How are Iran's relations with China and Russia these days?
Todd
September 14, 2007 9:30 AM
Rubin shrugs off claims that Alexis Debat is a fabulist. Well, Debat stands accused of claiming to have a Ph.d he cannot produce and having conducted interviews with public figures that never occurred. The AP story has some interesting details about how his accounts of what happened differ from pretty much everyone he's worked for:
Rod, I know you dislike the president, and I know you now believe the worst about him at every opportunity. But this really appears to be another case, like Dan Rather, like Scott Beauchamp, where the narrative is deemed more important than the facts. It seems to me, Rod, that these people strongly believe- without factual basis- that Bush is preparing to attack Iran. Since you don't like Bush you're willing to believe them.
Usama
September 14, 2007 11:16 PM
Todd, you are lacking common sense. You seem to have some unrealistic sense of 'faith' in Bush totally inconsistent with his words, deeds, actions, and responsibilities.
The facts are all in. America has a string of military bases and installations surrounding Iran. There have been numerous reports of both American military aircraft incursions into Iranian space and suspected spec ops collecting intel, as well as Mossad and CIA training of Baluchistani and Kurdish rebels trained to infiltrate and destabilize Iran. Not to mention massive naval build ups in the Persian Gulf.
All of this follows in line with Bush's reliance on the DOD, ecspecially during the Rumsfeld era, as the institution best suited to shape America's foreign relations.
But everything mentioned here must be placed in context of the doctrines and ideas behind the Bush administration, namely Neo conservatism defined by the PNAC.
The Bush administration has been dominated by the Neo Con movement of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC). The name says it all. It is a militaristic call for advancing American interests globally to secure America's global primacy, aka global hegemonic empire. AEI and the myriad of presidential councils have all conceded in the nee for American empire. Its all there at the PNAC website. Those are the ideas behind the Bush worldview. And given that Iran is rich in oil and resources, including human, that could further serve as an incentive and bounty for American corporations now full of bloodlust and imagining new trillions flowing into their hands.
The difference is: Iran will take several years to deconstruct. Iraq took 12 years and a major first war before it was ready for the 2003 invasion. Bush planners and the Pentagon warmongers may be less patient and seek a 2 year plan for initial conflict: bombing, airstrikes, some naval scenerios. But Iran is likely the future for American militarism.
David J. White
September 16, 2007 11:57 AM
I'm certainly not in favor of praetorianism, but I wish that some of our military commanders would wake up to the fact that they took an oath to *defend the Constitution*, not an oath to obey the president.
Isn't there something in that oath about defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign *and domestic*?
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Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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How are Iran's relations with China and Russia these days?
Rubin shrugs off claims that Alexis Debat is a fabulist. Well, Debat stands accused of claiming to have a Ph.d he cannot produce and having conducted interviews with public figures that never occurred. The AP story has some interesting details about how his accounts of what happened differ from pretty much everyone he's worked for:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070913/ap_en_tv/fake_interviews_3
Rod, I know you dislike the president, and I know you now believe the worst about him at every opportunity. But this really appears to be another case, like Dan Rather, like Scott Beauchamp, where the narrative is deemed more important than the facts. It seems to me, Rod, that these people strongly believe- without factual basis- that Bush is preparing to attack Iran. Since you don't like Bush you're willing to believe them.
Todd, you are lacking common sense. You seem to have some unrealistic sense of 'faith' in Bush totally inconsistent with his words, deeds, actions, and responsibilities.
The facts are all in. America has a string of military bases and installations surrounding Iran. There have been numerous reports of both American military aircraft incursions into Iranian space and suspected spec ops collecting intel, as well as Mossad and CIA training of Baluchistani and Kurdish rebels trained to infiltrate and destabilize Iran. Not to mention massive naval build ups in the Persian Gulf.
All of this follows in line with Bush's reliance on the DOD, ecspecially during the Rumsfeld era, as the institution best suited to shape America's foreign relations.
But everything mentioned here must be placed in context of the doctrines and ideas behind the Bush administration, namely Neo conservatism defined by the PNAC.
The Bush administration has been dominated by the Neo Con movement of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC). The name says it all. It is a militaristic call for advancing American interests globally to secure America's global primacy, aka global hegemonic empire. AEI and the myriad of presidential councils have all conceded in the nee for American empire. Its all there at the PNAC website. Those are the ideas behind the Bush worldview. And given that Iran is rich in oil and resources, including human, that could further serve as an incentive and bounty for American corporations now full of bloodlust and imagining new trillions flowing into their hands.
The difference is: Iran will take several years to deconstruct. Iraq took 12 years and a major first war before it was ready for the 2003 invasion. Bush planners and the Pentagon warmongers may be less patient and seek a 2 year plan for initial conflict: bombing, airstrikes, some naval scenerios. But Iran is likely the future for American militarism.
I'm certainly not in favor of praetorianism, but I wish that some of our military commanders would wake up to the fact that they took an oath to *defend the Constitution*, not an oath to obey the president.
Isn't there something in that oath about defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign *and domestic*?
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.