraqi and Afghan fighters. Civil unrest in Irag will increase. The quagmire deepens.

2. Popular support for Iran’s president will grow as Iranians will rally around their leaders. The opposition will be marginalized and the chances of finding a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the outstanding issues will dramatically shrink. Talk of an attack effecting regime change is a fantasy unless you are talking about a more oppressive military dictatorship.

3. Western Economies will contract as the price of oil increases. Think “great depression”.

4. Isreal will face increased attacks as Iran and its allies will seek the closest US ally to attack.

5. Terrorist attacks on the US will resume as terrorists seek to avenge the deaths of their countrymen.

Given that Iran is at least 5 years from the capability of developing nuclear weapon and that its leadership may become more moderate (as will ours?), and the the US public is not behind this attack as it was for the attack on Iraq, it makes more sense work diplomatically. The risks are much lower and a desired outcomes are more probable.
Robert Settgast October 2nd, 2007 9:26 pm

Historical lessons, current events, and rational interpretation of intellegence have normally precluded egotism &; theocracy for major decisions in our republic. Unfortunately, this is not the case now.

The current administration is manipulated by ego, the energy cartel,& the radical religious right wing to extents never before experienced in our history. The ill conceived invasion of Iraq, the plans to provide arms to some Middle East Countries, current suggestion to invade Iran, & the dreadful war on our environment are only some examples.

Those who object or oppose his policies can expect retalation( ie the dreadful character assassination of a trip;e amputee Viet Vet because he promoted an investigation into the9/11 disasster which Bush opposed).

Unless Americans begin reacting to logic rather than rhetoric, and take back our country from this illegally placed administration now, the rights that we have enjoyed for two centuries may evaporate–and Americans we can blame themselves for this
milesofmusic October 2nd, 2007 10:10 pm

bolton says:

“The US once had the capability to engineer the clandestine overthrow of governments. I wish we could get it back.””

———-

nice to see shylock confessing the death machine.

maybe the in effectual problem is related to the policy being instated by if not its fuck ups like john bolton, dick cheney and crew.

i hope we can stop this.

if not its death to the iranians and fema prisons for the patriots.

the rest of you turds carry on watching tv.
dcbeltway October 2nd, 2007 10:50 pm

Al Jazeera’s Rageh Omar (Witness Documentries) in Iran a great film:
http://tinyurl.com/2ta9tz
shakker October 2nd, 2007 11:08 pm

I am resigned to the fact that Bu$h the inferior is following the psychopath and that Congress is so fascinated by the stupidity that they are going along for the ride.
loric1948 October 2nd, 2007 11:31 pm

I think we have a lifetime of work ahead of us all, calling our country to change its entire direction. As people of faith and conscience, we need to call for an immediate end to the war, the oppression of the Palestinian people and the international debt. We must demand that our government throw away the Star Wars proposal, cut the military budget, dismantle every nuclear weapon and every weapon of mass destruction, undertake international treaties for nuclear disarmament, and redirect those billions of dollars toward the hard work for a lasting peace through international cooperation for nonviolent alternatives, interfaith dialogue, feeding every child on the planet, joining the world court and international law, closing our own terrorist training “School of the Americas,” ending poverty, protecting the earth and showing compassion toward every human being on the planet.
phdog October 3rd, 2007 2:07 am

So do you really believe that those missiles with Nuclear warheads sent from North Dakota to a Louisiana was unplanned ???????? hope everyone can speack chinnies.
thats all and good night to all
willo October 3rd, 2007 2:30 am

This pack of murderous clowns running this place hasn’t been right about anything. They did 9/11. They started war’s against innocent nation’s and have murdered in the vacinity of 1 million people displaced 4 million and have ruined at least 3 countries including our own. From my perspective I believe Bush and our shadow secret government main task is destroy the U.S. from within. If they are some sort of evil foreign agents whose job it is destroy our country, they are doing a bang up job. The attack against Iran will be the coup de grace. For them it will be [Miller time], a job well done. Time for some high fives and back slapping. Mission accomplished.
twistoflex October 3rd, 2007 5:17 am

Warzoned

Don’t forget that they want to break the bank. They want the average Joe to be indebted so that they have to work. They own the companies like lockheed so they want the wars to go on endlessly so they can make more profits from the indebted Joes. At the highest levels, they want anotheer depression so they can make huge profits from stock market crashes and currency failures and bank failures. You aint seen nothin yet.
TonyVodvarka October 3rd, 2007 8:27 am

“Norman Podhoretz, the titan of the Neo-conservative movement…” Must we still, even at this point, speak in a politically correct code about one of the main engines of our war party, the Isreal Lobby, which, in conjuction with the oil industry and the military complex, is plunging our nation into disaster? We were not fooled even once, Mr. Horton, we were simply rolled over and we must suppose we will be rolled over again. Lament the loss of our late Republic, former citizens with only one passport, and Heil Militarism!
Tony Vodvarka, Hartly DE
FarhadAbdolian October 3rd, 2007 8:29 am

>If the folks in Myanmar can do it, why not us?
Because they have nothing to loose. People in the west, and specially in the US have so much to loose if they protest.

Leaving the comfort of their house, the easy protest of being behind a computer or in a bar discussing politics passionately while sipping the beer or at the office when they drink coffee from the “I hate Bush” mug or driving the latest car with 100s of bumper stickers to show the world what they think is more than enough for many people to feel exhausted and tired of being “active”.
herbert r chersonsky October 3rd, 2007 9:18 am

Here We Go Again !!!!!!

The CIA was founded with links to “Evil” people…..James Critchfield was the CIA Handler for two impressive men, Reinhard Gehlen and Saddam Hussein.

Reinhard Gehlen was the head of Nazi Espionage and was chosen by the American Government to head the New German Republic´s Spy Agency……Gehlen proceeded to protect all his former agents by hiring them.

Instead of being in the Nurenburg Trials as a “War Criminal”, Gehlen fed misinformation about the USSR to the United States. Critchfield said, “The CIA went to bed with the “Devil”.

So, for “Freedom Watch” (So, that is what Karl Rove is up to???) to cite Hitler as a “Fear Tactic” and compare a Nation that has no atomic weapon, no long range missle and has never threatened to invade the United States is hilarious.

Except, Cheney will bomb the heck out of Iran.

Oh, and our own CIA passed on the designs of a Russian Atomic Bomb to the Iranians through one of their Russian defectors. (”State of War”, by James Risen)………

Wake up America !!!!!!The dollar is going to drop to $1.60 for a Euro from a high of $.89 for a Euro in 2001 in a couple of weeks. It has already dropped to $1.41 which is a 55% devaluation and foreign companies are buying up American companies………Do you care that over 600,000 people have died since 2003? (John Hopkins Institute Study)
countess October 3rd, 2007 9:48 am

Attention all democrats! You will be pushing the same agenda you claim you hate. Please tell me the difference between Clinton, McCain or Guiliani? They are all pushing the Likud program of perpetual war.
Paul Bramscher October 3rd, 2007 10:44 am

If it weren’t for the MSM to magnify and amplify their “soothing” rhetoric, while ignoring their voting records in favor of the latest Britney news, they’d be dodging the pitchfork jabs.
Warzoned October 3rd, 2007 3:36 pm

twistoflex

What you say may be valid, given our history going back to the Great Depression. At its height in 1933, US unemployment hit 25%. OK, so 75% still had jobs and many of the rich — those whose wealth was in real assets and not in paper money — were able to survive without much problem. The main challenge affecting everyone was the Dustbowl, the drought that went on for years and exacerbated the depression, causing food shortages. But here again, the rich can hoard what they need, pay off whomever they have to for whatever they need. In good times or bad, they have always had their gated communities where they can separate themselves from the rest of humanity. And the excess human capital is left to fend for themselves. Yes indeed, depression or recession can conveniently eliminate competition, lead to consolidation and ultimately to monopoly.
c farris October 3rd, 2007 4:22 pm

Bush, Cheney and the entire neocon cabal should be tarred, feathered and run to The Hague on a rail.
swathingscientist October 4th, 2007 10:21 am

Thus far,only one contributor has dared to cast a small hint and have to wonder why.
EVERYONE WHO HAS A BRAIN,GIVES A DAMN ABOUT AMERICA better listen up!.Can you not see it as a fact that any action against Iran or Syria in that area of the world,will definitely bring on board Russia,China,mayhap North Korea and others,for goodness sakes folks,give your heads a shake.IF China decides to come on board to defend Iran/Syria,there will BE NO UNITED STATES.Trust the facts of the big picture,it’s one thing to knock China over some faulty toys and things,things which,in the end,mattel quite rightly took responsiblity for,not China’s fault.You don’t ever want to piss China off folks,not if one wishes to live to tell about it.Mayhap it’s long overdue for America to be run over,annilated,mayhap it’s the only way that we as the citizens will finally realize that we are NOT the world’s only superpower,that we cannot go around beating up on every nation because we can.Our military prowess has lead far too many citizens into complacency,arrogance and it’s long past time for a wake-up call to go out.Cripes sake,all Bill did was get a damned blow job in the Oval Office,pretty much and Impeachment proceedings were initiated.Yet,here we have a so-called “president” who failed his country in the Guard,was,likely still is,a drunkard behind the scenes;done his level best to downgrade our country,our economy,our overall position in the world at large with his ghastly war-mongering;and yet,we sit on our hands and let it continue??.WHY for goodness sakes has Bush not been impeached,thrown out of office along with Cheney and the rest of this sadistic regime;show the world that we recognize that the real terrorism threat started right here and we are doing something about it–finally.However,it’s safer to sit here and talk,talk,talk and actually DO nothing.Frankly,I thought sure,once people became aware(??)and we gave the Democrats the power,the ability to end this mess,it would have been over and done by now.Talk about arrogance,blindness,ineptitude,sheesh.Bring on World War 3,may as well because that’s just what’ll happen if we go after Iran or Syria today or at any time in the future.We have the Jews sitting there in Israel with the 4th largest nuclear arsonal in the world and it’s neighbors relatively defenceless,hells bells why shouldn’t Iran and/or Syria have nuclear capabilities,we would want it were the situation the same here.Nuff said.Get off your butts and start writing letters,making phone calls,sending emails,DEMAND our Congress to begin IMPEACHMENT NOW!!.
writer2 October 4th, 2007 12:59 pm

Demerara October 2nd, 2007 4:04 pm
The congress cannot affect any change. they are afraid of Antrax and false threats.

no, not anthrax, they are afraid of AIPAC, much deadlier than anthrax for a politician who disagrees with their agenda.
writer2 October 4th, 2007 1:03 pm

Johno October 2nd, 2007 8:07 pm
The neo-cons are making the same mistakes as they did with the invasion of Iraq. Their projection of the results of attacking Iran are irrationally optimistic. Attacking Iran is against the interests of the United States

well the zionist wing of the neocons clearly is working for the benefit of israel not the US. the disaster in iraq is a win for them. iraq is destroyed, so mission accomplished.

if a few thousand american soldiers die and more thousands are injured that is a very easy price to pay. and the death of iraqis is a benefit not a loss.

next: iran
writer2 October 5th, 2007 11:17 am

just checking for 41 comments

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