The photo above shows Patrick Scanlon, of the Boston Chapter of Veterans for Peace addressing a Speakout yesterday in Copley Square. Veterans for Peace are – and I think justifiably – concerned post NDAA about the media coverage of Iran soundling a lot like the media coverage before the Iraq war. The gist is that fooled once leads to caution now. The Aesop Fable of “Wolf Wolf” comes to mind.
First, though, a reminder about General Smedley D. Butler, the namesake of the Boston chapter of veterans for peace.
I thought a photo of General Smedley Darlington Butler, a formal one, showing all the medals was a good place to start. Ultimately, General Butler realized he had been had. That is, his career was a lot like a protection racket, in fact it was a protection racket. He had been the “bully-boy” for bankers protecting their profits all over the world. He did not much like that realization, and in fact wrote a book about it that is now in the private sector, War is a Racket. 
You can actually download the whole book on the internet. Smedley Butler wrote like the soldier he was, so his book is about 50 pages long. The other reason for not forgetting Gen. Smedley Butler is when the 1% of his day approached him to do a putsch kind of thing against President Roosevelt, he did the equivalent of wearing a wire, and busted the plotters. That led to both several books, and a coverup, due I think to class loyalty. General Butler of course was viewed as a traiter to the 1%. I think my favorite version of this story is Devil Dog: The True Story of the Man who Saved America.
But, anyway, the Smedley Butler Brigade took to the streets and marched to warn people like you and I. It is a lot easier to head off a bad decision like a media juggernaut in pursuit of more endless war for profiteers and to grab oil, then to stop it after it starts. You know, I think they might just be right.
Video of the March against War with Iran
…can someone fill me in what has happened with Iran that has made some start suggesting that force may be necessary? Their President I’m sure continues to foam at the mouth, but that’s not a reason. I’ve heard that they are blocking some waterway access in their neighborhood but I don’t know the details. People also raise concerns about Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, which are legitimate, though probably more immediate for Israel than for us. My question on that is has Iran signed a treaty agreeing not to acquire such a weapon? If so we should get the UN to help enforce it; if not then what business and right is it of ours, also a nuclear power, to tell other countries they can’t have those weapons?
…the serious problem that the futures market has with betting on an increase in the price of oil when there is a world-wide glut. Would our government stoop to threatening the flow of oil through the Gulf of Hormuz just to boost Wall Street’s interests? How would you place your bet?
As for nukes, we’ve heard about Iran and nukes for a long time. Surely they are sitting with Iraq’s nukes. Some stories never grow old.
My own feeling is that Iran wouldn’t want a nuclear weapon as it would tilt the political power to their military. They remember 1953.
the Smedley reference because the name sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss.
The Israeli right wing, which currently runs Israel, wants to bomb Iran. Our crazier conservatives want to bomb Iran. During the lead up to the Iraq debacle, the saying was among neo-cons that real men want to attack Iran. I’m still unsure whether it was a spelling error that led the Bush Administration to attack Iraq. Iran is particularly freaked out right now about what potential sanctions will have on their crappy economy.
When it comes to the Middle East, I read Juan Cole. I often disagree with his politics concerning Israel, but he provides an interesting view of Middle Eastern foreign policy, a view that is next to impossible in our media.
I also like Eric Alterman, who reports on things other than Israel, but gives a non-conservative view of it and the Middle East. Here’s a recent column on the crazy–somewhat un-American–Jewish right. I don’t use the word “un-American” lightly, and like Alterman, I worry that there could eventually be a racist backlash against Jews due to the actions and rhetoric of the wingnut fringe. Here’s Alterman’s latest column:
This kind of talk should never happen, but neither should United States policy be to put another country’s interest before our own.
Back in 1979, when the US embassy was running a plot to overthrow the Iranian government, the Iranians took over the embassy. US threats, assassinations, military base explosions and economic warfare has not stopped since. [Iran Air Flight 655] and our support for Iraq in the Iraq-Iran War. Nobody claims Iran has the bomb. Claims have been made for decades they are working on one and will have one soon unless stopped. See
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/04/the_growing_iranian_military_behemoth/
I was involved in an un-Friendly Fire Incident in Vietnam. Somebody thought they were shot at and returned fire. Less than 5k rounds were expended, the reason there were no casualties besides sheer dumb luck was it’s difficult kill someone dug in with bullets at night unless you dig them out. Nobody crawls out of their hole and advances under fire without orders. The floating targets of the 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf don’t have that advantage.
I see nervous feedback on various sites regarding the deployment of the Enterprise and another vessel to the Gulf. Both vessels were to be decommissioned this year. Fear is that they will be sunk in a false flag operation. Ordinarily, I’d dismiss the idea but I remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the revelation of Operation Northwoods. Ships sunk, servicepeople killed, to ignite another war. It isn’t absurd anymore.
Given this administration’s thirst for blood, contempt for civil liberty and disrespect for the rule of law I can’t rule out the possibility of thousands of our military people sacrificed for the wants of the politicians.
Even if this is not to be, what have we come to be when the possibility is easily contemplated?
“Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall — think of it, ALWAYS.” –Mahatma Gandhi