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July 26, 2006
WB: Waist Deep
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Over on “Hardball” last night, a neocon’s head spins so fast that Matthews and Al Sharpton donned their brain-proof ponchos and waited for the explosion.
Tweety asks Mike Evans of the Jerusalem Prayer Team is he supports Dear Leader’s Excellent Adventure in Iraq. “Why yes, of course I do” Bringing Western style democracy to the Middle East is important? “Why yes, yes it is.” Maliki, the duly elected leader of Iraq, had some unkind words for Israel. “Grrrrr…snarl…..snap”. Maliki will speak to Congress tomorrow; a good thing? “No! NO! He should not be allowed to speak to our Congress after what he said about Israel.”
But you support the President’s goals in Iraq? “Why yes, of course I do………….”
Sheeeesh.
Posted by: montysano | Jul 26 2006 18:58 utc | 1
I wonder how long the Kadima led coalition in Israel will last? We may see elections by Spring ’07, if not sooner.
The current govt is castrated by IDF on the one side and declining political/public support on the other. They’re screwed, Kadima may just turn into a failed experiment and Labor could be heading towards permanent electoral also rans if the situation continues.
Is it too much for me to wonder if Likud is not working behind the scenes to undermine the current govt?
Posted by: Bubb Rubb | Jul 26 2006 19:30 utc | 2
The current IDF boss, Dan Halutz, is a Likud man or, in US terms, a neocon.
Given that, what results could you expect?
My prediction is elections by year’s end, or even sooner. If the most Olmert/ Halutz have to show for their efforts is a few square miles of Lebanese dirt and lots of dead IDF soldiers, they’ll be run out of town on a rail. This bodes ill for both Likud and Kadima.
The real question is “who’s next?” Yisrael Beytenu, with their plans to redraw the borders by current demographics and forcible transfer of populations? Or (gasp) a return to near-sanity in Labor/ Meretz?
Posted by: Brian J. | Jul 26 2006 20:01 utc | 4
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon may appear to be a Three Stooges rerun, but appearance is all that it is.
I still insist that the next three moves will be:
get deeper in a desperate slugout with Hizbollah;
accuse Syria of funding and fomenting Hizbollah’s resistance and therefore strike Syria’s military infrastructure and military;
use Syria’s response to strike Syria and Iran, bringing America into the general war that results.
If the neocons in Washington do not pull off this general war, resulting in failed or compliant states across the Middle East, then the American Empire is going to collapse.
They have nothing whatsoever to lose by going for wider and endless war.
They will hit Iran before this year’s US elections. Probably before Labor Day.
Guess what? I reall-l-l-y hope I’m wrong.
Posted by: Antifa | Jul 26 2006 20:28 utc | 5
I think you are wrong, Antifa. Not because the shrub and Olmert/ Halutz aren’t willing to immanentize the eschaton, but because they haven’t got the forces to spare.
Posted by: Brian J. | Jul 26 2006 20:45 utc | 6
on the contrary, i think antifa is partly correct;
“I still insist that the next three moves will be:
get deeper in a desperate slugout with Hizbollah;
accuse Syria of funding and fomenting Hizbollah’s resistance and therefore strike Syria’s military infrastructure and military;”
i would have thought isolating syria even further would be enough but no i think hezbollah wiill fight more courageously than the empire imagines, the ‘defeat’ in front of that steadfastness will be characterised not as an israeli failure but exactly as antifa suggests – a further reason to attack syria
Posted by: r’giap | Jul 26 2006 20:56 utc | 7
I think Antifa is drastically overestimating the ability of the neocons to play that sort of a game. They may be evil, but they’re not evil geniuses.
Posted by: billmon | Jul 26 2006 21:08 utc | 8
“then the American Empire is going to collapse.”
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
Posted by: ran | Jul 26 2006 21:16 utc | 9
.
with this administration i anticipate what the worst case scenario could be and usually that is what happens. therefore i put nothing past them.
i don’t know if one would have to be an evil genius to lead us into a nuclear war.
of course i hope i am wrong. except for the timetable i agree w/antifa’s 3 moves. i’m not sure they will be able to pull it off, but they will try. the gloves will come off after they successfully secure the election victories thru hook or by crook. after nov it will be a full on race to the finish , mayhem like we haven’t seen yet. I don’t think we will attack Iran until after november. just like it didn’t matter one iota what the evidence was regarding iraq or sadam, it doesn’t matter what iran does, the periscope of the neocons is set.
the only saving grace we may have is a fair election process (unlikely).
Posted by: annie | Jul 26 2006 21:53 utc | 10
Yes, the American Empire is going to collapse; and generally speaking, that’s not a bad thing. But it’s going to be bloody and destructive. There’s going to be a lot of hatred (more than there is already). And the next superpower (China, I suppose) may be even less benign. Or maybe not. Who knows?
Why can’t we all just get along?
Posted by: mistah charley | Jul 26 2006 22:00 utc | 11
Of course there is the option of political suicide. The Neos are losing ‘control’ which is enough to make them get out the rope. (Deliberately lose the election). They probably wouldn’t even leave a note.
Posted by: pb | Jul 26 2006 22:12 utc | 12
we can know enough to see that it’s guaranteed to remain bloody & destructive if it doesn’t collapse too (empire, that is.) our way of life is already destructive, we just pretend not to see that. the reason we can’t all get along is that some groups have resources, natural & otherwise, that others have convinced themselves that they are entitled to, in order that they may maintain their “non-negotiable” illusions of living (largely centered on the accumulation of wealth). if we can jettison those types of people/ideologies/limitations, maybe there’s a chance of mutuality among global communities.
Posted by: b real | Jul 26 2006 22:20 utc | 13