More Iran

In response to a new article pushing for war by Weekly Standard editor, and grandfather of neoconservatism, William Kristol, blogger Glenn Greenwald responds to their fearmongering and false analogies by looking at the framework the Iran rhetoric is placed in by the neocons-

As Bush followers gear up for another election year campaign to start a war, they are using exactly the same rhetorical tactics and are revealing precisely the same mindset to which we were subjected during the 2002 campaign for the Iraq War. What is starkly apparent from this repetition is that their awareness of history and knowledge of the world is sadly confined to one singular event, which is all they know and which, rather bizarrely, they have a need to live over and over and over again.

To pro-Bush war supporters, the world is forever stuck in the 1930s. Every leader we don't like is Adolph Hitler, a crazed and irrational lunatic who wants to dominate the world. Every country opposed to our interests is Nazi Germany.

From this it follows that every warmonger is the glorious reincarnation of the brave and resolute Winston Churchill. And one who opposes or even questions any proposed war becomes the lowly and cowardly appeaser, Neville Chamberlain. For any and every conflict that arises, the U.S. is in the identical position of France and England in 1937 – faced with an aggressive and militaristic Nazi Germany, will we shrink from our grand fighting duties in appeasement and fear, or will we stand tall and strong and wage glorious war?

With that cartoonish framework in place, war is always the best option. It is the only option for those who are noble, strong, and fearless. Conversely, the sole reason for opposing a war is that one is a weak-minded and weak-willed appeaser who harbors dangerous fantasies of negotiating with madmen. Diplomacy and containment are simply elevated, PC terms for “appeasement.” War is the only option that works.

Bill Kristol, the pundit and Weekly Standard editor who likely exerted the greatest influence in persuading Americans to support an invasion of Iraq, is not the slightest bit deterred, or ashamed, by the fact that virtually every bit of pre-war wisdom he offered led to disaster and every prognostication he made was dead wrong. To the contrary, he is once again parading around with pretenses of great warrior nobility and military wisdom, this time leading the war dance against all of the new Hitlers in Iran...

As Glenn notes, this is a very old trick and they've used it before.

The question is, of course, how much gas is left in that beat-up old tank. Neoconservatism has been running on fumes in light of the Iraq debacle (with key players like Francis Fukuyama 'repenting' or facing trial like Scooter Libby), but my gut tells me that have enough left to squeeze out one more war... if it hasn't already begun. This is especially likely since they've spent years laying the groundwork painting Iran as the greatest to the world- EVER. This time we mean it, they insist. This time will be different, they plead. Ignore how every aspect of their policy has failed, ignore how they have helped spread theocratic authority in the MidEast and inflamed terrorism, ignore that they have no plan or exit strategy for the two wars they're already running into the ground, ignore that even their own military leaders and key allies like Blair are running away from all this. That's unimportant- they don't see the BIG PICTURE (©2001- Bush/Cheney, Inc.) that only the President, in his divinely-gifted wisdom, can. History will vindicate them, they say... if we survive it and if it forgives them.

It was only a little over 3 years ago that we went down this same road. The rhetoric, the fearmongering, the attacks of patriotism and strength of any who questioned the path, and the soft questioning and behavior on the part of the media and the Congress. People are beginning to notice- thanks to Seymour Hersh and some angry generals- but it might too late. People didn't listen to us the last time; ignore that we were right about Iraq. Out of their continued arrogance (after all, we're just concerned Americans, we're not big-time beltway insiders and pundits who get paid to be righteous about their convential wisdom reality), I doubt they'll listen to us this time either.

But hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe somebody can/will stop this madness. No doubt we'll find out soon before the elections.