War talk is in the air again, and because of the looming November election, it has to be taken extra seriously.
Ordinarily one would say that the real sign of an imminent attack would be a convening of Congress to approve a use of force authorization, or perhaps an attempt in the United Nations to win endorsement for an attack from the UN Security Council, but clearly this is not happening. And for good reason. Bush would never succeed in winning Security Council approval for a military action against Iran, particularly after insulting the council members by the massive package of lies that he and Colin Powell presented the last time he sought such a vote - for an attack on Iraq - in 2003. Nor would he likely be given the go-ahead by Congress this time around, with all of the House and a third of the Senate facing re-election on November 7 by an electorate that has grown weary of war, angry at a half trillion dollars wasted, and sick about the thousands of flag-draped coffins and broken GIs returning home, with nothing to show for it all but two dysfunctional, war-torn former countries in the Middle East.
The problem is that Bush, who has trashed the Constitution to the point that it is now little more than a historical artifact, doesn't think he needs approval from the UN or even from the Congress to embark on his most dangerous, bloody and immoral war yet.
According to this confirmed White House criminal (Bush has been found guilty by the US Supreme Court of violating the US War Crimes Statutes and by a Federal District Court of violating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Fourth Amendment), he has the power as "commander in chief in time of war" to act in violation of both Constitution and law, as he sees fit.
We need only note how Bush, in his address at the UN General Assembly last week, was careful to describe the leaders of Iran as "supporters of terror." Be warned: this was a deliberately chosen linguistic construct which means he is asserting his right to attack them as part of that phony "war" on terror, based upon the long-outdated and grossly misrepresented 2001 AUMF.
Why would Bush be willing to do such a thing, against the advice of his generals, against the wishes of the American people, and against all logic and decency?
Clearly he is afraid - afraid that a Democratic Congress will finally start calling him to account for his accumulated crimes against the nation and the American People. That's why he is desperately trying to get the Republican-led Congress - while it still can - to pass legislation retroactively exonerating him and his subordinates for their criminal violations of law and Constitution. That's why he is racing around the country raising money for candidates - even including liberal Republicans whose positions he privately abhors.
At this point, all this president cares about is saving his own sorry ass.
He thinks that another phony, criminal war will rally support for him and the Republicans in time to stave off defeat at the polls. I'm pretty sure he's crazy.
I don't know much about international policy, but then, neither does Bush. I do know that if you go looking for trouble, you're gonna find it. Fighting should be for defense of self or others, except in the really rare instance of someone who is such an asshole they really need a whuppin'.
Iran is like a guy who's takin' karate lessons to keep bullies from pickin' on him: he'll be no threat for a long time, but the bullies better pick on him while they can. If those bullies are still bunged up from a previous scrape, he might whip 'em anyway.
Bush is like a guy who got to be prez of a motorcycle club by hook and by crook. He's such an asshole that the other guys would dearly love to see him miss a turn and go flyin' off a cliff, but they support him because that's what you do. When they go into a bar, most of the guys just want something to cut the dust, but Bush wants to pick a fight. Coulda just had a cold one and chatted with the locals, but Nooooo. First, he picks a fight with the smallest, least threatening guy there. His club backs him up. Bush just watches. Then he wants to pick a fight with another guy just because he thinks it'll make him look like an even bigger man. This time, the rest of the patrons realize this guy is dangerous, and gang up and hand the club its ass. Didn't hurt Bush, though. He just started it. He didn't fight.
What the club (that's us, folks) needs to do to preserve life and limb is take Bush out back and fuck him up themselves before he can get them in any more trouble. Take his shiny bike away from him and put him on the bus to Texas. Then pick a prez with at least rudimentary social skills who ain't a wannabe bad guy.
They won't be welcome in that saloon for a long time, either. Should never have been there in the first place, given their leader's attitude.
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