SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Bush Hypes Threat from Iran in Surge "Success" Speech
Apr 11, 2008
In his speech on Thursday, Bush wasted little time before getting to the ominous subject of Iran.
Time and time again, he lumped the alleged threat from Iran in the same breadth as the one from Al Qaeda, once again fusing enemies in the minds of the American people.
"Serious and complex challenges remain in Iraq, from the presence of Al Qaeda to the destructive influence of Iran," he said, even before declaring that the surge has "renewed and revived the prospect of success."
A little later, he said, "Iraq is the convergence point for two of the greatest threats to America in this new century: Al Qaeda and Iran." (Bush has now elevated Iran over China as the looming threat of the century!)
And in the next paragraph, he said, "If we succeed in Iraq after all that Al Qaeda and Iran have invested there, it would be a historic blow to the global terrorist movement and a severe setback for Iran."
Al Qaeda-Iran, Al Qaeda-Iran, Al Qaeda-Iran. That is the chant emanating from the White House.
But Bush was not content to be subtle about his belligerence toward Iran.
Listen to the saber rattle:
"The regime in Tehran also has a choice to make," Bush said. "It can live in peace with its neighbor, enjoy strong economic and cultural and religious ties. Or it can continue to arm and train and fund illegal militant groups, which are terrorizing the Iraqi people and turning them against Iran. If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq. Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops, and our Iraqi partners."
By "America will act," Bush is making damn clear that he intends to go ahead and bomb Iran.
We can keep telling ourselves that Bush wouldn't be so foolish as to widen the war to Iran when the one in Iraq is going so badly. But foolishness has never stopped him before.
Regard his words.
They put not only Tehran on notice.
They put Congress and the American people on notice.
This man is planning on waging another illegal war, and we need to do all that we can, nonviolently, to stop him.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2008 The Progressive
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
© 2023 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
In his speech on Thursday, Bush wasted little time before getting to the ominous subject of Iran.
Time and time again, he lumped the alleged threat from Iran in the same breadth as the one from Al Qaeda, once again fusing enemies in the minds of the American people.
"Serious and complex challenges remain in Iraq, from the presence of Al Qaeda to the destructive influence of Iran," he said, even before declaring that the surge has "renewed and revived the prospect of success."
A little later, he said, "Iraq is the convergence point for two of the greatest threats to America in this new century: Al Qaeda and Iran." (Bush has now elevated Iran over China as the looming threat of the century!)
And in the next paragraph, he said, "If we succeed in Iraq after all that Al Qaeda and Iran have invested there, it would be a historic blow to the global terrorist movement and a severe setback for Iran."
Al Qaeda-Iran, Al Qaeda-Iran, Al Qaeda-Iran. That is the chant emanating from the White House.
But Bush was not content to be subtle about his belligerence toward Iran.
Listen to the saber rattle:
"The regime in Tehran also has a choice to make," Bush said. "It can live in peace with its neighbor, enjoy strong economic and cultural and religious ties. Or it can continue to arm and train and fund illegal militant groups, which are terrorizing the Iraqi people and turning them against Iran. If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq. Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops, and our Iraqi partners."
By "America will act," Bush is making damn clear that he intends to go ahead and bomb Iran.
We can keep telling ourselves that Bush wouldn't be so foolish as to widen the war to Iran when the one in Iraq is going so badly. But foolishness has never stopped him before.
Regard his words.
They put not only Tehran on notice.
They put Congress and the American people on notice.
This man is planning on waging another illegal war, and we need to do all that we can, nonviolently, to stop him.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2008 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
In his speech on Thursday, Bush wasted little time before getting to the ominous subject of Iran.
Time and time again, he lumped the alleged threat from Iran in the same breadth as the one from Al Qaeda, once again fusing enemies in the minds of the American people.
"Serious and complex challenges remain in Iraq, from the presence of Al Qaeda to the destructive influence of Iran," he said, even before declaring that the surge has "renewed and revived the prospect of success."
A little later, he said, "Iraq is the convergence point for two of the greatest threats to America in this new century: Al Qaeda and Iran." (Bush has now elevated Iran over China as the looming threat of the century!)
And in the next paragraph, he said, "If we succeed in Iraq after all that Al Qaeda and Iran have invested there, it would be a historic blow to the global terrorist movement and a severe setback for Iran."
Al Qaeda-Iran, Al Qaeda-Iran, Al Qaeda-Iran. That is the chant emanating from the White House.
But Bush was not content to be subtle about his belligerence toward Iran.
Listen to the saber rattle:
"The regime in Tehran also has a choice to make," Bush said. "It can live in peace with its neighbor, enjoy strong economic and cultural and religious ties. Or it can continue to arm and train and fund illegal militant groups, which are terrorizing the Iraqi people and turning them against Iran. If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq. Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops, and our Iraqi partners."
By "America will act," Bush is making damn clear that he intends to go ahead and bomb Iran.
We can keep telling ourselves that Bush wouldn't be so foolish as to widen the war to Iran when the one in Iraq is going so badly. But foolishness has never stopped him before.
Regard his words.
They put not only Tehran on notice.
They put Congress and the American people on notice.
This man is planning on waging another illegal war, and we need to do all that we can, nonviolently, to stop him.
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2008 The Progressive
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy