The Oil Drum

I doubt there is a TOD take on the Iran war fever -- just individual opinions. Mine is that the fever is being whipped up right now by the neocons with little resistance from the Dems. The only thing holding them back seems to be foot dragging by some in the military who don't seem able to get their arms completely around the notion of the empire creating its own reality. We are descending into hell. We ought to be kicking and screaming.

My take on going to war with Iran is incredulousness. But then, that was my take on going to war with Iraq. I guess the difference is that I'm currently somewhat optimistic that the American people, the press, and the politicians have learned something from Iraq. So I don't think there's much of a stomach for it. It remains to be seen if Shrub will act on his own in defiance of all of the above and the world at large, but I would rather not believe that he will. And in any event, there's nothing I can do about it if he does.

-Don

I'm sure there is no general TOD position on Iran war fever. Some of the posters believe a U.S. attack on Iran is imminent, and some have believed this for more than a year. I believe it is not going to happen.

According to the current administration off-the-record speak, the current spin is that we are just going to bomb them back to the stone age, but that is NOT going to war with them, as we have no plans to send ground troops. I love the way this administration can redefine everything to demonstrate ANY position they currently hold. I'm sure when the bombs start falling, Iran will consider the US to be at war with them.

Don't know - every day it does not happen is every day I think its a bad mem- not to say it will not happen but thinking about what happens afterwards seems to be what drives the "War with Iran" is going to happen this Friday.

We need more hardcore proof that the trigger is going to be pulled. Unfortunately the internet is the perfect place to create self re enforcing "truth"

It's only indirectly about oil, it's about Iran's potential to become the regional power. Iran isn't in the West's pocket, Turkey is quietly slipping out of the West's grasp and Israel is looking rather weak which is causing blood pressure to skyrocket in Washington. So it's up to the US to de-fang Iran and stop it from becoming the regional power. Which is giving the Administration stress related ulcers as it wrings its hands about the only choice they have left, the use of military force because Iran keeps giving them the finger. Such disrespect of the US empire cannot be left unchecked or else everyone is going to be telling the US where to stuff it.

Of course, if the basement crazies decide to attack, then it isn't a matter of just taking down Iran's nuclear sites, they have to disable Iran completely. In other words they have to degrade their entire infrastructure to both disable their ambitions and turn the population against the leadership.

Such action taken against a sovereign state without any justification would be a potential tipping point to overt action against the US and its allies, not only by Iran, but also by other opposing powers. So it all boils down to whether or not the administration have managed to convince themselves that they can contain any reaction if they do something really very stupid (ie. do they feel lucky).

Now, where does Sarkozy, France and justification fit in?