The All Knowing Face
If pictures say a thousand words, the expression on President Bush’s face in the above photograph says only a handful – “what are you guys, stupid?”. It’s a face that he’s employed in the past on more occasions than I can count. Unfortunately, his track record when employing it is less than stellar. In fact, it’s utterly dismal. It’s the face that he uses when he seems to think he knows something that everyone else doesn’t. In the past I would have chalked that up to Presidential privilege and the fact that he has 16 different intelligence agencies feeding him information. But not anymore.
As I have exhaustively said in the past, I’m no fan of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; that much is certain. But I’ll not sit silently by and watch idiots drive their nations towards war when the outcome will see the deaths of innocent Iranians, American soldiers, and God knows who else.
The President of the United States claims that if and when Iran obtains nuclear capabilities it’s only a matter of time before they have the bomb and then only a matter of time before they use it. You know, I sometimes wonder how George Bush made it out of high school, let alone Yale and Harvard. Then again, I suppose that has to be uniformly applied to pretty much everyone in his administration as well.
The President’s current ‘public’ strategy is to isolate Iran in hopes that internal elements will emerge and force a change in Iranian leadership because they refuse to endure prolonged economic sanctions and international isolation. Of course, it should be pointed out that UN imposed sanctions against Iraq prior to the 2003 invasion, which began in 1990, killed an estimated 1.25 million people, of them over 500,000 children below the age of five. The infant mortality rate during that period was 108 for every 1,000 births. Of course, the United States claimed that Saddam Hussein was guilty of starving his own people, and I’ll not argue that entirely. But cause and effect when dealing with a regime such as that of Hussein’s also has to be taken into consideration. So too does the corrupted oil for food program.
When it comes right down to it, and I have written about this on so many different occasions that I’m blue in the face – would Iran unilaterally use a nuclear weapon against, for example, Israel if they had the opportunity? Would they be stupid enough to gift a weapon to the likes of Hezbollah? The fact remains, were the use of nuclear weapons to occur, Iran would instantly be blamed, targeted, and decimated. It’s as simple as that.
So where does that leave us? It leaves us with our perceptions of just how ‘crazy’ the Iranians actually are, doesn’t it? And make no mistake; we’ve been propagandized to the hilt with regards to just how diabolic they must be to willingly allow a man such as Ahmadinejad to govern them without openly opposing his government. Interestingly, not unlike the current US administration, the government of Mr. Ahmadinejad represents a small, hard-line element within the national political landscape, not to mention Iran’s national public psyche. One need only look at the robbery of the national elections in Iran in 2005 as proof positive that there are those within that country that are forward thinking, and it truly has to be said that were the elections truly transparent, Khatami would most likely have remained President. Unfortunately, his initiatives to do with limiting various governmental powers and opening up the representative process in Iran were met with massive opposition by those threaten by their possibility. Thus, it was assured that Ahmadinejad would win and therefore help maintain the status quo.
But is that enough to force the Iranians into a position in which they feel threatened? Even more, to actually bet on the possibility that the people of Iran will work to disenfranchise the government given everything that has occurred in the region since 2003 with regards to foreign occupation and influencing? The truth is, even while Khatami was President, Iran was already backed into a corner when they were listed as a member of Mr. Bush’s ‘Axis of Evil’ during the 2002 State of the Union address. And it also shouldn’t be overlooked that that inclusion also gave power to hardliners in Iran to see a more abrasive and anti-Western government come to power.
After 9/11, some 1 million Iranians held a vigil for the victims, something that was completely overlooked by the Western media. In fact, Khatami’s government was wholly sympathetic and denounced the attacks outright. This is the same government that Bush would later label as ‘evil’ not months later because of their ties to groups such as Hezbollah. It’s here that we often forget our own ties with paramilitary groups throughout the world, such as numerous ones in Latin America over the last half century that have been responsible for untold death and destruction. Of course, we are not evil, and were we labeled as such by anyone else, we would dismiss it as preposterous.
In the final analysis, would the Iranian government, either directly or through a proxy, employ the use of nuclear weapons unilaterally against another nation – Israel, for example? And if they did, what would the outcome entail? It would most certainly mean the destruction of Iran itself and deaths of tens of millions of people besides. Now, if you want to labour under the misconception that such reckless behaviour would be employed because of religious zealotry with absolutely no regard for cost or consequence, then by all means do so. But I, for one, do not believe for a second that the government of Iran is that stupid, let alone zealous. It may be led by a man that I consider no more enlightened that Mr. Bush, but I simply cannot believe that the consequences of any unilateral nuclear action is lost on anyone within the Iranian government or military infrastructure. They too have families and friends, and I’m sure seeing them liquefied is not something that is their top priority.
This leads us back to why Iran would want a nuclear weapon in the first place and why the United States and others are so vehemently opposed to it. It provides the Iranians a deterrent against invasion. It provides them the exact same ability that nations such as the United States, Israel, Russia, and China possess – that with any attempted military action against them comes the possibility that nuclear force can be employed to respond defensively. Were that not the case, and were that not the reality of nuclear deterrents, then the United States would not possess the nuclear arsenal that it does, not would India or Pakistan or anyone else for that matter.
Put into context, if Afghanistan was conventionally invaded following 9/11 as a reaction to the attacks, the Taliban becoming the enemy singled out because of their association with al-Qaeda, then it only stands to reason that were a rogue group to employ a nuclear device, a state would be held responsible for it, not merely the group itself. And if any connection existed between it an Iran, even in the most obscure fashion, the repercussions would be overwhelming.
If we are not able to take that logic into account regarding Iran, and come to the realization that they truly understand the possible repercussions, then we must assume that preemptive military action against it is therefore a foregone conclusion, no matter Mr. Bush’s current rhetoric.
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October 18th, 2007 at 10:29 am
The business of war has enabled the politicians on Capitol Hill to make money hand over foot, so why would they take measures to stop the windfall? As long as a ‘threat’ of some kind exists out there, the people will passively support military action, may it be in Iran, North Korea, Venezuela or anywhere else for that matter. After all, if all our enemies are dead, that will only leave behind people who love us, right?
October 18th, 2007 at 10:36 am
slightly off-topic, but should put a smile on your face: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xfiaxPsvnTU
interesting to note that NBC had posted this video after it originally aired, but it has since been removed. samburg needs to do something similar about bush…maybe building on that old ‘bush or monkey’ website.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:45 am
What is scary is that Bush/Rice/Clinton may very well push Iran into a corner where they feel they have no choice but to retaliate. BRC May even use, to escape from blame, Israel as the initiator, given all the heat between Israel and Iran.
You really could solve a lot of problems if logic was applied in government policies, of all governments really, even those heavily influenced by religious leaders (such as Saudi Arabia).
But there’s no download program that I am aware of to fix this problem. I am not that good of a programmer to write the code develop the technique to use pulsed-magnetic fields around all the different parliaments/whitehouses/shrines/mosques/etc… to straighten out the worlds problems. This is where information from aliens would be so helpful.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:20 am
The US is still trying to treat Iran as a client state that’s gone bad. The 1979 revolution and Embassy hostage taking is a painful memory for people like Dick Cheney, they’d like nothing more than to get payback for the embarrasment caused to the US. Even if it means a real risk of military confrontation with Russia which has just signed a military defence pact with Iran. While Iran probably doesn’t have nuclear weapons, Russia does and has been exercising its forces with growing frequency in the last few years.
The Cheney backed campaign to paint Iran as a nuclear threat to the west has about the same credibility his campaign against Saddam in 2003 did. Now the stakes are even higher as a US attack on Iran could trigger a conflict with a nuclear armed Russia.
If there was ever a time to impeach a US President and Vice President, it’s now.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:32 am
We are beinging herded into the pen. I have done a lot of reading and continue to follow the headlines in this arena. Just this morning I was having a quick breakfast watching American Morning on CNN to see what garbage the propaganda machine is scaring the masses with today. I was quite stunned with the one storey.
Apparently the best military in the world, the one that is fighting for all our collective “freedoms” can’t keep all of its nuclear arrsenal under tabs at all times. The storey was that six nukes were “mistakenly” flown across the US to another military base. My first reaction was why are nukes even being moved? Right after that I wondered if the nukes that were moved even ended up where they said they went? Lastly, will they be used and where?
It does not take a whole lot of reserch to see what went down on 9/11. I hope the dominos aren’t falling in another event now. Here is a link to the storey below.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427730/
October 18th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Matt, I’m new to this website (but certainly not a new fan), would you be able to let me know which are your main sources of information that you find credible and allow you the basis to form your opinions? (BBC, European Dailys, etc). It would be interesting to see the sources along with your commentary.
Thanks for your time!
October 18th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
[quote]Of course, we are not evil, and were we labeled as such by anyone else, we would dismiss it as preposterous.[/quote]
This point is well demonstrated whenever one hears anyone in the Middle East, like an imam or a cleric or Osama bin Laden, railing against the great White Satan that is the US. Their opinions are dismissed out of hand as the ravings of cracked individuals. Because obviously they have no idea what they’re talking about and couldn’t possibly have any rational justification for taking issue with the policies, culture, alliances, etc of a Western nation.
That said, once these people cross the line from having rationally derived issues and acting sensibly and peacefully on them to resorting to violent acts, then they themselves immediately become what we had labeled them as in the first place.
As for the picture. It’s possible that the moment captured was not Bush talking about WWIII, but rather him refusing to comment on Israel’s bombing run into Syria.
Here’s some video from the press conference:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/10/17/bush-warns-of-world-war-iii-laughs-at-israels-bombing-of-syria/
I once heard it said, perhaps by a comedian, that they’d come to the conclusion that George Bush explained things to the American people (and the world) in just the way things were explained to him, which explains why everything is so simplified.
Then again, he could just be reading the stage directions:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/10/10/daily-show-president-bush-describer-in-chief/
October 18th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
This is off-topic!
I was at the show in Ottawa, and I wanted to commend you again (I spoke to you briefly at the bus after the show) on a awesome performance. When you sung, one couldn’t tell that you had been sick at all - let alone suffering from bronchitis! And believe me, I’ve been to quite a few of your shows over the years.
Plus, it’s pretty funny to see my big-arse wide smile in the crowd shot - in the green t-shirt with the black dress shirt unbuttoned over it (to the right of the microphone, third row). The entire experience was an utterly fantastic one for me. I was, and am, very impressed.
October 18th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
[quote comment="29776"]Matt, I’m new to this website (but certainly not a new fan), would you be able to let me know which are your main sources of information that you find credible and allow you the basis to form your opinions? (BBC, European Dailys, etc). It would be interesting to see the sources along with your commentary.
Thanks for your time![/quote]
Daala - a great place to start is under the “Lifestream” link under the title bar. Also, on the ‘Main’ page there is a list of links.
October 18th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Oops, I guess i haven’t had enough time to look around…… Well thank you for the feedback :)
October 18th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
George Bush is a C student and his father was politically connected. That explains the entrance into Havard and Yale and the fact that he wasn’t a D student.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I’ve always wondered how Georgie managed to fly those fighter planes while being so stupid?
October 18th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Bush is also supposedly a fifth generation Yale Bonesman which helps to explain his easy passage through life with seemingly no real abilities other than being able to pass the buck. He’s got that one down pat.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Also of note is the fact that he repeated the already discredited talking point that Ahmadinejad advocates the physical destruction of Israel.
As you and others have mentioned before, it was a bad translation that is still being abused by certain elements inside the beltway, mostly, who find it convenient to spin the Iranian leader’s words this way to suit their own agenda.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Fact - the United States remains the only nation that has ever deployed nuclear weapons against another nation.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
[quote comment="29830"]Fact - the United States remains the only nation that has ever deployed nuclear weapons against another nation.[/quote]
Not true - It was a bad translation.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
What he’s saying is Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only populated centers targeted by nuclear weapons. The US is the only country to use atomic weapons in combat. The US also supplied chemicals and know-how to the Iraqis in the 1980s which were used to produce poison gas weapons used against Iranians. So the US has already indirectly used WMDs against a country Cheney is now trying to portrait as the aggressor.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
With the Bush administration at the helm “progress” should be considered a 4 letter word!
October 18th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
HEY MATT!!!
I WAS SURPRISED YOU DIDN’T LATCH ON TO bush’s LATEST IRONIC STATEMENTS YESTERDAY…(i know, it’s hard to keep track)
About Turkish plans to attack Kurdish ‘rebels’ hiding in northern Iraq, Bush said, AND I QUOTE!!!!…
“We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don’t think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq.”
“There’s a better way to deal with the issue than having the Turks send massive troops into the country.”
I COULDN’T STOP LAUGHING WHEN I HEARD THIS!!! Ah the irony….the insane irony.
October 18th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Quoting Matt Good ” You know, I sometimes wonder how George Bush made it out of high school, let alone Yale and Harvard. Then again, I suppose that has to be uniformly applied to pretty much everyone in his administration as well.”
C’mon Matt,
You already know the answer to this question. In this country (US), money talks. I know plenty of people who went to good schools and wasted their parents’ money. Funny enough, most people who had their way paid for them are in charge of pretty much everything here. Besides, he’s from Texas. Stereotypes exist for a reason!!! ‘laughiing’
October 18th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
I wish we could vote for presidential canidates as Canadians. Maybe, I wouldn’t feel so scared. YA…. that about somes it up. GO HILARY !!!
October 18th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
[quote comment="29889"]I wish we could vote for presidential canidates as Canadians. Maybe, I wouldn’t feel so scared. YA…. that about somes it up. GO HILARY !!![/quote]
Well, the good news is : if Hilary wins you may be able to vote in the next election after she puts in the N.A. Federation!!!!! Of course, you’d have to give up all your nations riches…..
I can see the Campaign Slogan now:
” Just Give Us the Water and No One Gets Hurt!!”.
Jest kidding……..
October 18th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
what makes you think we don’t give up our nations riches NOW?
mmmmm…..
I live in alberta, have ya heard of the oil sands? Stupid til the last drop.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
[quote comment="29914"]what makes you think we don’t give up our nations riches NOW?
mmmmm…..
I live in alberta, have ya heard of the oil sands? Stupid til the last drop.[/quote]
Crude is $84 a barrel on the world market and Alberta gets $4 a barrel in royalties form the oil companies, sounds like a great deal to me…for the oil companies. We might as well be giving it away.
October 19th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
YEs, give it away, just like our trees here in BC. Now we almost have nothing left to give away….