Politics: Surprise!

Rumsfeld lied. Repeatedly. According to Raw Story, while his cowardly Dummyness (who secretly fled across the German border like a thief in the night to avoid being prosecuted in France for ordering the torture of French citizens in Guantanamo) was braying in public about the lack of links between Iraq and Iran - he was ordering his subordinates to manufacture evidence of same.

Wake up, America! You got lied and bamboozled into one war, and now you're being lied and bamboozled into a second, even while legitimately fighting a third. The economy is plummeting, the infrastructure is rotting under your feet, your jobs are being exported by the bushel, and your grandchildren will be slaving to pay off your debt. We can't afford another war!

According to the Raw Story article, memos issued by Rumsfeld included sentiments such as these:

"Make the American people realize they are surrounded in the world by violent extremists," Rumsfeld wrote in April of 2006 after retired generals began calling for his resignation. He suggested that people would "rally" to sacrifice. "They are looking for leadership. Sacrifice = Victory."

Rumsfeld suggested that the when the Pentagon responded to war criticism aides should "push people back, rather than just defending" Iraq policy, and he acknowledged privately that no "terminal event" would signal an end to the fight against terrorism. Eighteen months ago, Rumsfeld also urged military aides to begin connecting the war in Iraq to threats from Iran -- a strategy that has since become de rigueur within the Bush administration.

So he realized over a year ago that the occupation of Iraq would be an endless war. And still he promulgated opinions like these.

The cost in international goodwill and American prestige, the damage to the nation's honour and image, should the U.S. bomb Iran, is incalculable. But worse still will be the cost to innocent civilian life - not just in Iran. Because radiation spreads invisibly, sickening and killing without discrimination, we can validly expect that U.S. armed forces on the ground in Iraq will be affected. Old people who are not at war with us will be affected. Innocent children will be affected. Pregnant women, young women, people who are innocent of anything whatsoever except happening to live anywhere in the path of the radiation will be affected. Nor will Iran and Iraq be the only countries affected.

Iran shares borders with Armenia, Turki, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, as well as Iraq. Contamination could easily spread across the borders into Georgia, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and India. For which country do you think such a bombing would generate sympathy? The U.S.? Or Iran?

Dr. Mohammed el-Baradei has warned that inflammatory rhetoric will not solve the problem, and has accused the U.S. of exaggerating the threat posed by Iran's nuclear problem, says the Daily Star. Surprised, we're sure.

As Lambert points out, over on CorrenteWire, the bombing of Iran will also result in Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, which will send oil prices through the roof. We leave it to you to decide who will pay the cost and who will profit from such an act. Needless to say, the closure of the Strait will require the U.S. to fall back on the oil reserve (which will not last longer than 60 days, according to Lambert), and to send troops in to break the blockade by force. The fact that we're rather low on troops right now might weigh in the equation.

The upshot of the warmongering by the Gross Old Perverts is that they are distracting us from several very important facts:

• They're willing to kill or seriously impair the health of 160,000 of our sons and daughters in harm's way;
  
• They're trying to distract us from the fact that the country is rapidly going broke (except for themselves and some of their super-rich friends);
  
• They're willing to let our children suffer from inadequate health care and deepening poverty;
  
• They're waving shiny things around to get us to take our eyes off the ball.

No more! Nancy Pelosi, impeachment must be put back on the table!

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