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to DELAY addressing global warming, while the oil giants clean up the last profits from polluting our planet?
I certainly know it may not be--given Iraq, and the PNAC (all the NeoCon planning that went into U.S. military domination of the Mideast oil fields). But still, when you look at Bush-Cheney's utterly evaporated power base, and how many establishment figures are opposed to their continued war plans, AND the opposition of virtually the entire world, including giants and nuke powers like China and Russia (China, which holds much of the paper on our huge debt, with a particularly big oil business with Iran), and the vulnerability of countries like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, France, Pakistan, to a conflagration in Iran--and also Israel, as a matter fact--countries that could be hit by nuke fallout, and likely to be flooded with refugees--and also considering the limitations on U.S. forces (in numbers, AND in vulnerability), it is almost inconceivable that Bush-Cheney would or could do it (nuke, bomb or invade Iran). So what do they have in mind? Conceivably a limited air strike of some kind, to weaken Iran's military defenses. Then what?
Other possibilities: The escalation in Iraq, and the U.S. fleet buildup, are gunboat diplomacy (but to what end?), or cover for withdrawal of U.S. troops "over the horizon," to fight another day (?). (Are the war profiteers counting on Hillary, or some other new "LBJ"?) Perhaps the escalation and fleet buildup are scare tactics toward Iran, intended to prevent Iranian domination of Iraq, as U.S. troops withdraw and an international effort is convened to stabilize Iraq? And the saber-rattling is all bluster?
With any half-reasonable people in the White House, that's what I would surmise. But with Bush-Cheney, the evidence is that they are not reasonable, and that they feel accountable to no one. So who knows? But I've been conscious of their "bait and switch" tactics on domestic policy--rattle the majority's cage over here, say on women's rights, and meanwhile cut tax cuts for the rich again, with a $10 trillion deficit.
So what is the bait and what is the switch on Iran? If you follow their chief motive in everything--thievery, greed--it points to their oil buds and what they may want (more price gouging, no global warming effort any time soon), and also war profiteers (who are profiting from this escalation and naval buildup perhaps even more than they would from an actual conflict--one last big stuffing of the beast, then they will stop manufacturing wars for a while?). There is also a coincidence of interests between them--oil giants, war profiteers. It takes a whole lot of fuel to keep the U.S. navy and airforce in the Middle East.
Are they threatening Iran simply to steal more money from us? (If their goal is to take over Iran's oil fields, nuking Iran or massive conflict in Iran, would not be conducive to that goal. There would be endless conflict about it, beginning with the Iranians, who would cause them endless grief, and probably extending to the other Islamic countries who couldn't keep young fighters out of that guerrilla war. They might gain temporary control of Iran's oil, but they could not keep it. And meanwhile, back in the U.S.A? Insurrection?)
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