Mom - he's threatening me!
By Capt. Fogg
Perhaps if we had not, like Dr. Pavlov's dogs, been trained to growl at the mention of Iran, we could perceive just a bit of cant in the news reports of Iranian pugnaciousness today.
Iran tests missiles, vows to hit back if attacked, shouts the Reuters report and similar headlines blare in the papers today. What would we do if we were threatened with attack? What would Canada do? Indeed what have we been doing but testing our weapons and threatening apocalyptic destruction on any who attack us?
Iran has some missiles with a 1200 mile range, but by all accounts they have only rudimentary guidance systems. The warheads of course are conventional explosives and without pinpoint accuracy, their overall effects would be far less than a Tomahawk cruise missile or two. Anyone they might be aimed at in anger has nuclear retaliatory capability and advanced multiple delivery systems. Iran would stand no chance in any conventional confrontation. Iran knows this very well.
I'm no fan of heavy-handed theocracies, but even a milquetoast with his back against the wall can be forgiven for saying "if you hit me I'll hit you back" as pathetic as it might sound. The only thing more pathetic is using that as an excuse to bully him further. Considering the anti Iran rhetoric, The West's history of meddling with their elected governments and our covert operations within their borders; considering our constant threats of annihilation, what would any country do? Indeed what can any country at odds with US desires do these days but cringingly comply with our increasingly bellicose demands to disarm and assume the position?
Whether or not Iran's current government is a substantial threat to us or to our allies, such as they are, by continuing to demonize and disrespect any country refusing to pledge fealty, we continue to cultivate our image as a brutal bully, concerned only with feeding our addictions and ego and completely confused as to why everyone hates us.
Cross posted from Human Voices
Perhaps if we had not, like Dr. Pavlov's dogs, been trained to growl at the mention of Iran, we could perceive just a bit of cant in the news reports of Iranian pugnaciousness today.
Iran tests missiles, vows to hit back if attacked, shouts the Reuters report and similar headlines blare in the papers today. What would we do if we were threatened with attack? What would Canada do? Indeed what have we been doing but testing our weapons and threatening apocalyptic destruction on any who attack us?
Iran has some missiles with a 1200 mile range, but by all accounts they have only rudimentary guidance systems. The warheads of course are conventional explosives and without pinpoint accuracy, their overall effects would be far less than a Tomahawk cruise missile or two. Anyone they might be aimed at in anger has nuclear retaliatory capability and advanced multiple delivery systems. Iran would stand no chance in any conventional confrontation. Iran knows this very well.
I'm no fan of heavy-handed theocracies, but even a milquetoast with his back against the wall can be forgiven for saying "if you hit me I'll hit you back" as pathetic as it might sound. The only thing more pathetic is using that as an excuse to bully him further. Considering the anti Iran rhetoric, The West's history of meddling with their elected governments and our covert operations within their borders; considering our constant threats of annihilation, what would any country do? Indeed what can any country at odds with US desires do these days but cringingly comply with our increasingly bellicose demands to disarm and assume the position?
Whether or not Iran's current government is a substantial threat to us or to our allies, such as they are, by continuing to demonize and disrespect any country refusing to pledge fealty, we continue to cultivate our image as a brutal bully, concerned only with feeding our addictions and ego and completely confused as to why everyone hates us.
Cross posted from Human Voices
Labels: Iran, Media, war mongers
posted by Libby Spencer at 10:10 AM
6 Comments:
Captain, I am with you 100% with respect to this post. And my daughter, who recently returned from Iraq, confirms that we should not be threatening Iran, that we should remove our troops from Iraq ("destabilizing" she says), and leave the region altogether.
Our being there was the beginning of this all. We can't seem to connect with how we felt having Russian missiles in Cuba with how they feel having the US Army, Navy, and Air Force throwing our weight around and making demands and toppling governments and grabbing their resources.
One point about the link: Mossedegh was overthrown by our very own CIA in a plot concocted by John Foster Douglas (Sec. of State under Eisenhower). The Shah was a ruthless dictator whose brutality touched the lives of every Iranian family. The Iranians hated the U.S. for this intervention, a hatred that culminated in the hostage crisis of 1979.
Any further intervention by the U.S,. will cement the animosity of the Iranian people towards the U.S. We should leave them alone and let time heal the wounds.
(Entre nous: another fuck-up we can attribute to neocon thinking)
What really scares me is that the thugs in the occupied White House still have six more months to make it happen. I feel sure if they can find a way to do it, they will.
"Entre nous" My lips are sealed!
It only takes minutes to start a war and I believe Congress has already authorized everything they need to do anything they want. As has been hinted, another war would be good for McCain and make no mistake, these people are desperate to stay in power.
FYI, Captain Fogg (you might like the comments too)
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