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 The Next QuagmirePosted on Sep 3, 2007
By Chris Hedges The most effective diplomats, like the most effective intelligence officers and foreign correspondents, possess empathy. They have the intellectual, cultural and linguistic literacy to get inside the heads of those they must analyze or cover. They know the vast array of historical, religious, economic and cultural antecedents that go into making up decisions and reactions. And because of this—endowed with the ability to communicate and more able to find ways of resolving conflicts through diplomacy—they are less prone to blunders.
To make rational decisions in international relations we must perceive how others see us. We must grasp how they think about us and be sensitive to their fears and insecurities. But this is becoming hard to accomplish. Our embassies are packed with analysts whose main attribute is long service in the armed forces and who frequently report to intelligence agencies rather than the State Department. Our area specialists in the State Department are ignored by the ideologues driving foreign policy. Their complex view of the world is an inconvenience. And foreign correspondents are an endangered species, along with foreign coverage.
We speak to the rest of the globe in the language of violence. The proposed multibillion-dollar arms supply package for the Persian Gulf countries is the newest form of weapons-systems-as-message. U.S. Undersecretary of State
The arrogant call for U.S. hegemony over the rest of the globe is making enemies of a lot of people who might be predisposed to support us, even in the Middle East. And it is terrifying those, such as the Iraqis, Iranians and Syrians, whom we have demonized. Empathy and knowledge, the qualities that make real communication possible, have been discarded. We use tough talk and big weapons deals to communicate. We spread fear, distrust and violence. And we expect missile systems to protect us. “Imagine an Iranian government that was powerful, radical, and in possession of nuclear weapons; imagine the threat that would pose to Israel and to the American-led balance of power, which has been so important in the Middle East since the close of the Second World War,” Burns said in a speech at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston last April 11. “That is our first challenge.” “Our second challenge is that Iran continues to be the central banker of Middle East terrorism,” he went on. “It is the leading funder and director of Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine general command. Third, Iran is in our judgment a major violator of the human rights of its own people; it denies religious, political, and press rights to the people of a very great country representing a very great civilization. And so we see a problem that is going to be with us for a long time, and we are trying to fashion a strategy that will work for the long term.” George W. Bush’s latest salvo, on Aug. 28, was more of the same. “Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” he said. Bush warned that the United States and its allies would confront Iran “before it is too late.” These kinds of words, pouring out of the administration, send a clear message to any Iranian: You are in trouble. Bend to our will or we destroy you. These were the same words, with a few minor changes, that the Bush administration delivered to Saddam Hussein, who, despite numerous compromises, including letting the U.N. inspectors back into his country, was overthrown and put to death during a U.S. occupation. And the Iranians know that without the bomb, which no intelligence agency thinks they can produce for a few years, they are now probably going to be attacked. The Pentagon has reportedly drawn up plans for a series of airstrikes against 1,200 targets in Iran. The air attacks are designed to cripple the Iranians’ military capability in three days. The Bushehr nuclear power plant, along with targets in Saghand and Yazd, the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, a heavy-water plant and radioisotope facility in Arak, the Ardekan Nuclear Fuel Unit, and the uranium conversion facility and nuclear technology center in Isfahan, will all probably be struck by the United States and perhaps even Israeli warplanes. The Tehran Nuclear Research Center, the Tehran molybdenum, iodine and xenon radioisotope production facility, the Tehran Jabr Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratories, and the Kalaye Electric Co. in the Tehran suburbs will also most likely come under attack.
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By eric swan, September 3, 2007 at 3:49 pm # Cheney seems to be behind all of this. Several years ago I read of his shooting over 100 small birds that had been released from cages for that purpose, in one day. I’ve also read that he said that the detaines at “gitmo” had all they needed and all they wanted, and they lived in the tropics, the tropics. Are we not ruled by the insane?
By Carl Baydala, September 3, 2007 at 2:47 pm # Let’s say you are sitting in the backseat of your family car as it pulls into yet another gas station that your father is about to rob. And, maybe even kill the gas station attendant and drive off before being caught. Daddy has pulled this crime off in the past and will do it again. Yet, the family is not starving, it is only that we cannot stop daddy from doing what he is doing. He seems determined to just keep on robbing and killing. Why does he do it? He is the head of the family and he knows what is best, and he is in charge and has all of the power. He is also driving the car and mommy is sitting up front with him and agrees with what he is doing. She is in love with daddy. But, as child you are terrified and you know that daddy should not be robbing gas stations and killing innocent people. It is wrong, just plain wrong and daddy should be stopped before he gets into more trouble. So, what to do? Your parents are in charge and have all of the power and they are driving the car. You want to escape and leave the family because you know that the whole thing is wrong: daddy killing innocent people and stealing their money. You have talked to mommy about daddy and the things that he does and mommy agrees that it is wrong. But, she cannot stop him. You tell mommy that she should convince him to stop and she says that she will talk to daddy about his behavior. She talks to daddy but he still keeps doing these bad things. How many other Americans are out there sitting in the back seats of their parents car and watching their fathers commit acts of theft and murder?
By Tim Kelly, September 3, 2007 at 2:15 pm # So as the military escalates for yet another war, where is farmertx saying we have to give them more money? farmertx claims the military people have to obey a direct order unless it is an illegal order. Attacking Iran without provocation is a war crime and illegal. Will the military decide not to follow the illegal (and insane) order to bomb Iran? Or will America and farmertx say we have to support the troops because they are not giving the orders? Do not support the troops. Tell every soldier you see to not follow the order to attack Iran. Ask them if they are willing to commit genocide. Ask them, will they turn their guns on Americans afterward? Because if this government attacks Iran it must be removed from power, and this government has made it clear it will not leave peacefully. No matter how non-violent the protests, the response from the government will always be violent. Stop the military. Bush is insane.
By dick, September 3, 2007 at 12:48 pm # The coming war on Iran is all according to Israel’s plan for us, prepared and clearly written by the same neocons now manipulating Bush. It’s on the web, in both earlier and later forms, both by the same neocons.
By GodSend, September 3, 2007 at 12:34 pm # KenDen, et al: Don’t anyone waste their time writing to or phoning their Senator or Congressional Rep. These folks are either embedded with the Zionists or cowed, coerced or bribed into silence and anything worthwhile doing is ‘off the table’! This kind of advice plays into the hands of the Zionists and their sympathizers. Procrastinate and waste time doing what no longer makes any sense or has any effect. Yeah, right! A General Strike WILL have effect - it’s just a matter of time! (it starts on 9/11/2007). You can’t be arrested for staying home, doing nothing and buying nothing! Watch some sunrises, smell the roses and then watch the sunsets!
By Conservative Yankee, September 3, 2007 at 12:20 pm # 98364 by felicity on 9/03 at 11:07 am “I have a faint but gnawing memory of the Iran/Contra Affair, negotiated by Israel, brokered by Israel, carried through by Israel.” NOT exactly! Although Israel was involved in brokering and some exchange, this was Oliver North’s and John Poindexter’s baby. They brokered the deal, sold it to Reagan, and “found” the money to get it off the ground. Although large amounts of cash came to the Contra rebels from the arms sale, there was also a drug running and sales operation. Funds from the illegal sale of drugs were diverted to the Contras. When Ronald Reagan was confronted with evidence of his involvement in Iran Contra, he gave a nationally televised speech. Reagan confessed that he “misspoke” and that the U.S. had traded arms for hostages. He implicated George H.W. Bush, his Vice President, by stating “He (G.H.W. Bush) knew of the plan and was in favor of it. We elected Bush President the following year anyway. Of all the scandles of my lifetime, from Sherm Adams, and Richard Nixon to the Bush II foibles, Iran Contra was the most reprehensible. Nancy was advising “Just say no” while Ronald’s foreign policy depended on the American drug users. Reagan never suffered from his involvement in Iran Contra.and his approval rating was 63% by the following year, proving how easy it is to scam the average US citizen
By Adam, September 3, 2007 at 10:34 am # Bush, Inc. and Congress have already laid the legal groundwork for the abolition of our civil rights (we’ve lost habeus corpus!, and that’s only one example)—I’d like to think that the US system is strong enough to withstand Bush’s power-grab, but I’m deeply concerned that this is all heading toward military dictatorship in this country. Spiking gas prices (which will cripple our economy, not just everyone’s cars—people will lose jobs, our food prices will sky-rocket), the collapse of the dollar (more lost jobs, further crippling the economy)—we’re in trouble anyway, but the consequences to the American people of attacking Iran are potentially catastrophic. Yes, “we” get what “we” deserve—we drive cars, we buy products made in China, we eat food flown to us from around the world—we don’t make enough noise, we haven’t organized a general strike, we haven’t stopped participating in this death machine. But this isn’t about judgment and smug cynicism—we have to take action. As Americans, we’re responsible for the hideous criminal actions of our leaders, at home and abroad, no matter how radically they attempt to steal power from us—from us!! We can’t give up now—we have no choice to but to do what we can.
By THOMAS BILLIS, September 3, 2007 at 10:13 am # Ah the chimp wants to turn stupid into absurd and with the help of a compliant media and enabling democrats I am sure he will be successfful.Chris seems to describe the rapture in the holy land.I am sure when our President has his weekly talks with God that is what is being reccommended.Just out of curiousity how many troops has Sarkozy promised to this effort since he has expressed some interest in bombing Iran.I wonder if the French have figured out how to get their troops past the Maginot Line.
By GodSend, September 3, 2007 at 9:59 am # Non Credo: Israel’s nukes are forward-deployed into most of their Embassies and other secret places around the world - including ‘friendly’ countries like America. They are set to go off automatically, unless stopped by an electronic code signal from Israel (arriving constantly). In case Israel is wiped off the map by a nuke in a surprise attack, this ‘sword of Damocles’ which hangs over the world, will ensure that the rest of the world is wiped off the map even after Israel ceases to exist. (Where, do you suppose, those high radiation ‘readings’ come from in the Israeli Embassy in NYC?) All Israeli Embassies should be visually inspected (like Israel’s nuclear facilities at Dimona and elsewhere) and all nuclear devices confiscated! Will Israel agree to that? PS That’s called ‘Nuclear Blackmail’!
By Lee Driver, September 3, 2007 at 9:27 am # It’s hard to believe what this actually means. One doesn’t want to. We don’t want to think that our leaders would take us all and shove our heads into the lions mouth. What could they be thinking? If you think about it at all, it is very dreadful what’s at the bottom of this plan. The policies of this administration have drained the treasury, made economic collapse a quite real possibility, stretched our military beyond it’s non-nuclear capabilities, armed the middle east to the teeth, enraged the international community, allowed the creation a myriad of private armies under the control of… who exactly? Everyone knows we don’t have the soldiers for a mop up operation in Iran, and that the rest of the world, big and small, is going to be very pissed off that some one has set out to capture or threaten the flow of oil. Someone, not just me, is aware that the only chesspiece in this deadly game that could carry the day is the threat or use of nuclear weapons. We certainly don’t have the troops, nor the support of other countries. Sitting in the war room somewhere in the Pentagon or some think tank, it’s reasonable to surmise that in an exchange or nukes, the U.S., or at least the leaders in charge, would eventually come out on top. But it’s not so easy to grasp how or why one would come around to the decision it’s worth taking the shot. Especially when you think about people’s flesh and blood lives. If this saber rattling becomes the real thing, it’s not only because a relatively few men think it’s worth the mayhem, but because they want it. That’s the hard part to wrap the mind around. There’s only one link in the chain that could stop this action from taking place if it was decided to go ahead. It’s not congress, and it’s not we the people. It’s somebody refusing to do it.
By Tom, September 3, 2007 at 6:29 am # Probably Bush wants to try out Hitler’s scorched earth policy? Add Your Comment |
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When the cash registers stop ringing for long enough, TPTB will finally get the message: Americans are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore! We’re going to take our country and freedoms back! Bush and his Zionist bosses can go to hell! (although hell is too good for those evil bastards). 
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