Waging War Without Bullets, Bombs or Missiles

Trey Smith

What's most extraordinary about all of this is that the extreme human suffering caused by US-led sanctions is barely acknowledged in mainstream American political discourse. One reason that Americans were so baffled after the 9/11 attack (why do they hate us?) is the same reason they continue to be so baffled by anti-American protests in the Muslim world (what are they so angry about?): namely, most Americans literally have no idea, because nobody ever told them, that their government's imposition of sanctions in Iraq led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children, and they similarly have no idea that the suffering of ordinary Iranians is becoming increasingly substantial.

People in the Muslim world (who are relentlessly depicted as propagandized) are well aware of the human devastation US sanctions have caused, while Americans (who think of themselves as the beneficiaries of a free and vibrant press) have largely had those facts kept from them. That dynamic in part, is what often explains the irreconcilable worldviews among people in those two parts of the world.
~ from Iran Sanctions Now Causing Food Insecurity, Mass Suffering by Glenn Greenwald ~

There has been a lot of discussion both in the mainstream and alternative media about whether or not the US and/or Israel will attack Iran in the coming months. As Greenwald makes clear, the war has already started; we're simply conducting it at this point without the use of bullets, bombs and missiles.

Crippling sanctions are as deadly -- in some cases, more so -- than military weapons. We witnessed this in Iraq as we crippled the country BEFORE we militarily laid waste to it. While our bombs and troops killed many Iraqis, far more died from the devastating sanctions. Iraq is still in shambles today because of OUR two-fisted approach to "liberation."

And now we're going down that same road again with another Muslim country. Again, as Greenwald aptly points out, most Americans are completely oblivious to what our leaders are up to. As long as no bombs are dropping, they think we're playing the role of the good guys in white hats.

Here's a hint: We aren't playing that role at all!