It appears that the long-awaited attack on Iran is near. Massive “war games” are underway in the Gulf, and the Israeli Defense Forces are on cue assembling on the Lebanese border and in Golan Heights – the ongoing attack on Syria has spread to Lebanon. (Syria, Lebanon and Iran are the three remaining countries on the list of seven that the Bush Administration set out to topple. Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Iraq have already fallen.)
The film “Innocence of Muslims” is psychological warfare, and was interjected into Arab culture to spur uprisings that justify a massive western response. The (likely) false-flag attack on the American embassy in Libya has stirred up the fear machine here in the home of the brave. The psy-op people have been working nights.
Some might surmise that this is in preparation for the November election in the U.S., but that assertion is baseless, in my opinion. It is easily apparent that the 2008 election did not bring about a change in leadership, as the Obama Administration has relentlessly pursued the Neocon agenda of the Bushies before him*. So a change from Obama to Romney would be at best a diversion for confused Americans who think that voting has any influence on their government.
It appears to be the real deal this time, but I’ve been wrong before. I stand firmly on the assumption that I don’t know the future, and fervently hope this war will not proceed.
But I do know the nature of this ugly government we live under and the maniacs who run it. Iran is no more worthy of attack than Poland in 1939 – at least then, with the two countries bordering one another, a shaky premise could be made that Poland threatened Germany, justifying their preventive war. (We should not forget that German officers were hanged at Nuremberg for the crime of preventive war – perhaps we’ll live to see such justice rain down on our own criminals in their fake medal-tinseled uniforms.) But Iran has not invaded anyone in 300 years, nor does it threaten anyone. It merely stands in the way. Most of what we call terror in the world today is done by Americans, Israelis and Brits – a flimsy PR device to justify aggression. The chances of an American being harmed by a Muslim are far exceeded by the struck-by-lightning-while-drowning-in-bathtub threat.
What I am missing here is the fear factor – prior to the Iraq invasion, there was a massive campaign to scare the American people, not a hard task since the 9/11 attack (not a hard task before either, now that I think of it.) Is the country so inured now to government crime that such campaigns are no longer necessary? Or maybe I am just missing it – Swede – you watch Fox and listen to talk radio. Are you scared of Iran now? Just wondering. Are CNN, NPR and the newspapers selling fear again?
We can’t know the internal workings of the Pentagon, but with the financial system coming apart, war seems a natural outlet – many are calling our current crisis a “depression.” Being among the fortunate (for the time being!), we have not felt the pain that others endure – those who have no savings, are facing foreclosure and unemployment with expiring benefits, and have no access to health care – those are real fears. If Iran blows up (the Russians know the game that is afoot, so this localized war could well be a superpower confrontation), we’ll be suffering alongside everyone else – that’s life. I only hope that it brings out our better attributes, that we knuckle down and serve our fellow humans without whining.
If the war games turn out to be just saber-rattling, if Israel does not invade Lebanon, if things calm down again, if Putin manages to knock some sense into the American military leaders, perhaps we’ll get a reprieve. But the American government in its current form is a danger not only to world peace, but to human existence. Perhaps the deadliest event that has happened to civilization in recorded history was the collapse of the Soviet Union – while it was indeed an evil empire, it was only the lesser of the empires and one that kept much larger evil at bay.
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*Obama has successfully challenged a court ruling against military detentions of American citizens. We’re all fair game. The Constitution is suspended pending further notice.
Piece of Mindful 
That’s it, I’m sending the black helicopters to your house.
But I do know the nature of this ugly government we live under and the maniacs who run it.
What don’t you like: The regulations? The wealth transfer programs? The halting of logging on federal land? Social Security? Affirmative action programs? Money wasting, make work programs? The glorification of feminist values? The glorification of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning, and Confused lifestyles?
And, again, who are these maniac? Last time you told me it was Cheney and the Joint Chiefs — elected and appointed officials. There must be some deeper power. Let me know, and I will confront them for you, and straighten everything out.
The film “Innocence of Muslims” is psychological warfare, and was interjected into Arab culture to spur uprisings that justify a massive western response.
If they are so easily duped and led astray, this says more about them than us.
But Iran has not invaded anyone in 300 years, nor does it threaten anyone. It merely stands in the way.
In the way of what? Pipelines? Hahahaha.
Iran has funded a lot of terrorism and covert operations against us. But I suppose that is justified because we are bad people and need to be punished.
Most of what we call terror in the world today is done by Americans, Israelis and Brits – a flimsy PR device to justify aggression.
Yes, you like to think so. But we’re the someone that enforces world order, such as it is. You imply it would be better if we just disappeared and let others live their nice lives without our influence. Maybe, but maybe not.
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Name names, please, and incidents. (I can think of one, but will leave you guessing.)
Imply? I did not know my writing was so bad that I cannot get my meaning across, and you are left to say it for me. But thanks.
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We’ve been at a sort of low level war with Iran for a while. Black Hawk Down — the Battle of Mogadishu, that was essentially the Iranians hijacking a humanitarian mission. They fund Hezbollah — the Marine Barracks bombing, the Bill Buckley kidnapping. I realize you cheer when Americans on such missions are killed, but I can’t buy your notion that the Iranians are good guys on a revenge mission for Mossadegh, the Jim Croce of leaders.
The usual arguments go like this: the Iranians are anxious to control the Staits of Hormuz for national pride reasons and to exert some control over the price of oil. The Saudis don’t like the Iranians for the usual bottom-of-the-shoe reasons, so instead of having those two pack a lunch and fight an escalating battle over the gulf, the US will play supervisor to the massive oil flow from that region, an oil flow that is Japan’s economy and indirectly lets Mark Tokarski have his nice Boulder lifestyle. As in any such action, half the people hate us, and thus the low level war with Iran.
The other side says, “We’ve added up the cost of running the Navy et al, and the cost of having half the people involved hate us, and compared it to just letting the other parties duke it out and pipe around the Straits, and it is not worth it.” I can’t say this is wrong, but we’ve invested in the first path.
You like to ascribe evil to our intentions and actions, and blame us for “millions” of deaths when for most of those someone else was pulling the trigger. Consider this: what are the casualties versus capabilities? Example: the Nigerian Civil War, where the North has an explicit policy of killing civilians. A badly equipped and spottily led African army was able to kill between one and three million civilians in a year and a half against a weaker but determined South. If the US really wanted to terrorize and kill, you do realize we could grid up a country like Iraq and systematically erase it? We fight with restraint, and someone honest and engaged should give some credit for that.
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I don’t live in Boulder. That’s only one of many mistakes you made here. But first I’d like to address your exculpatory notion that because other people fight wars, that it somehow sanitizes ours. Huh?
Iran does happen to be located on the Straits, which is why back in the 1950’s the US and Britain overthrew the democratic regime there and installed the Shah, a fascist thug. He was overthrown by popular revolution in 1979, and you still don’t seem to be able to grasp the word “popular.” Yes, since that time Iran has devolved in to thuggery, and it’s ruling Mullahs very much resemble our own Supreme Court, but they present no threat to anyone in the region, as their military capabilities are built for self-defense. (When did the US ever care about thugs?) Even their pursuit of a bomb, by their own internal documents, indicate that such a device would only buy time should they come under attack.
They, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Libya were among the few independent players in the region, and each is under attack now by the US. It is not because of terrorism, as the West originates most of that from Langley. We are the butcher boys, not them. It is about domination of the region, elimination of much of the population, installation of local thugs to keep the region in check, as the Shah did so well.
9/11 was domestic terrorism that reinforced what had been, before, as shadow government, and unleashed the US military on the region. This is borne of economic difficulties, the collapse of currencies, the inability to maintain massive military expenditures with a deteriorating tax base.
Iran has played a role in regional affairs – when Israel invaded Lebanon, Iran backed Hezbollah and eventually drove them out. In western parlance, that makes Hezbollah “terrorists” even as they drove out invaders and preserved territorial borders. Defensive wars are just wars, aggressive wars are not. Israel was the terrorist force.
I doubt you can provide any links to supposed acts of terror that have any evidence-backed basis not originating in Langley. The one incident that I mentioned that I suspect was indeed back by
LebanonIran, perhaps Syria as well, was Lockerbie, done in retaliation for the US Vincennes terrorist shoot-down of an passenger jet liner.LikeLike
I know you don’t live in Boulder, but you announce it as your home town, and you carry that Boulder vibe of, “if we are just nice to everybody, they will be nice to us.”
Your whole take on world events amounts to stringing together a bunch of marginal statements, and then announcing it is all under the guidance of a Mr. Big in Langley, or the Pentagon, or the back seat of David Koch’s limo. You don’t grasp the notion that some events move without an overarching guidance, and the trade offs one faces when trying to affect such things.
You hang on the notion that a democratically elected leader is some kind of cosmic good, yet you laud countries with leadership far from democratic, such as Russia.
It is about domination of the region, elimination of much of the population, installation of local thugs to keep the region in check, as the Shah did so well.
Their population is growing and being exported, while our native base is shrinking. Our influence is waning: so much for that. And it looks like the Shah didn’t do such a good job.
9/11 was domestic terrorism that reinforced what had been, before, as shadow government, and unleashed the US military on the region. This is borne of economic difficulties, the collapse of currencies
That 9/11 was domestic terrorism is more religious belief on your part than something based on any evidence you can follow to the culprits. But like the aliens doing the anal probes, the perpetrators are able to seamlessly cover their tracks, so we just have to believe.
“Unleashing the US military” amounted to sending our troops on vulnerable patrols while helping build their structures and institutions.
And the time we’re talking about, 1996-2006, were pretty prosperous times. Our wars were largely a show of conspicuous consumption. You’re just pushing a narrative here.
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By the way, I could easily shorten your post here to four words: “We’re rational, they’re not.”
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Nothing is going to happen. Just like last time.
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I hope you are right. The Iranians are brandishing 3 Russian subs, and the Russians are nearby to help out. It could be just to get Iran to submit to western rule, ala the Shah, as nukes are not a real concern. Very hard to know, and of course, we are told nothing.
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By the way, it is amazing how so much of this goes back to 1979 and the overthrow of the Shah, Iran breaking free and all of that. Just as so much of American politics is a reaction to Vietnam, to this day, much of US foreign policy is a reaction to the Iranian Revolution.
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We have too much to lose and its too fair of a fight.
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The American public will be the last to know, as usual.
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The Middle East is just a sideshow. The main event will be in the East China Sea. That war has a good chance of going nuclear, which would be a hell of a lot more exciting than watching ragheads run away from gunfire.
MB$
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