Comments on: President Bush Wants War With Iran

By: RR

RR — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:49:56 +0000

What I find disturbing is that you’re listening to that vaguely anti-Catholic Terry Gross.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:10:14 +0000

C Matt,

M.I. states that the U.S. has claimed a unilateral right to prevent “any other” country from acquiring nuclear weapons. In fact, that is not the case. The U.S. has claimed the right to prevent “our Enemies from Threatening Us, Our Allies, and Our Friends with Weapons of Mass Destruction,” which is different than what he originally claimed. In addition, your statement of “certain regimes” is one with which I am in agreement.

By: Kyle R. Cupp

Kyle R. Cupp — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:32:25 +0000

“This is very false.”

No, unfortunately very true. We are perpetually at war, in some form or another, against some enemy or another. War is a normal state of affairs for our government, regardless of which party runs it.

By: Michael J. Iafrate

Michael J. Iafrate — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:13:26 +0000

Digby what happens after the next Iraqi election if the Govt continues wants us not to to do a rapid withdrawal?>Will you still be calling this an “occupation”?

When the elites of the occupied country cooperate with the imperial power, yes, it is still an occupation.

By: Mark DeFrancisis

Mark DeFrancisis — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:04:23 +0000

jh,

Were you alive yet in 2003?

By: jh

jh — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:56:49 +0000

“War is not a last resort in our government’s foreign policy.”

That is very false

By: jh

jh — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:55:04 +0000

“United States by illegally occupying the sovereign nation of Iraq and forcing her back into colonial subservience to Western oil interests.”

Digby what happens after the next Iraqi election if the Govt continues wants us not to to do a rapid withdrawal?>Will you still be calling this an “occupation”? THere does seem to be perhaps a tad of unhealthy Paternalism in viewing the IRaqis that was on full display in April when they starting their offensive

As to Western OIl Companies which are really Global in nature would it be better if they were Russian OIl companies

IRan getting a nuclear weapon is problem that cannot be ignored or wished away and the resulting arm race that would develop is a horrific real possibility.

By: Kyle R. Cupp

Kyle R. Cupp — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:19:46 +0000

War is not a last resort in our government’s foreign policy.

By: digbydolben

digbydolben — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:08:58 +0000

If Iran gets a nuclear weapon it will set off a Nuclear arms race in the middle east that will be frightening. Welocme back to the terrors of the cold war .

Objective historians will write that ISRAEL and the UNITED STATES set off the nuclear arms race in the Middle East: Israel by STEALING nuclear secrets from the United States and developing nuclear weaponry secretly and in defiance of her own ally, and the United States by illegally occupying the sovereign nation of Iraq and forcing her back into colonial subservience to Western oil interests.

The outgoing BJP defense secretary of India George Fernandes (a member of a government that was a strong supporter of American foreign policy) was asked by a news reporter, “What is the lesson that Third World countries should learn from the American invasion of Iraq?” His response: “Acquire nuclear weaponry as fast as you can!”

By: c matt

c matt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:27:37 +0000

Hmm…Jonathan, I haven’t much agreed with Michael I, but I do think he correctly states how the US has articulated its policy – mere possession (or even attempt to possess) nuclear weapons by certain regimes is grounds for forcible disarmament. Or have we arleady forgotten the “axis of evil” rhetoric?

By: Michael J. Iafrate

Michael J. Iafrate — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:59:27 +0000

Jonathan, Surely you are familiar with the National Security Strategy of the United States, published in September of 2002, particularly section V: “Prevent Our Enemies from Threatening Us, Our Allies, and Our Friends with Weapons of Mass Destruction” which clearly claims the right to “preempt emergent threats” militarily. That’s merely one example of the U.S.’s repeated claims to this right, not to mention the U.S.’s concrete actions to “disarm” Iraq although it had no WMD. Surely you’re not that naive?

By: Morning's Minion

Morning's Minion — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:20:16 +0000

The act of holding nuclear weapons, by any country, is gravely immoral. That holds for Iran and for the US.