it's too late. we have already given them too many chances. if we didn't go kill them now, people would no longer respect that bush is still a godly man of resolve. and besides israel and all of its neocon shills in our media-government-university complex want it done. let's get on with it so we can begin preparing for upcoming conflicts that our way of doing business promises.

We should point this out in ANOTHER e-mail to our Representatives. (I am encouraged by the fact that We The People have already likely put the kabosh on this ill-conceived resolution though.)

But you know what.

I'm getting pretty damm tired of doing their job. Shouldn't our Representatives be pointing these things out to the President or at least the Press?

Maybe I should run for office and at least get paid for it. Too bad I'm an unelectable center-lefty scientist.

(Oh and people...please spare us all the usual stuff about both parties are the same and both follow their Jewish or Christian or CEO fundamentalist masters...I do not disagree but the FACT that we've already stymied this legislation shows this cannot be entirely true. We are changing this country and we should be proud of that and just redouble our efforts!)

Remind those politicians that Iran has a legal legitimate right to control and process the nuclear fuel cycle.

I wrote my representative. This is all I can do as we are powerless to do more.

Iran has a right to nuclear energy as well as other developing countries. Israel and AIPAC need to learn to play in their own yard and stop acting like bullies. If the AIPAC people love the concept of Israel than why don't they live there? They are not Americans to me if they want our children to die for their cause while their children live a good life.

IT is time to push lobbyists out of Washington period! No more AIPAC control. AIPAC stands for EVIL To me and bigots who hate Muslims. They can take their Zionist dream and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. They are not better than us PERIOD..you ANTI-MUSLIM scum!

What do the Jews want to destroy Persia for? AIPAC has already bankrupt and destroyed America - they can move in or sell it whenever they want to.

Iran adopts neoliberal economics. US companies excluded. Reasonfor war? http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9501

Hey..YOU are paying for all of this...you are paying for the bombs..the mercenaries..the spies..the torture..the policies..the think tanks..the reports..the WHOLE SHOW IS BEING FINANCED BY....Y-O-U!

IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON YOUR GOVERNMENT NOW...BEFORE IT IS OO LATE..OR RATIONALIZE AND LOSE...THE CHOICE IS YOURS..BUT PLEASE BE HONEST...IF YOU CAN...IF YOU PAY..YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN THEIR CRIMES..YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS TACIT APPROVAL OF THEIR "POLICIES"..PERIOD!

And your MONEY..is ALL the support they NEED..or WANT..from you!

Wake UP!

TAX STRIKE..the Only Real option Left...the power of the purse..dny the MONEY..and the PARADE CAN'T GO ON AS SCHEDULED...PERIOD!

This proposal, like all others, totally ignores Iran's rights as a sovereign nation. Iran is not a vassal of either the US or the international community.

More importantly, it totally ignores the fact that without some kind of solution to the Israeli nuclear stockpile of 200-400 warheads, there can not even be a discussion of control of nuclear fuels/arms in the Mideast.

Finally, it ignores the reality that it is absolutely hypocritical and absurd for the US to talk about nuclear weapons and fuel controls until we honor the many arms control treaties that we have broken, do something about about our own stockpile of 10,000 or so nuclear warheads, and begin to figure out how to dismantle the 120 nuclear reactors that will poison the environment for generations -- not to mention 60 years of nuclear wastes that have turned vast areas of our nation into dead zones.

What is this "most Americans want..." nonsense? Most Americans can't find Iraq on a map. Most Americans couldn't name their Congressional representatives if their life depended on it. Most Americans still believe this country is the greatest to have ever existed. Most Americans still get their "news" from FOX, CNN or one of the 3 broadcast networks. Most Americans continue to sit idle as their country collapses around them.

Most Americans have no idea why "our" government wants to kill and maim a few million Iranians, and, let's face it, could care less anyway.

Why is iran being made to jump through hoops on this? All nations are allowed to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes by law. Iran does not have a history of indiscriminately attacking other countries as could be said of Israel who by the way has an arsenal of nuclear bombs. Try to make some logic of this!

The US and UK want Iran to go back to the good old days. You know, when they overthrew the democratically elected President Muhammad Mosadeg and installed the blood-thirsty, CIA puppet Shah Rehza Palehvi. Who just happened to be 'very flexible' when it came to oil deals favorable to the US and UK.

More teach --- less screech. Preaching to the choir won't do near as much good as helping one of your 'can't find Iraq on map' neighbors to get the real idea.

Once the People understand what is being done to them by the lice at the head of our government they will react as reasonable people should.

The Just Foreign Policy people have a video on Pickering's plan which they need money to disseminate (I just got an email from them about donating, before I came to CD today.) I never donate by credit card on the Net, but they have a mailing address, and I just sent them a check.

I agree that there is a ridiculous double standard re Iran and Israel on nuclear matters, but what caught my attention was that IRAN'S Ambassador to the UN indicated that this new plan would be received favorably. What could be more important than cooling down the tension and rhetoric between Iran and the US?

Most of us post critiques of various policies and politicians here. But today, PLEASE put your money where your mouth is and give Just Foreign Policy some help in a good cause!

As Noam Chomskey said if you believe the US owns the world than it makes perfect sense. So, the US owns the world.
Read his article:

http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20080101.htm

Also on "jcrumbs" comments on taxes, he is correct. So what we are seeing is representation by our Great Congress to the rich amongst us only. So in a sense you could bring about the theme 'No taxation without Representation' again. Use this on our goverment like we did the British when the colonists had no say in Parliament but were taxed anyway...you know ..The boston tea party?

We are not powerless

1. Stop paying your taxes
2. Move to a different country until a new president is in.
3. Get a work visa and a job in that other country

You do not have to pay US taxes as long as you live in another country. You can have dual citizenship. You can study from another country, work and reside, with an FM-3 visa, easy to get as an American. You can still vote from a nearby consulate. I have lived in Mexico for the past three and a half years, I pay taxes here, have a job which allows me to pay the bills and save up, and am finishing up a double Major at WSU, in the social sciences and psychology. I am in the process of getting dual citizenship. My job, after six months, can give me 100,000 USD to buy a house (thats a Mexican Federal program, with no interest, and only about 150 dollar a month fees for however long you want, 5, 10, 15, or 20 years. My family does this too, I am going to stay here for three more years, save up, finish a masters online through the University of Illinois in sustainable development. After that, its the American Dream, from Mexico. Ha, you can still vote, and not pay your taxes, ha! Plus, you can then go to Canada and get their citizenshp too, thats a member of the American Union, and its perfectly legal, that is change,

Zac

The headline should read

"Americans Don't Know: There's a Plan on the Table to Resolve the Fake Nuclear Standoff in Which Iran Committed No Hostile or Illegal Acts Yet Faces the Threat of Sanctions or War."

What would happen if we all moved to Mexico, and the Mexicans all moved to the U.S.?

Moving to another country is not the answer if you want your voice to be heard. If anything it is a sure-fire way to marginalize yourself from American politics even more. Not paying taxes isn't going to solve anything either except to drive federal political players further into the pockets of the wealthy special interests that already finance their campaigns.

As Amb. Pickering lays out clearly, there are plenty of reasonable options to attacking Iran. The consequences of such an attack will be catastrophic for the entire world.

We have to become more directly involved in the system, and be willing work with our fellow Americans even more closely instead of whining about how ignorant "they" are and how powerless "we" are. If we can't unite and make our voices heard on this issue, after the bombs have fallen not only will it be too late, but we as progressives will have turned out to be as useless as the politicians we criticize.

I kind of assume that the Iranians would not be to keen on this offer, since they actually ARE working on developing nuclear weapons. Further, I would be deeply disappointed if they were not. A nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranians would be little more than a mere symbol, since they could never develop in reasonable time a delivery system that would in any way be a threat to the US. Nor could they assume much of a posture of anything but attempted national suicide by threatening to use it against either the US or Izrael. But it would put them on the map, give them stature and influence in the region, and provide a counterbalance to the US lead corporate tyrannies in at least that corner of the world.

Can someone tell me exactly, the specific date, that the US became the ruler of the world? It seems that this country only wants to tell everybody what to do all the while screwing their own citizens.
It makes sense for Iran to make nuclear energy for their own use, since they are a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Remember, the US is the only country to ever use an atomic weapon.

Liberal Lady- that would be the day that the US vaporized the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Zac, criticalthinktank,

Actually, the simplest thing to do is to simply up the number of exemptions you claim on your W2 to the point where you have little or no tax withheld. Then simply throw your 1040 in the trash can. Repeat ad infinitum.

I can't believe that I'm actually agreeing with the likes of Grover Norqist, but at this point, I really do believe that our best hope is to drown the Federal govermment in the bathtub.

I have made two resolutions for the near future:
1. Going to visit Iran, the birthplace of civilization. (or was that Iraq?...) Well, I'll try to get there sometime this year, to see the country, while it is still standing.
2. Will write to my PM, Kevin Rudd, that as a "middle power", an ANZUS member, a "friend" of the US, we have a responsibility to sometimes give advice, not just blindly follow. And we should give a well-thought-out, well-reasoned argument, not something blinded by some Zionist sentiment of grandeur, or imagined slights, or threats.
I'll also write to my representative to voice his concern about the situation regarding Iran.
Something needs to be done globally. Someone has to stop the bully or at least put serious obstacles in it's path

President Shit-for-Brains wants another war and the people we have hired to represent us are going to let him have it. Best they can come up with is a threat to impeach if he nukes them. Peachy.

Veteran '66-68

ryski: Iran is already on the Map... they already have stature in the region.... that is WHY Israel and the US are messing with them. Also, when you say "since they actually ARE working on developing nuclear weapons" how do you know? They have publicly disavowed nuclear weapons. They are enriching their uranium to no more than 4%... the IAEA says they have NO evidence of any enrichment to weapons grade (95%)... so you're just speculating... speculation is dangerous.

Opposition to a nuclear Iran is mostly a pretext to add a large slice of fear to the election dynamics. CheneyOilCo knows that it works well as an incentive to vote monkeypuppet.

Of course there are alternatives to war. There are also alternatives to weapons escalation in the MidEast theater... but that hasn't stopped CheneyOilCo from starting the process to arm Israel with cruise missiles.

It's bad enough that they have nuclear weaponry, but with cruise capability, they extend their range to most of the Middle East without worrying about sortie limitations.

The entire scenario is changing for the worse. We are letting them do it. I have lost faith in Obama to institute any real change, so am at a loss as to how to solve this mess... Democrats??? Cowards. They won't do it. They know they can cave without political ramifications.

JeffGeorge July 7th, 2008 4:16 pm

Congratulations! At least some have moved out of the sixties.

The ONLY Middle East state with WMD's is Israel!

In 1976, the Symington Amendment was adopted to fortify and extend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It prohibited US assistance to any country trafficking in nuclear enrichment equipment or technology outside of international safeguards.

The world learned about Israel's secret underground nuclear weapons facility in 1986 due to Mordechai Vanunu's photographic evidence, but the American government ignores this elephant in the world and has refused to insist Israel allow international inspection of their nuclear weapons facilities.

The American government's double standards and Israel's negation of international law, UN resolutions, and denial of equal human rights for Palestinians have all contributed to the instability in the Middle East.

Beginning in the 1990's and even more so after 9/11, US politicians blind allegiance to Israel has been furthered by the claim that both states are threatened by Arab terrorist groups and rogue states bent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction.

The "war on terror" has become a tactic to infuse fear while it ignores that much of the anger in the Arab world is in response to Israel's 40+ years of military occupation of Palestine and the concrete wall and electrified fence built on legally owned Palestinian property which is "financed with U.S. aid at a cost of $1.5 million per mile. The Israeli wall prevents residents from receiving health care and emergency medical services. In other areas, the barrier separates farmers from their olive groves which have been their families' sole livelihood for generations."
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Page 43, Jan/Feb. 2007

Senator William Fulbright warned, "The age of warrior kings and of warrior presidents has passed. The nuclear age calls for a different kind of leadership....a leadership of intellect, judgment, tolerance and rationality, a leadership committed to human values, to world peace, and to the improvement of the human condition. The attributes upon which we must draw are the human attributes of compassion and common sense, of intellect and creative imagination, and of empathy and understanding between cultures."

Yet, America's 'leaders' continue to cower and pander to AIPAC, which is an "illegal foreign lobby that has long flouted US law and suborned the national interest as a foreign agent."-page 168,
"Foreign Agents: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee from the 1963 Fulbright Hearings to the 2005 Espionage Scandal" by Grant F. Smith

PS-July 8, 2008 in Jerusalem, Vanunu's 2 1/2 year Freedom of Speech trial concludes.

Eileen Fleming, Reporter and Editor WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu"
Author "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"

Iran could more easily and inexpensively build green alternatives with their fossil fuel revenue instead of going nuke and adding more cancer to the biosphere. The doubt over peaceful use remains as they know nukes would be the only deterrent against the bombs and invasion they witnessed firsthand on neighboring countries.

It is hypocritical in the extreme of USA/Israel to make these demands as they are themselves loaded to the gills with nuclear weapons.

I think the best that could happen is that Iran acquired nuclear weapons now and MAD would keep war from breaking out.

This proposal is probably the best we can hope for now though.

Thomas More July 7th, 2008 6:41 pm said:

"JeffGeorge July 7th, 2008 4:16 pm

Congratulations! At least some have moved out of the sixties."

Jesus the bleeding heart liberal hippie came down to earth in the sixties. He was personified by millions worldwide preaching peace and love. Then conservatives crucified him again. In fear, the conservative ruling class have demonized the sixties since. Don't fall for it.

ryski: Mohamed el-Baradei of the IAEA reports that his inspectors made a dozen or more unannounced inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities over the last year and found NO evidence that Iran was enriching uranium beyond the very low level required for electrical energy production. They will continue to monitor the program, which Iran is legally and morally entitled.

We are being fed the same baloney the administration successfully sold, using fear, about Iraq in 2002-2003. The only difference is that "WMD" has become Iran's INTENT to develop nuclear weapons at some time in the future. The IAEA and our intelligence community say Iran is NOT conducting a weapons program, no matter what our lying vice president says. Dr. El-Baradei says he will quit his job as head of the IAEA if Cheney/Bush/Lieberman/AIPAC et al succeed in buffalo-ing Congress into yet another authorization to use force against a country that is of no danger to us or Israel.

Iran , 4th largest oil reserve in the world, 5th largest natural gas reserve.

Why would they need nukes to protect their country from an illegal occupation.

IRAQ---AFGHANISTAN USA OCCUPATION, STOLEN OIL FIELDS AND HEROIN. YES HEROIN CONTROL. UP 25% IN PRODUCTION SINCE WE WE WENT IN TO THEIR COUNTRY.

" YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH "

Iran-nukes-danger ,danger ,danger , Israel-----

Americans will not support another war front that we start,
But hey, our buddy's Israel can start one.

And they should , they owe us for years of financial and military hand outs. Let them start the war and finish it.

We are all blinded by the lies, and they go back to 9/11.

9/11 is where we will find the truth about the plan to destroy Americas Free will.

The Terrorists live in the White House , and the NEW WORLD ORDER is their God. Wait, the New World Bank is their God and we are their BITCH!!!!!!!! WAR BITCH !!!!!!

The wheels are not just in motion , but spinning very fast.

Iraq, Afghanistan , and Iran is next.

I see no end in sight, covert Iraq permanent bases deal, 4 large US oil company contracts, there will be no troop withdrawal any time soon, not if we bomb Iran.

They have us by the short hairs , and no one is going to change anything, especially the Democrats , or haven't you noticed.

Warrant less spying, Patriot Act, these bastards are fully positioned and prepared for a full blown revolution.

George Carlin said it best " We are F--ked "

And I love to say
" Dear Lord forgive us, for we know not what we do"

Bornfreemen

Will the last patriot standing kiss the Constitution Goodbye.

Americans don't know...there is a plan on the table to avert war with Iran?

Hey, Americans by and large WANT war with Iran. After seeing Arabs portrayed as terrorists and creeps, 'ragheads' in Movies and on TV all their lives, why would'nt they?

ryski; you are right; Iran seeks hegemony in the reason via it's nuclear program-and electrical energy as well-but it is influence they are after primarily.

Which the Bush Crime Syndicate's War w/ Iraq has SURE helped; Iran is a power in the region BECAUSE of the idiot's war.

And this is what israel fears; Not Iran's nuclear program, but it's increased influence which the enrichment potentiates.

Palestine.

Irans are Persian not Arabs. Not that most Americans bother to learn that fact. sigh.

frank1569, yes you've got that right. Most
Americans are apathetic about what the political criminals running the country are doing; to them, ignorance is bliss. The thugs running the country have a green light to do anything they want.

A few years ago I met a young guy in his early twenties, an Iranian. I was totally astounded by how intelligent and how informed this kid was. He couldn't have been more than 22 years old, and he knew what was going on in politics. He wasn't interested in what people like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, or Lindsay Lohan were up to.

joneden, your comment was hilarious. anyway, so what are they saying in this piece, that diplomacy is valid? ..as a "solution"..? but why? why? why do we have to stoop to diplomacy?

dcbeltway; I commented on why many Americans want war with Iran, the negative portrayals of Arabs over time in the MSM.

I stand by that.

If you disagree with that comment, please elaborate.

I think your post was a veiled aspersion cast upon my personal grasp of facts in the ME! Bring it on!

My post, I thought simply, reflected American's subjective perceptions; not their grasp of facts.

Nor my own. SIGH.

Palestine Forever.

Anyone who is pro nuke IRAN is a fool or some teenager who thinks after you drop nukes you hit the reset button and start a new game. Sorry folks Israel is 100% wrong again in attacking IRAN or any other country.

http://www.freegaza.org/index.php?language=EN
FREE GAZA! aka Veracity I need not attempt a photo for Mother's Day by a Palestinian Artist, beautiful. Redirects to the site.

Well if we don't bomb the hell out of them, we will give them lung cancer.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/07/08/us_ships_cigarettes_bras_more_to_iran/?page=1

Lisa - you are correct regarding "subjective perception", because that is what 95% of the people rely upon today. As many people before have commented on CD, the media and big business realise this, and use it to control/manipulate the populace, by using the "lowest common denominator" form of propaganda - emotive, racist, nationalistic, "patriotic".
I don't know if it is the same in the US as the UK, but we rarely see or hear informed programmes, cutting edge documentary or a critical take on our own foreign policy. The only "grasp of facts" which the general population have, is from the mainstream sound bites on the "news" (5% news and 95% celebrity tittle tattle), and the Murdoch controlled tabloid press.
Most of the British (and I suspect US) people do not realise that Iranians are not Arabs, do not know Middle Eastern history prior to 9/11, and certainly do not know the extent of Anglo American interventionism since the second World war.

Zac, everyones circumstances are different. And while most of your information on the ease of moving, the legality of not paying taxes, acquiring dual citizenship, the simplicity of getting an FM-3 visa, etc. is really horse shit, the difficulties that most will face should not discourage people from counting the cost of leaving the American nightmare to the inbred patriots.

BIG PIC: THE PROBLEM OF SPREADING A PROGRESSIVE MESSAGE IN A RIGHT WING STATE

"...while polls consistently show most Americans want negotiations with Iran...most Americans don't know that there's an offer on the table right now...If this video makes the rounds, Americans can learn..."

OK, let's take the problem in lived terms first: I have connections w/non-progressives, but little connection - little shared venture - that would let me share this (without their thinking 'why?') or, as a result, lead to discussion and/or a change of mind. And then - if someone DID change their mind, what then? A letter or signature? (possible) A shift of party (unlikely, and of questionable impact).

The problem in theoretical terms: No progressive movement joining people in practical shared concerns; hence no opportunities for progressive issues in a 'lived' context; and, hence, no opportunities to work toward a 'ok, we agree, what next?' stage of progressive organization, meaning (imo) a third party.

Apologies for not offering solutions or a specific tactic...but finding solutions in this case means confronting just what progressives are up against in the U.S. To change minds, we have to connect on a daily basis - with such connections, a video can make a difference, without such connections, 'progressive news' will bounce off people...

lisa3210peace Lisa I have nothing against Arabs and I count Arabs amongst my friends and business partners. I've worked in the Arab world before and traveled throughout the Middle East. I pointed out that Iranians are Persian and not Arabs because people always confuse the two. I am married to an Afghan and people always ask him if he is Arab. He gets tired of explaining that he is not Arab. Nothing wrong with being Arab by the way but there are many different ethnic groups in the Middle East besides Arabs and non-Arabs want to be recognized as their own ethnic groups.

I agree with your original statements. It just a bad comparison since Iranians are not Arabs. Don't be so touchy as I am on the same side as you.

hi dcbeltway; thanks for your response.

It does sound like we both care for ME peoples and cultures.

You are right about the touchiness thing too-I'm (not very well) working on that!

AndyUK; Hi, real facts are scarce, huh? Embedded somewhere distant maybe as truths tend to be.
I've found Informed Comment, m-f by Juan Cole is great. Also Asia Times Online. Antiwar.com...

But for the ME, Informed Comment.
Peace-piece by piece.

Thanks Lisa, I already look on these sites, plus anything John Pilger has to say, plus I know how ordinary Iranians feel. A lot are dismayed by the ultra conservative stance of the present government, but would only be drawn together by an attack of any kind by the US or Israel. Many people in the West do not have any idea of the recent history in the Middle East, and believe that any action our government takes, will be met with cheering in the streets. Our arrogance and ignorance is the reason behind the post 9/11 terrorist attacks. We only see the World as we would like to see it, and not the harsh reality.

ezeflyer July 7th, 2008 6:54 pm

If the rhetoric is the same, if the criticism's are the same, if the terms haven't changed, if the accuusations haven't changed much, why do you think its put out by the conservative ruling class?

Demonized the sixties?

dcbeltway July 8th, 2008 12:49 pm
I pointed out that Iranians are Persian and not Arabs because people always confuse the two. I am married to an Afghan and people always ask him if he is Arab. He gets tired of explaining that he is not Arab. Nothing wrong with being Arab by the way but there are many different ethnic groups in the Middle East besides Arabs and non-Arabs want to be recognized as their own ethnic groups.

Thank you so much for making this point. An Iranian friend was holding forth on this the other night. He wasn't being as polite as you are. He was saying the next guy that called him an Arab was going to get a nose bob! (he was kidding)

AndyUk; In my endless lack of awareness I'd missed John Pilger. I broke from the beginning of The War On Democracy to say,

thanks.

Tehran, Iran is a HUGE Modern City with approx. 10 million people in the city. And another 2 million just outside the city.
See this link of Tehran
http://bmspages.com/iranTehran.jsp
http://www.lucasgray.com/video/peacetrain.html
They need Nuclear Power to run their cities. Iran was granted the right to futher develop nuclear power plants back in the 1980's.

And what threat are they to the USA? NONE! They only threatend to stop accepting the US$ for their oil and make everyone pay in EUROS. But, have they done that yet? NO!

George W. Bush, ha, have you ever even done it, how would you know its horse shit, I have done it, is that really horse shit? Could you please be a bit more educated and please not insult me, that is really immature. Its really possible, and your not marginalizing yourself as a citizen as long as you vote, your only real democratic benefit anyways, so vote, but don't support them, with technology and globalization you can live anywhere and still be a steadfast citizen, I love America and my ancestors were here before it was even the USA. Seriously, change needs to happen, so do something, from anywhere. Some people might find it hard to move, but there is a huge American community here in Merida where I live now, more and more people from the states move here everyday, its a nice change, and they all still vote, and participate, and are doing thier part to make America a better place. As for the people that live in the states and don't want to move, there are still things to do, so lets roll with it and make the world a better place.

Zac