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HR 362 and the Alarming Escalation of Hostility Towards Iran
The current tension among political observers as to whether the U.S. and/or Israel will undertake military action against Iran before president Bush leaves office has been greatly intensified by the prospect that Congress will pass a frightening resolution, HR 362, as early as this week.
The Demands of HR 362
HR 362, sponsored by Rep. Gary Ackerman, a New York Democrat, calls for the president to enact more draconian economic sanctions against Iran. These include an embargo against any imports of refined petroleum. (While Iran is of course a major exporter of oil, it imports at least 40% of its refined petroleum.) The wording of the Resolution is chilling in the extreme: "Congress... demands that the President initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by... prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program." The resolution is moving quickly through the House and could pass as early as this week.
The "stringent inspection requirements" listed would require a naval blockade, thereby constituting an act of war. And this is how the resolution would be perceived by virtually all Iranians. The result would surely marginalize moderates in Iran who would shun retaliatory measures against the Bush administration's aggressive rhetoric, which has been escalating since fall of 2007. Iranians would unify behind their most belligerent leaders and the country would have been handed, by the president and Congress, powerful reasons to develop nuclear weapons for purposes of deterrence.
The final clause of the Resolution contains a classic example of political doubletalk: "... nothing in this Resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran." But an embargo-with-inspections scheme can be put in effect only by means of a blockade, which logically entails the use of force.
Congressional Democrats, the IAEA and Factual Falsehoods in HR 362
There is more support now than there was a year ago in Congress, especially among the Democrats, for military action against Iran. Thus HR 362's co-sponsors include 96 House Democrats and 111 House Republicans. These are the same Democrats whom Americans voted into Congress, in November 2006, as majorities in both houses, based on what voters believed to be the Democrats' opposition to war in the Middle East.
To add insult to injury, HR 362 justifies its content with demonstrably false accusations about Iran's nuclear program. The Resolution charges that Iran's importing and manufacturing of centrifuges are "covert" and "illicit." But under both the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to which Iran is a signatory, and Iran's agreements with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), these activities are entirely permitted. The IAEA has publicly stated its support of Iran's uranium enrichment program, which it states is in full accord with all treaty requirements to which Iran is subject.
Late last October IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei remarked to CNN: "Have we seen Iran having the nuclear material that can be readily used into a weapon? No. Have we seen an active weaponization program? No. ... I very much have concern building confrontation, because that would lead to a disaster. I see no military solution. The only durable solution is through negotiations and inspections. My fear is that if we continue to escalate from both sides that we would end up on a precipice, we would end up in an abyss." ElBaradei's most recent statements repeatedly echo these October remarks.
The Role of AIPAC
That HR 362 has been so warmly received on Capitol Hill is a sad testimony to Congress's willing dependence on external interests which cannot be assumed to be identical to those of most Americans. The Resolution is known to have been initially drafted by the American-Israeli lobby AIPAC. In early June AIPAC sent more than a thousand lobbyists to Congress to whip up support for this Resolution.
Congress's well known subordination to AIPAC's agenda should not be construed as a democratic response to the wishes of the American Jewish community. Polls show that more than 80% of Jewish-Americans oppose an attack on Iran. Congress's compliance to AIPAC's interests amounts to obeisance to a foreign State, not to any domestic constituency.
HR 362 and the Pre-Invasion Rhetoric Re Iraq: Preludes to War
Reminiscent of Bill Clinton's decision to impose severe extensive sanctions against Iraq, the White House last October unilaterally imposed harsh economic sanctions against a number of important Iranian institutions. In addition to targeting more than 20 Iranian companies and the country's 3 major banks, the sanctions were announced as aimed mainly at Iran's uniformed security force, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (RGC), which the Bush administration characterized, with no evidence, as "proliferators of weapons of mass destruction" and RGC's Quds Force, which has been branded as a "supporter of terrorism." These two accusations were the main pretexts for the invasion of Iraq.
Since Quds is part of RGC, and the latter is a state institution, the branding of Quds as a terrorist organization was ipso facto to brand Iran as a terrorist state.
Just as Washington had earlier cooperated with Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran (by providing him with, among other things, chemical weapons), so too had Washington benefited from Quds's provision of arms to the U.S.-backed Muslim government in Bosnia, its aiding the forces fighting the Soviet military in Afghanistan, and its support for those fighting the Taliban. Quds even assisted, with U.S. approval, Kurdish guerrillas' assault on the Baathist regime of Saddam.
The demonization of former allies has been common to Washington's war preparations against both Iraq and Iran. In both cases perhaps the principal objectives have been to shut down the possibilities for a negotiated settlement, and to provide a "legal" framework for war by specifying the pretexts of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism.
The Democrats' overwhelming support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq is well known. Their legislation prior to the October 2007 sanctions is perhaps less well remembered. Shortly before Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced the October sanctions, the Democratic-led house passed legislation that would impose sanctions on non-U.S. energy companies doing business in Iran. The legislation passed by an overwhelming 397 - 16 vote.
Democratic leaders justified this legislation as cutting off funding for Iran's (entirely legal) nuclear program. But the legislation was surely motivated in large part by the intention to eliminate any competitive advantage that might be enjoyed by competitors of U.S. oil companies, which no longer have access to Iran-based profits.
HR 362 is a major extension of the October sanctions. The latter were intended to deal a damaging blow to Iran's economy. The RGC is not merely a military institution. It performs a broad range of economic activities. Its engineering unit includes among its major projects a $2 billion dollar contract to develop Iran's main gas field, a $1.3 billion contract for a new pipeline to Pakistan, the construction of a Tehran metro extension, a high-speed rail link connecting the capital and Isfahan, the expansion of shipping ports and the construction of a major dam.
The October sanctions are known to have already had a significant impact on Iran's economy. HR 362 is intended to intensify that damage, to take negotiations off the table, to provoke Iranian hard-liners. Its passage would constitute another giant step toward what Mohamed ElBaradei called "an abyss."
71 Comments so far
Show All"Iran is not known to possess weapons of mass destruction, and has signed treaties repudiating possession of them, including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Over 100,000 Iranian troops and civilians were victims to chemical weapons during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War. [1][2] On ideological grounds, a public and categorical religious decree against the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons has been issued by the leader of the Islamic Republic.[3]"
"The November 2007 United States National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) judged that Iran halted an active nuclear weapons program in fall 2003 and that it remained halted as of mid-2007. The estimate further judged that US intelligence did not know whether Iran intended "to develop nuclear weapons," but that "Iran probably would be technically capable of producing enough HEU [highly enriched uranium] for a weapon sometime during the 2010-2015 time frame" if it chose to do so.[4] Iran states its nuclear program is peaceful.[5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said he has seen no evidence of any nuclear weapons program in Iran.[6] The head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, has stated that he has seen "maybe some studies about possible weaponization", but "no evidence" of "nuclear material that can readily be used into a weapon" or "an active weaponization program" as of October 2007.[7]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction
That's the quisling Democratic Party for you. Bringing us closer to war with Iran. With Democrats like AIPAC Ackerman, who the hell needs Republicans? I hope Iran gives America and that little bitch called "Israel" what's coming!!
So it continues...The Democrats who were overwhelmingly elected in 2006 to get us out of President Bozo's idiotic war have sidled up to the right-wing AIPAC and sold their constituents down the river again. Let's finally wake up to the fact that the Democratic Party is really the less extreme wing of the Republican Party. Throw these BASTARDS out! Boycott corporate Amerika!
Be careful of what you hope for forextrader, you may get it. Although some yanks and isreali's may indeed deserve what's coming in the event of another war in the mideast, most of them don't.
This sabre rattling is getting annoying, on the one hand I'd like to tell them to get on with the bombing (shit; or get off the pot!), but then the reasonable side of me kicks in and I shudder at the cost of blood and treasure such a war would exact.
Shut up SLAVES the Zionists are going to send you all to your deaths.
They bought and sold your government years ago.
Keep pretending your government is going to save you from total destruction.
REMOVE THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANKING SYSTEM OR CONTINUE SACRIFICING YOUR CHILDREN AND THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR TO THE BANKING ELITE OF THE WORLD SO THEY CAN LIVE LIKE GODS.
"The colonies would gladly have borne the little tax on tea and other matters had it not been that England took away from the colonies their money,which created unemployment and dissatisfaction.
The inability of the colonists to get power to ISSUE THEIR OWN MONEY permanently out of the hands of GeorgeIII and the INTERNATIONAL BANKERS was the PRIME reason for the Revolutionary War."
Benjamin Franklin's autobiography
The War Mongers
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936
This is pathetic, the Democrats were elected in 2006 because people in the United States were unhappy with the Republican style of rushing to war. Now the Democrats are sponsoring more war!
It just goes to show you that, once again, the two parties are really not that different and AIPAC and the corporations own all of them.
It is times like these that I am glad I am voting for Nader, now I just wish there was a real, viable third party to put into Congress.
So let's get this right, this is important for us to focus on so we know where we stand and what we're up against.
HR 362 was introduced in late May, in the aftermath of discussions involving Olmert and Rep. Ackerman at the AIPAC conference. Nasser claims that "in early June AIPAC sent more than a thousand lobbyists to Congress to whip up support for this Resolution." As of June 19, when the first report of this reaches the Daily Kos, there has been absolutely no media coverage, but 100 congressional co-sponsors. Soon after, the story began to spread through the alternative press. This resolution, which amounts to and will be taken as a war authorization, now has over 200 co-sponsors. Yet apart from Yahoo News, which carried a column by Pat Buchanan which mentions it, and an item on the CBS website, still no radio or TV network and no national daily paper has even mentioned it! Yesterday UPI ran a story on it; but AP and Reuters have not mentioned it yet!
It will be interesting to watch whether they mention it when it passes! Or will they represent it as the result of a sudden Congressional reaction to the latest outrage?
The evidence is circumstantial but overwhelming that someone or some cohesive group of people decided this wasn't to be allowed to be in the news, and they had the power to make that stick. This kind of news-silencing happens regularly. And in this case the alternative press didn't pick up on it for a month, by which time the bill already had a huge momentum. No one in Congress alerted us, not even Kucinich or Paul (both of whom have now issued strongly-worded statements about it.)
We need to come up with ideas about how we can make sure we don't miss a story like this next time and how we can get these "silenced stories" out to the people! I've posted about this before and I'm trying again. I'm not seeing the conversation we need. Perhaps no one knows what to suggest?
Allow me to prime the pump.
How about this: the boards of CommonDreams, AlterNet, TruthDig, Truthout, perhaps the Huffington Post and blogs like Daily Kos, and any other appropriate alternative news sources get together and set up a press service, and launch a campaign to enroll donors who will pledge to support the cost, including the salaries of some hopefully fearless professional journalists?
How about a campaign to get people out door to door or on the phone to build our readership? A campaign to raise money to support a major advertising campaign to boost our readership? How about a campaign to set up an email network whose alerts people are pledged to pass along? What are your ideas? Who's working on these issues now?
In the meantime, don't forget to speak up, write or call your congresspeople, Senators and local news sources about this disastrous resolution! Raise a stink!
Forextrader:
That is quite an interesting point you've brought up.
As we weave our way through this phony left-right paradigm, we know that both the Democrats and Republicans are from the same corporate cloth and are collaborating with AIPAC.
I'm wondering which party quisling most? What representitives have the most influence? HR 362's co-sponsors include 96 House Democrats and 111 House Republicans.
Either way, a naval blockade on Iran is an act of war and could possibly create a Gulf of Tonkin type event. Waalaa! An attack on Iran begins and the warmongers get to attack Iran. I hope and pray it doesn't come to this. Everyone needs to call their reps in Wor-shing-ton to denounce HR 362.
Agreed Munich, a naval blockade would most assuredly be an act of war. For Skippy: believe me I don't wish for war, but if the US and Zionist "Israel" make war on Iran, then these two thug nations will reap what they have sewn.
If I didn't know any better. And I do. I believe Rep. Gary Ackerman and the rest of the crooks ensconced in Washington were convincing yes men to our faces, but when the door closed they all looked at each other, someone chuckled, then another and then hillarious pandemonium broke out. When they calmed down one congressman asked, "There'll be hell to pay for this" and then hillarious pandemonium broke out.
Until both Repugs & Dems on the street come to a common agreement that we are literally getting F**ked in the you know where and starts physical revolt, nothing anyone says will make ANY difference.
A good start toward reform would be to make membership in the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) a political liability on the American landscape. The might begin to clean up Congress from these perverse Israeli agents.
We talk aggression - Iran talks non-aggression.--http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=62989§ionid=351020101
A vote for the Democrats is a vote for war. Please stop voting Democrat.
As a citizen in the US, you get a very limited say in what your government does. Basically once every two years (House), four years (President), or six years (Senator), you get to cast one vote.
Right now, the Democrats are working very hard to get you to throw away that chance to change this. They keep spreading the bogus idea that you should vote for their pro-war candidates, then you can 'pressure' say a President Obama once he's in office. That's bull, because they know there's no way at all you can effectively pressure him once he's elected.
This is a prime example. Who exactly is able to 'pressure' the Democratic congressional leadership on an issue like this? A bunch of lefty peace activists? Hardly. We'd never get into the office to talk to any of them. But the AIPAC lobbyists, who pay big bucks out to Democrats every election cycle have no problem at all 'pressuring' the Democrats into getting what they want.
Welcome to the Obama White House. Lobbyists with big bucks (like AIPAC) will be inside sitting down and talking to the President and his adivsors. You will be out on the mall carrying a sign surrounded by riot police and fences. You might be allowed to go to a 'free speech zone' and speak since the 'free speech zone' is positioned such that no one with any power can hear what's said there. If you get enough people to do a large enough protest, President Obama might just look out the window of Marine One as it flies him out of town to Camp David.
You get one chance to affect the American political process. That chance is your vote. It isn't a great chance. Heck, these days you can't even be sure its counted fairly. But its the only chance you've got to demand change. Don't waste that vote on the pro-war Democrats.
Stop voting Democrat! Its the only way to change this. Start electing a new opposition that will really represent us. Stop voting Democrat!
forextrader;
No, I know you don't want another war. My point was that it would not likely be the 'zionists' nor the high falutin 'republicrats' who would suffer from such a war. It'll be the ordinary people, the cannon fodder, who suffer from the arrogance of the leaderships. No matter what happens to bush, he's gonna get a nice state funeral. None of those who officially attend that wanker's funeral will speak ill of him - no matter how much he's earned such contempt.
But those who die in his wars will get, at best, a chunk of marble over a newly filled hole; their families might get a flag (if they fought on the 'right' side) which was made in China...
We have learned nothing from the wartime sacrifices of the past. To this day those who fell in wars of the past have had their graves pissed on. The cult of militarism and the worship of war has moved unimpeeded from country to country, leaving destruction, death and debt.
What is most astonshing or should I say troubling, is the fact that the American people have been so "dumbed down" by the this complicit "corpstream" media, and they haven't a clue about HR 362.
Many of these same people, who on the 4th of July unfurled their Chinese made American flags, waving them proudly in full support for their country and it's illegal acts of agression.
The "sheeple" totally oblivious to HR 362 and the devastating effects it could have to their country and the world.
The sheeple are too lazy and dumbed-down to notice what's going on; furthermore, they don't want to be bothered.
I saw yet another right-winger on C-Span last week, James Glassman, Ambassador and Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs. He was lying about Iran, of course, and said "Iran is threatening the world." The smug war-loving war profiteers' lies have become bolder since no one holds them accountable or questions them.
When a caller said that this administration was quite unpopular, Mr. Glassman had the audacity to say "This is not American Idol. We're not in a popularity contest." I guess that means when someone is unpopular, they're doing something right. According to him, everyone is trying to come to America. It's so wonderful here (even though health care, education, housing, jobs, etc. are way behind other countries).
Whenever I watch C-Span, I see a lying right-winger. I don't watch much TV, but it's obvious there is no "left" in the U.S. There's only the "right" and the extreme "right."
CHRIS HORTON: You brought up and intelligently argued the case for MEDIA exposure of what IS going on. I can't imagine all the money in the world can buy the consciences of those who must understand what an all-out 3rd world war will mean, even here at home?
I LOVE your idea of combining the readership bases of the sites you related, and perhaps getting some billionaire on board (Soros?) to fund a campaign that places ADS on TV to show what's REALLY going on. Would the networks block such an effort? Would they do so even though the plan to invade Iran is following the same formula as that used on Iraq, to dismal results?
As some have noted, a percentage of our fellow citizens are so mesmerized by bull shit for so long, they can't recognize the truth... but there are probably a percentage that can, and needs to hear and fully understand it.
The complicity of both parties for something this EVIL and ill-considered is grounds for high treason for LOTS of bodies. I wish the World Court could act pre-emptively on this lawless bunch of wealthy premeditated murderers!
ChrisHorton - this is a brilliant idea.
I am so tired of the New York Times and the press services censoring and manipulating the news. I know there are a lot of reporters who would welcome a chance to write for such an outlet and I know there are a lot of people who would want to read news from such a service.
I think it should avoid being another old male white left thing (ala Counterpuch) which we already have to some extent. (I value these things, but they are stuck in a certain time and place). The language and perspective should be new and fresh and not drift into too much ego and in-fighting.
I can tell you that a surpising percent of my working class and "minority" students are already hungering for more truth in the news. They know they are getting garbage.
HR 362 = loud boom as Iranian boats draw 'to close' to an American carrier. The US shoots first 'in self defense'.
This will only, CAN ONLY be seen as an act of provocation on the part of the US, who will then go forward with the long drawn up program of the 1200+ target bombing run, aided and abetted by Israel.
In turn, Iran will turn the Straights of Hormuz into a shooting gallery, where oil tankers and US carriers and warships will be sitting ducks for the Russian supplied 'Sunburn' and French supplied 'Exocet' anti-ship missiles, whose average speed at 4 meters above the waves will give 3 seconds warning time.
This will slam shut the oil supplies coming from the Middle East, Saudi Arabia will undergo the long overdue anti-American revolt, and Israel will be wiped off the map as it's neighbors turn on it like the rabid animal it is. The entire Muslim world will share a convulsion of anti-American violence as US corporations are looted and burned.
And the price of oil will skyrocket, possibly as high as $600/bbl, according to Matthew Simmons, author of 'Twilight in the Desert'.
This in turn will collapse the world economy, and lead to SEVERE shortages of basic necessities.
After 3 days, every city in the modern world will be out of food. Gasoline, already in short supply, will have the remaining reserves impounded and hoarded by the remains of the national governments.
If you think I am being dramatic, then why has the government of the UK ordered major market chains to start stockpiling food?
Obama could put the issue up for a binding national referendum:
www.nationalinitiative.us
Anyone receiving money from AIPAC has to register as an agent of a foreign government. Don't they?
Clearly Ackerman is Israeli first and American second.
Same as Lieberman.
I've been at hospital much in the past 28 hours with daughter and seizure's again. So I've not been able to read full text of this House Resolution, I now understand a few things that have occurred in my online life. That group 'J' Street sent me the petion to sign , by rote I enter click, backtrack:ACCESS DENIED, I thought WTF??? Tried three times, yes I am thick, I seem to think it may be my leaning left so to speak on my blog by having the audacity to use backlink buttons for FreeGaza, beautiful posters created by Palestinian Artist's, One is for Mother's Day in Gaza Celebration, the other are two children, only that as you first glance, trained on them you see the crosshairs of a Soldiers site trained on them. Me thinkst me pissed off the non-existant J of J Street.
Those Congressmen who support HR362 should be tried for Treason. Under NO circumstances should the lobby of such a small number of American's (2%) Jews be allowed to dictate policy. If 80% of the 2% of Jews oppose HR 362 then just who is supporting it? The answer is clearly Israel.
If Congress believes that Israel can save them from the voters of this country if they support HR362 then god help them. The anger American's feel toward their government right now is unequaled in my lifetime. I feel sorry for American Jews too because people are beginning to hate them. This kind of hate can be easily exploited by demagogues. These are very dangerous times and Bushco better read the tea leaves right.
War is a fundamental part of the U.S. economy. War is profitable. People are energized and happy when there is a weaker country to attack. Of course ANY country has a weaker military than the U.S., so it's easy pickings, like taking candy from a baby.
You can go to the Just Foreign Policy website to demand that your representatives NOT give Bush his war with Iran.
Then if they do, at least you can feel better that you've tried this before you escalate your tactics against the war machine.
Chris Horton and Siouxrose:
Excellent notion!
Perhaps include "The Nation" in the list?
I notice that MoveOn.org has managed to help in organizing a huge $40million campaign to put heath care into congress after the new election.
Surely this kind of force could be harnessed to keep a full-time news service staffed at Washington to keep an eye on things like HR 362.
This would be great to get politicians spinning around not knowing what to do as every move they make is scrutinized. The only ones who would be able to ignore the pressure would be those who were standing on principles they believed in or that their constituents believed in...which is supposed to be the POINT of representative government.
We need more posts like Chris Horton's.
If you WANT a third party system then you have to start from the ground up and not the top down.
Here is a group I respect:
http://www.progressiveparty.org/
ezeflyer July 8th, 2008 4:17 pm
"Obama could put the issue up for a binding national referendum:
www.nationalinitiative.us"
Don't hold your breath for Obama to do the right thing here. He is one of them.
Since both major party candidates continue to make aggressive statements toward Iran and support keeping significant troop levels in Iraq indefinitely, it is critical we keep building an independent antiwar movement. The National Assembly to End the War in Iraq met at the end of June in Cleveland. Over 400 discussed and debated proposals for upcoming antiwar actions with the theme of bring the troops home now.
They endorsed nationally coordinated actions Oct. 11 and again after the elections on
Dec. 9-14. Plans for national demonstrations in Washington and San Francisco next spring were approved as well. The assembly also urged participation in the demonstrations at the Rep. and Dem. conventions with the call to Bring Them Home Now.
For more information visit natassembly.org
One simple example of media manipulation struck home several years ago as presented on CNN.
An original picture showed an Israeli bulldozer pushing down a Palestianin home. The caption read something to this effect.
"Israelis destroy Terrorist Base". In the pictures foreground was a picture of a fence with laundry hung over it. An old Palestianin woman was watching and crying as her home was pushed down.
Apparently this picture evoked too much empathy for the Palestinians. Withing hours of it posting the image was edited. The Palestinian woman no longer appeared on the photo. She was airbrushed out. She no longer existed.
The news you read, is what they want you to read.
You have to be some sort of nutty anti-semite to suggest Aipac has a role in this...right?
PK
HR 362 must be defeated. Call your congressman, your senator. Goat....its not saber rattling....this is essentially a declaration of war if passed.
forextrader July 8th, 2008 12:05 pm
Be very, very careful what you wish for. In a p.....g contest with the US you won't like the outcome. Don't mistake the power that is at their disposal if needed, don't think for a minute they won't use it if need be.
I was heartened by the responses from siouxrose, jclientelle and physicscitizen.
physicscitizen brought up the Progressive Party of Vermont. Of course! Who suffers more blatant discrimination by the press than the alternative parties, and who needs people to understand what's really going down than they do?
Perhaps groups such as the Green Party, the Ralph Nader campaign, the Progressive Democrats of America, even MoveOn.org, could be enrolled in raising money on an ongoing basis to support a press service that would feed us all with news releases, and could be involved in finding a way to distribute these "silenced stories" to their constituents. Maybe we could think even bigger, and include the Libertarian Party and other anti-interventionist conservatives in this effort? If the corporate media chooses to kill a story it is probably one that we should be getting out!
Let's keep the collective thinking rolling!
There is a strong sense of ennui and powerlessness here. We all know that news is highly controlled, as in any fascist state where corporatocracy, military-industrial complex and AIPAC and arms manufacturer's lobbyists have control over the government and the mainstream media. That some unusual tsunami of dumbness has swept over the American mind only adds to the pliability and (unthinkable?) feasibility of waging war on Iran. And if Iran strikes back? Would the social engineers of ignorance not take this to be a terrorist strike and allow the current criminals to declare martial law and continue their rapacious policies? I am beginning to think I'd rather live in a country that is out front in its corruption than here, the land of the free and the home of brave but asleep at the wheel people live; the dumbest and most uninformed population of any country in the western world. pbk
Israel and the United States can threaten Iran (all options are on the table) but God forbid Iran says anything about defending itself. How would any of you posting comments on CD feel if you were an Iranian citizen not knowing if you, your family and country was going to be blown to smithereens at any time?
Iran posses no threat,period! Money talks and "other stuff" walks, and AIPAC knows this. And they have mastered the art of the smear, and all people in Congress know this and are afraid of the Zionist Lobby.
I may be wrong, and I've said this publicly to Jew and Gentile alike, but if push comes to shove and the US and Israel commit another war crime and attack Iran, the "detainee centers" at Buchenwald, Treblinka, Dachau, etc. will seem like vacation resorts compared to what can happen in an all-out conflict.
The United States is bankrupt in many ways, and is fast declining while others are rising. If Iran is attacked, we may just see "phase two" of the final solution. This planet is dying and the US is the Grim Reaper.
The only thing which has changed since the caveman era is technology.
It sure isn't our spiritual development.
HR 362 will do much damage to George W Bush's greatly expanded exports to Iran. This bill will cost American Corporations Profit$. This bill will cost American JOBS - or so the song and dance goes. Just who is this Foreign Entity, AIPAC, that is making laws against Americans? Is this not Treasonessly UnPatriotic?
Chris Horton, siouxrose, jcliente, moore, and others with the positive vision.
Here would be the hardest part of that job. Good grief, I don't think I could stand to do this.
The way to watch for these kinds of suppressed stories would be at first, a multi-prong approach. One investigator does nothing but watch congress. But the other one has to read all the major conservative and corporate think-tank web sites. Kato institute, Heritage foundation, AIPAC,....focus on the ones with big bucks behind them. This would give the heads-up as to which direction they are heading. Another person or group would have to basically just spend time hanging out on K-street and in the lobby with the lobbiests...just watching and listening to them...and then following the money. All these think-tanks and lobby organizations have to publish where their funds are going and who their lobbyists are and the biggest ones would need to be followed.
Part of the mission would also be to name and shame those organizations who are backing these kinds of dirty little secrets.
I suspect that the people doing this would have to be persistent and brave....which is why I mentioned "The Nation". I suspect several of it's reporters are regularly threatened. People in power believe in their own righteousness too much to accept that their actions can ever be wrong in any way. Remember the idiotic statements from Tom DeLay when he was forced out? He truly believes to this day that he is a moral paragon. These are the characters they'd be up against.
@skippyagogo41 July 8th, 2008 12:16 pm
You are not the first person to say that they are sick of the sabre rattling. This worries me. My worry is that if it has the same effect on everyone, then war will be inevitable. We have had 5 years of the sabre rattling now. If that is the neocon strategy, then it seems to be working.
Peaceman; Nice post.
A note; After endless bombing of women and children, Iranian POW's, those able to survive prolonged torture, are to be incarcerated at the Gaza Detention Center.
This will "show them who is wiping who from the map."
If I understand correctly, the very passage of thsi Israeli-invented provocation is in and of itself an act of war, since it's emplimentataion requires a blockade. Ah, well...the Goyim who will suffer death, maiming and unspeakable privations aren't Jews...G-D's chosen folks, so who cares?
Here we go again. Iraq and Iran are only one letter apart.
I wish I could say with confidence that the herd intelligence has improved.
"TOYAKO, Japan (AFP) - The United States said Wednesday that Russia and Europe should be "equal partners" in its planned missile defence, after Moscow threatened to react militarily to any deployment near its borders."
Does 'equal partners' mean IRBMs in Cuba again?
physicscitizen,
I don't know how to go about raising the money for a professional wire service, I haven't a clue really except to say that someone else should do it. I'm good for $25, maybe. But looking at what you suggested, if a crew of volunteers, with 10 hours a week each to contribute, were to get together and lay out all the things we could do from our computers and then divide them up and do them, and share what we find with all the alternative news sources, we could make a difference. How could we make that happ[en?
Part of what builds readership for the alternative press is the understanding that they have real solid important news that the mainstream press does not, so that would also be a contribution to reaching the people. But we still have the problem of reaching the people who are watching FOX with their mind only half on it because they know they're being lied to but they don't believe that anyone is going to tell them the truth. But, one thing at a time. We need to make sure that a fiasco like the coverage of Hse Cont Res 362 doesn't happen again.
Now don't forget to call your congresspeople and raise some Hell!
"Congress's compliance to AIPAC's interests amounts to obeisance to a foreign State, not to any domestic constituency."
And THAT is called "Treason" folks...
I know that I have repeated this before on CD, but I believe this has some relevance at the moment. We are seeing no reports from Iraq and Afghanistan, which take into account the civilian suffering, nothing at all on our mainstream TV Channels, not even from the BBC. Instead, whenever a British soldier is killed, the coverage is excessive. We have heard nothing about HR 362 on the news, but we do hear snippets about Iran's supposed nuclear ambitions. Is this a deliberate act by the media, to make people forget about the humanitarian disaster that is Iraq?
What Congress people? I live in North Dakota. Our one and only congressman is Earl Pomeroy. He is a Democrat, but a Republican Democrat. Last week I signed a petition sponsored by Congressman Kucinich to impeach George Bush--House Resolution 1258. You want to know what I got back in response? "as you know, the Constitution provides for "impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Whether we agree or disagree with this President, most Americans, including myself, do not feel this high threshold has been met." Needless to say I wrote back and told him to read Vincent Bugliosi's book "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder". I also told him that he did not represent me, and that for the 1st time in my life, I will not be voting in this election coming up. I told him that we have become a one-party system. There are no more Democrats and Republicans, just a bunch of criminals running our government. All except for Dennis Kucinich. And, for the life of me, I don't know why he hasn't gone independent. Anyway, as far as I can see, there is nobody to turn to anymore. Our society is f----- up, our government is f----- up, and I am depressed as hell.
ANDYUK
YES................
PETSR4EVER07
don't let the bastards get you down............i know it sounds hopeless but we have to perservere till the bitter end. even if your actions do not bring results at least you did SOMETHING...........for your own soul, if nothing else.