Gold from Tomdispatch
One of the essential websites for reality based journalism is Tomdispatch.com. It is always rich in commentary and reportage. But this week if you just go there, it is impossible to get away again without reading just everything.
Tom Engelhardt meditates on the meaning of American power fantasies about bombing Iran.
Money paragraph:
' Let's Bomb Iran (Last Chance, Take Five): Don't even get me started on this one. The American invasion of Iraq has proved a bottomless catastrophe, bombing a disaster, regime change an abyss -- all based on a deep-seated belief in the power of "American preponderance"... and now, could I please have the envelop with the possible plan for extracting ourselves from this mess? Let's see. It says: Send American planes and missiles over Iran, loose the Israelis on that country, knock out some of their nuclear program, bomb the hell out of them, make sure there's plenty of "collateral damage," and hope for "regime change." '
And, don't miss Chalmers Johnson on peddling "democracy".
What if they gave a big demonstration against the war, and corporate media didn't notice?
Our veterans are our national heroes. Our KIA veterans are our martyrs. Our wounded veterans are our . . . responsibility. All three things go together. The American people were 75 percent in favor of this Iraq War, which means that they were in favor of caring for the 15,000 seriously wounded vets, right? Maybe not this administration.
posted by Juan Cole @ 5/04/2006 02:02:00 PM
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4 Comments:
Breaking news alert :-(((
What is Russian position on Iran?
According to WaPo, Russia opposes Bolton's anti-Irania resolution. From the other side, according to Gazeta.ru, this resolution has Russian support. One possible explanation is that Russians have only minor objections. In fact, Lenta makes it cynically clear that Russians may trade their agreement for sanctions against Iran in exchange for American shift on Russian mebership in WTO. So, let us wait and see what will happen next.
1. WaPo. Colum Lynch. Security Council Is Given Iran Resolution
Britain, France and Germany presented the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday with a draft resolution that urges states to restrict nuclear trade with Iran and requires Tehran to halt enriching uranium or face "further measures," a veiled reference to possible sanctions.
Russia and China immediately signaled they will oppose the U.S.-backed resolution, which demands that Iran halt nuclear research and development activities, and stop construction on a heavy-water nuclear reactor at Arak because it could be used to produce weapons-grade fuel. The resolution calls on governments to prevent the transfer to Iran of all "items, materials, goods and technology" that could be used to enrich or reprocess nuclear fuel or advance the Islamic state's missile programs.
2. Gazeta. Russia supports resolution on Iran
3. Lenta. Ya.Ivan: Russian position on sale
Juan - You're too young. That's why God makes older folk...to remember and recall
Procol Harum Lyrics - Power Failure
Climbing out of open windows
Crashing down from broken stairs
Keeping watch on smoking cinders
Falling over burning chairs
Tossed and crossed and screwed in transit
broken , splintered, bruised and thrown
Badly shattered, gale force frighty
Rrushed across and shown alone
Speech reduced by poor relations
Strung from weeks of self abuse
Chopped up, churned out weeks of greazy
Spark plugs burned up, power's fused
Since the end of the cold war, the United States has been trying to come up with an operating theory of the world — and a military strategy to accompany it. Now there's a leading contender. It involves identifying the problem parts of the world and aggressively shrinking them.
Introduction to "The Pentagon’s New Map”, Thomas P. M. Barnett, Esquire, March 2003
So long as we are on the grand strategic offensive, threatening to impose our ways on every one else through military force, we will be defeated regardless of how many battles we win. Like Germany in both World Wars, we will generate new enemies faster than we can defeat old ones (William Lind - “Election Day”, October 29, 2004)
more bad news
Hekmatyar allies with OBL
In a typically Machiavellian development, Aghani warlord Hekmatyar allies with Al-Queda. Also, he immediately picks up their Trotskyite global agenda and blames Iran for ... the lack of Muslim solidarity and cooperation with the US on Afghanistan.
first, there have been lots of anti-war demonstrations ignored by the press and white house and everyone else.
second, I think only 70% supported the war and invasion, about 15% totally opposed, and then another 15% who were ambivilant (I would include you in that group, Dr. Cole).
third, the masses have never cared much for taking care of the military before, why would that change?
If they did care, then we would have public funerals and ceremonies when the bodies returned.
As one of those who opposes all wars as immoral and particularly this one (which is illegal and VERY stupid on top of being immoral), I feel that those who pick up weapons to hunt down their fellow human beings should expect that those fellow human beings will hunt them down in return. They should expect that there will be repercusions for their choices.
My sympathy goes OVERWHELMINGLY to the civilians who are not using violence to achieve some goal (for themselves or others) yet become the victims of such violence.
Really, if it was only combatants killing and maiming combatants, I would be way less concerned.
Time for the whole human race to move to a point where they don't use violence to solve problems EVER, because if we don't, we will use nukes again. And that could mean we will wreck the whole world.
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