All-Purpose Lies
Rush Limbaugh led with this item on his radio show a few minutes ago. He, of course, thought this was swell news:
I mention Limbaugh because of what he then went on to say. Limbaugh denies that a civil war is even a possibility in Iraq: as you are doubtless aware, that idea is solely a creation of the evil liberal media. But Limbaugh heard one Iraqi being interviewed, and this Iraqi (although who this person is and why we should put stock in anything he says was not disclosed to us unworthy listeners) really "gets it," according to the laughable Limbaugh. The Iraqi said that Iraqis themselves don't want and would not tolerate a civil war: whatever trouble there might be is all being caused by...
Oh, come on. You know. Iran. All the problems in Iraq are being created by Iran to distract us -- while Iran builds nuclear bombs to kill us all. So the solution is obvious and indisputable: we need to stop Iran and we need to stop it now, by military strikes if necessary.
Just three years ago, all these same people were warning us about "mushroom clouds," and the great danger Saddam represented. If we got rid of Saddam, democracy would spring up in Iraq and spread throughout the Middle East. Peace on Earth would arrive to bless all mankind.
Not one of the hawks' predictions about Iraq has come true. Not a single bloody one -- and bloody is the operative word. But now we are told that the problem isn't Iraq any longer: it's Iran. If it were not for Iran, all the hawks' delusional fantasies would miraculously come true.
We remain trapped in mythic war. We must have endless enemies, and those enemies must embody Absolute Evil. When one enemy is disposed of, no matter how unforgivable and futile the destruction we have caused, we will find another to take its place.
So the demands for continuing, perpetual, endless war go on. All of it was lies from beginning to end three years ago -- and all of it is lies now.
The entire spectacle is sickening, contemptible and utterly transparent. And it is beyond forgiveness, now and forever.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons and faces "meaningful consequences" if it persists in defying the international community, Vice President Dick Cheney said on Tuesday.In view of the Bush administration's deal with India -- a country which is not a signatory to the nonproliferation treaty, while Iran is (and note the points made by Cirincione, included in the Update to that post) -- this is warmongering of a particularly ludicrous kind. Our nuclear policy is incomprehensible and self-contradictory. But the main point is clear: we will decide who gets to have nuclear weapons and who doesn't, and we will enforce our inscrutable desires with bombs and death.
Cheney, speaking to the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, also reaffirmed that the United States was keeping all options on the table -- including military force -- in its determination to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms.
"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences," Cheney said.
Cheney spoke as the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency governing board was meeting in Vienna to decide its next steps on Iran.
"For our part, the United States is keeping all options on the table. ... We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," Cheney said.
I mention Limbaugh because of what he then went on to say. Limbaugh denies that a civil war is even a possibility in Iraq: as you are doubtless aware, that idea is solely a creation of the evil liberal media. But Limbaugh heard one Iraqi being interviewed, and this Iraqi (although who this person is and why we should put stock in anything he says was not disclosed to us unworthy listeners) really "gets it," according to the laughable Limbaugh. The Iraqi said that Iraqis themselves don't want and would not tolerate a civil war: whatever trouble there might be is all being caused by...
Oh, come on. You know. Iran. All the problems in Iraq are being created by Iran to distract us -- while Iran builds nuclear bombs to kill us all. So the solution is obvious and indisputable: we need to stop Iran and we need to stop it now, by military strikes if necessary.
Just three years ago, all these same people were warning us about "mushroom clouds," and the great danger Saddam represented. If we got rid of Saddam, democracy would spring up in Iraq and spread throughout the Middle East. Peace on Earth would arrive to bless all mankind.
Not one of the hawks' predictions about Iraq has come true. Not a single bloody one -- and bloody is the operative word. But now we are told that the problem isn't Iraq any longer: it's Iran. If it were not for Iran, all the hawks' delusional fantasies would miraculously come true.
We remain trapped in mythic war. We must have endless enemies, and those enemies must embody Absolute Evil. When one enemy is disposed of, no matter how unforgivable and futile the destruction we have caused, we will find another to take its place.
So the demands for continuing, perpetual, endless war go on. All of it was lies from beginning to end three years ago -- and all of it is lies now.
The entire spectacle is sickening, contemptible and utterly transparent. And it is beyond forgiveness, now and forever.
posted by Arthur Silber at 9:37 AM
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