“War With Iran” Ad Campaign is Financed by Saudi Arabia

Hear that, warmongers, chickenhawks and “defense” industry puppets?  You're working for Saudi Arabia. You know, al Qaeda, 9/11, terrorists who hate us for our freedom, yada yada.

The American Security Initiative is a tangled web involving the Saudi monarchy and former senators Norm Coleman, Joe Lieberman, Saxby Chambliss and Evan Bayh.  And this is the shadowy group that's spending $6 million for TV ads to get the inbreds all riled up over Iran.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been mortal enemies.  So go fight each other already and leave the U.S. out of it.

Chickenhawks: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result

Speaking to an audience at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Pittsburgh, President Obama said:

“Some of the same politicians and pundits that are so quick to reject the possibility of a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program are the same folks who were so quick to go to war in Iraq and said it would take a few months.  We know the consequences of that choice, and what it cost us in blood and treasure. So I believe there's a smarter, more responsible way to protect our national security.”

And:

“Instead of rushing into another conflict, I believe that sending our sons and daughters into harm’s way must always be a last resort, and that before we put their lives on the line we should exhaust every alternative.”

But, I heard on Fox News that most members of ISIS are from Iran.  And Rush Limbaugh said the Benghazi terrorist attack was carried out by Iranians.  Now, if we stage a pre-emptive military strike against Iran, our soldiers will be greeted as liberators; they'll be showered with candy and ice cream by throngs of grateful Iranians...

“The Truth About Truthers”

That’s the title of this article by Ted Rall. He’s not a 9/11 Truther himself. But at the end of the article he makes an interesting point. After talking about 9/11, the death of Osama bin Laden, the Wag-The-Dog “rescue” of Jessica Lynch and other coverup/conspiracy theories, he says:

“The evolving accounts of Osama bin Laden's death seemed ideally tailored to create the suspicion that big secrets were being covered up…Why does the federal government feed the conspiracy theorists? Maybe it's unintentional, but probably not. I think the U.S. has become like a Third World dictatorship: the more they keep us guessing, the smarter they seem, and the more we'll fear them.”

And that brings us to Iran in the mid-1970s, where I worked for a brief period. The Shah of Iran was in power; Khomeini’s takeover was still three years away. The conventional wisdom was that one out of every five Iranians was an informant for SAVAK, Iran’s dreaded secret police that made the CIA and KGB look like a few boy scouts playing with walkie-talkies. There was also an opposing theory: that there were actually nowhere near that many SAVAK informants, but the Iranian government wanted everyone to think there were spies everywhere so everyone would be scared shitless and keep their mouths shut.

America’s Most Effective Weapon Against Iran

Would you believe — a strong carbon cap.

Iran would lose $100 million per day if only the United States would impose a strong cap on carbon. Iran has the world’s second largest oil reserves. Their oil production is worth $120 billion per year.

If we can reduce global warming pollution by 80% by the year 2050, Iran will have lost $1.8 trillion in oil revenue by that date. That’s over $100 million a day.

The same effect — in much smaller dollar amounts of course — would apply to that commie America-hating regime in Venezuela.

If any conservatives were to stumble on the above linked article, their reactions would fall into one of two categories: “Uhh, too many big words. What’s it mean?” or “NOOOOO!!!!!”

So, are there any Democratic spin doctors out there who could take this and run with it? If the Democrats had anybody one tenth as shrewd as Karl Rove or Lee Atwater, America would be bombarded 24/7 with “You’re either in favor of a carbon cap or you’re with the terrorists!” Etc.

Just a thought.

And speaking of “just a thought” — Massey Energy owns that coal mine in West Virginia where scores of people have been killed. And this accident is only about the umpteenth tragedy to occur in one of Massey Energy’s mines. Now, I don’t suppose there’s any sort of connection here, but Massey Energy has also been spending jillions of dollars to defeat any and all efforts at curbing pollution and promoting renewable energy sources.

Now — going waaay out on a limb here — if Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, had spent just a teensy weensy bit less money trying to squelch clean energy legislation, and a tiny bit more money to upgrade the safety of his mines…

Oh well, anyway…

UPDATE: Please check out this one-minute video. (Hat Tip to TomCat, who provided this link in the comment section.)

This is a very powerful message put out by VoteVets.org and Operation Free, telling us pointblank how our oil addiction is sending billions of dollars to Iran. Clean energy legislation is our only way out of this stranglehold.

I hope you'll link to this video and/or forward it to your friends. This message needs to get out there.

Brazil to U.S.: “I’m Not Your Houseboy Any More”

For generations, our Latin American colonies did exactly what we told them to do, when we told them to do it — if they knew what was good for them. This was God’s Will.

But now some of these natives are getting all uppity on us.

How can we build Coalition of the Willing 2.0 — or would that be Son of Coalition of the Willing — if them darkies won’t yell “How high, Sir?” when we yell “Jump!”

Hillary Clinton was in Brazil, trying to drum up support for international sanctions against Iran. But Brazil wasn’t bending over this time. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said:

“It is not prudent to push Iran against a wall. The prudent thing is to establish negotiations.”

Brazil is a voting member of the U.N. Security Council, so it was important for Clinton to whip up the proper hysteria against those crazy Muslims. But Silva responded to Clinton with:

“I want for Iran the same thing I want for Brazil: to use the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. If Iran agrees with that, Iran will have the support of Brazil.”

In other words — Appeasement. Negotiating with terrorists!

Well, Plan A didn’t work. Now we move to Plan B: Iran has Weapons of Mass Destruction! Iran has close ties with Osama bin Laden! Most of the 9/11 hijackers were from Iran!

Iran Attacks!!

See, this is what happens when we DON’T stage a pre-emptive attack on an enemy. Is this enough evidence for you liberal pansies? Do you peacenik pussies finally Get It???

Decent Americans have always known that Iran has Weapons of Mass Destruction, is closely allied with Osama bin Laden and masterminded the September 11th attacks. But those F#$%&@! Surrender Monkeys keep tying the hands of our Commander-in-Chief.

Maybe NOW we’ll finally have an excuse to do what we have to do: take out those swarthy furriners once and for all.

We can't even send three U.S. Navy ships into the Persian Gulf without being harassed by — uh, Persians...[scratches head]...of course, if three Persian Navy ships came sailing into the Caribbean…well, uhh…ahem…there's no comparison…nothing to see here…

Who Won the Iraqi-American War? Iran.

This article — by Gary Brecher — makes a lot of sense. Iran’s two worst enemies have been slugging it out for over four years now. What’s not for Iran to love?

Iran probably didn't plan any of this, but things couldn’t be working out any better for them if they had directed every detail. The ideal way to invade a country is by using a proxy instead of your own forces. Remember our own rightwing terrorists (oops, sorry, I mean “Freedom Fighters”) fighting in Nicaragua in the 1980s? We sure showed the Iranians how to do it.

Again, Iran probably didn’t plan or intend for us to invade Iraq. But like Gary Brecher says, “From the enormous advantage gained by Iran via our invasion of Iraq, you would think that Dick Cheney is a mole for the Ayatollah.”

Iran’s main rival has now been obliterated and the Shiites (the majority sect in Iran) have the upper hand in Iraq. And we've “provided Iran with a risk-free laboratory to spy on American forces in action.”

According to Brecher, Iraq is like a nuclear reactor that Iran can control by inserting and removing control rods. He says:

“They need to keep us there, because — makes me sick to say it but it's true — our troops are now the biggest, strongest control rod the Persians are using to set the temperature of this war. They want us there as long as possible, stoking the feuds and making sure nobody wins.”

Another benefit of a long bloody regional war is the money and supplies that come pouring into neighboring countries. Iran (and Syria) must have tons of money and supplies coming into their border provinces. As Brecher says, “Need any U.S.-issue supplies, weapons, toilet paper, or global positioning system units cheap? Just ask at any bazaar in Damascus or Tehran. Uncle Sam's guarantee of quality — fell off the back of a two-and-a-half ton truck.”

The Vietnam war — with all the money pouring into the region — helped transform Thailand from a feudal backwater into a bustling tourist magnet and major economic power. Looks like the Iraqi-American war will be providing the same benefit for Iran and Syria. We sure know how to sock it to our enemies.

Even Lowlier Than a Chicken Hawk

Everyone has names for those people who sit at their keyboards and push for war and aggression. “We need to get in there and fight and keep on fighting.” “We can't back down.” “We have to stay there until the job is done, no matter how long it takes.” They say “we,” but “we” always means somebody else.

These people are known by lots of familiar names: chickenhawks, keyboard warriors, the Chairborne Division. But there's another group of people that’s even more shameless and despicable.

In January 2006 Jill Carroll — a reporter from the Christian Science Monitor — was captured in Iraq and taken hostage. After she was released, some rightwing bloggers and pundits went Medieval on her. She cooperated with the enemy. She was a traitor. She was a wuss; she couldn’t take it.

And now that these British sailors have been released by the Iranian government, they too are being crucified. WTF??? Most of these keyboard badasses would probably turn to jelly and start quaking and blubbering incoherently if somebody even gave them a menacing look in a bar or on the street. But get this same pusbag behind a computer console and he turns into Rocky Balboa. Un-fuckin’-believable.

I don’t know of any names for these people. Certainly nothing that would be printable in a family blog such as this one.

Inside Iran

This article is a glimpse of life in Tehran. The author has walked through miles of streets, alleys and bazaars, talking with local merchants. They aren’t happy.

The merchants who run the bazaar, together with the banking industry, are a powerful force in Iran. They helped finance Khomeini’s takeover in 1979. As the author says, they “can make or break a government. Right now they are not a particularly happy bunch.”

Like all business people, these merchants want stability and certainty, and this isn't being provided by Ahmadinejad. One merchant says “My sales are down by 50 to 60 percent. I’m very worried about sanctions. Things are going to get much worse than they already are.”

Referring to Bush and Ahmadinejad, another merchant says “Why don’t they just talk? This shouting does nobody any good.”

Ahmadinejad got elected by promising to improve the lives of ordinary Iranians and to distribute the country’s oil wealth more widely. It hasn’t happened. Inflation is officially 13% but everyone says it’s actually twice that high.

This article is a reminder (for those of us who need reminding) that Iran isn't just a spot on the map for us to invade. It’s not a one-dimensional demon that we need to exorcise. It’s a country with millions of real people, just like us; people who are living their lives, taking care of their families and trying to make ends meet.

Since Bush and Ahmadinejad are both belligerent assholes, maybe they could just step into the ring and beat the shit out of each other and leave the rest of us out of it. Or like the man said, “why don’t they just talk?”

American Military Leaders: NOT the Nazi Secret Service

If the United States is ever subjected to a Nuremberg-type trial for war crimes against Iraq (or Iran or whoever’s next on our hit list), the following phrase might be missing: “I vass only following orderss.”

Unlike the German army of 65 years ago, many American military commanders are prepared to resign rather than follow orders to attack Iran. “The British government has learned” (sorry, that phrase always cracks me up) that “there are four or five generals and admirals we know of who would resign if Bush ordered an attack on Iran. There is simply no stomach for it in the Pentagon, and a lot of people question whether such an attack would be effective or even possible.”

Patriotic Americans (true Patriots, not those mindless “don’t you dare question our president” dipshits) should be welling up with pride. Unlike the Axis Powers of World War II and other past aggressors, American military commanders have consciences and values. They're willing to think for themselves — even sacrifice their careers — instead of blindly following orders from a crazed megalomaniac. Is this a great country or what?

Invading Iran: It's Been Planned For A Long Time

Ever since we got bogged down in Iraqmire, we've been learning that this invasion was being planned even before Bush’s election in 2000. And now we learn that Bush’s sudden hysteria over Iran is just the latest chapter in a longtime game plan. Our government has been mapping out an Iranian invasion since the 1990s.

In 1992, toward the end of Bush 41’s presidency, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Pentagon staffers Scooter Libby and Paul Wolfowitz — don’t those names have a familiar ring to them — drew up plans for the U.S. to act as the lone superpower. These plans included pre-emptive attacks to prevent any other country from becoming a regional “competitor.”

These plans were drawn up in more detail by the Project For A New American Century in 2000. Libby, Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Dan Quayle and Jeb Bush were all members of this illustrious crew.

So when you start hearing frantic reports about Iran supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgents, or Iran threatening to nuke Israel, consider the source. You’ve heard it all before. Remember, Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction, most of the 9/11 hijackers were from Iraq, and Saddam had close ties with al Qaeda.

But don’t worry. When we invade Iran, it'll be a cakewalk. Our soldiers will be greeted as liberators and they’ll be showered with cake and ice cream by throngs of grateful Iranians.

Blithering Boy-King Needs Another Trophy

Our spoiled tantrum-throwing trustfund baby seems determined to attack Iran no matter what, and he isn’t about to let any facts get in his way. (Has he ever?)

It doesn’t matter that Iranian forces captured two al Qaeda leaders who were traveling through Iran on their way to Iraq. And so what if Iran tried to open up diplomatic communication between the U.S. and Iran in 2003 (before Ahmadinejad took over)? Their overture was ignored (and never publicized) by the Bush Administration. Fuck a bunch of wussy diplomacy — we've got sabers to rattle.

Our cerebrally-challenged manchild has to have his way and that’s all there is to it. If he can't invade Iran, he's gonna stamp his foot, thrust out his lower lip and hold his breath until he turns blue.

You know things are bad when Russia — not exactly a beacon of human rights — criticizes America’s foreign policy for its “almost uncontained” use of force. At a security forum in Germany, Putin said “we are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations. One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way. This is very dangerous, nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law.”

Yes, it’s the pot calling the kettle black, but that statement needed to be made. It isn’t any less valid just because it was made by the Russian president.

Well, so much for that celebrated friendship and empathy between Bush and Putin. Nobody but NOBODY criticizes George W. Bush and gets away with it. Putin is out of the clubhouse. Off the island! Never again will Bush gaze deeply into Putin’s eyes and look into his soul.