There's a big debate going on in the halls of BBD HQ. So big that it could not be contained to the couch, but instead it spills out into the kitchen, the bathrooms, even the bedrooms.
Are we going to war with Iran?
As you probably know, Sy Hersh at the
New Yorker has been saying this since about forever. Like
here and
here and
here. Read them and weep.
There's also nice little write-up with links and everything courtesy of
Talking Points Memo, and I suggest you give that a look-see.
But back to the war at home.
I say yes, yes we are going to do it. Why? Because it's there, because they have a lot of oil, because they're fucking around in Iraq, because they are probably trying to build nuclear weapons, etc. etc. All reasons, I suppose, although not exactly good ones. Why do I really think we'd do it? Because we (and I mean you and me, the good people of these United States) aren't really so scared anymore. Because we voted some Democrats into power. Because they (and I mean the Criminal Bush and his cohort) are losing their grip on money, power and respect. They need something to get us back to the scary place, the angry place, the reactive place. So howsabout more War War War Terror Terror Bombs Terror Attacks Fear USA! USA! to get us back to where they want us to be?
You know how it will go. It's already happening.
There was a bullshit article in the
NY Times just yesterday about how Iranians might be helping insurgents kill precious American soldiers in Iraq (which is like... well, if we were going to go after folk that were responsible for our troops getting killed in Iraq, may I suggest where to start *cough1600PennsylvaniaAvenuecough*?). The proof? Well, apparently some recent attacks have been well-organized. That's some pretty fucking solid proof there, guys. Every time I turn on the damn TV I hear something else about how Iran is doing this, Iran is supporting that. They're gonna have the Bomb in 10 years -- no! 5! No! 6 months! They may be supplying the Iraqis with IEDs! Whatever whatevers. You've been hearing it too. And yes, you heard it back in 2003, only it was a letter off. And then either the Iranians will do something stupid (because they are also being led by a fool and a madman, although it is important to note that the Iranian president is a largely ceremonial position without much real power, rather like the Governor of Texas) and attack us in some obvious way, or barring that, we'll just do it for them. And then we'll bomb the shit out of them. Now a fine point of the debate does hinge on this -- does bombing the shit out constitute war? To which I say, I just don't know if it matters. It'd all be fucking bad, you know?
So what's the argument against? Well there are others in BBD household who feel that this is unlikely. Who think that it is militarily unfeasible to go into Iran. That maybe, just maybe, if the Iranians are stirring up all this shit, they deserve to go down. That maybe we should bomb their nuclear sites.
To which I say: pshaw.
I don't think feasibility has anything to do with it. I have never seen the tiniest bit of evidence that the assholes running our shit straight into the ground give a rat's keister about what is possible or good for the military. I've never seen a scrap of proof that common sense or good planning will have anything to do with our Middle East policy. Hell, I don't think the Iranians are stirring up 1/10th as much shit as they are being accused of. Everything I read in the international press indicates that they are about a decade away from having the Bomb, and a lifetime away from having the long-range delivery capabilities that they would need to fuck with us. Which is still a problem, but one that, given the fairly long time frame, seems like it could be settled maybe with this little thing we have and use sometimes called DIPLOMACY. Because the Iranians are fucking creaming for us. They're all 23 and love The freaking OC. We bomb them, we lose them. We maybe try to talk to them a little? Who knows, maybe it doesn't have to be the death of us all.
Yeah, that's simplistic and it won't be all fun and games and kumbaya. Yeah, they may be some slippery motherfuckers. But THERE IS NO CRISIS. There is NO compelling need to start ANYTHING with Iran right now. We want them to not kill us in Iraq (if in fact they are, which, like I said...)? Then let's get the fuck out of Iraq.
How's that for a solution?
