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!

Afternoon Matinee: Can We Stop A War With Iran?

Afternoon Matinee: War With Iran A Terrible Idea - Here's Why

Afternoon Matinee: MSM Hyping Iran Threat, Warmongering

Afternoon Matinee: Vali Nasr on U.S.-Iranian Relations

Hard to Fathom

Trey Smith

Each year, the U.S. State Department, as required by law, issues a “Human Rights Report” which details abuses by other countries. To call it an exercise in hypocrisy is to understate the case: it is almost impossible to find any tyrannical power denounced by the State Department which the U.S. Government (and its closest allies) do not regularly exercise itself. Indeed, it’s often impossible to imagine how the authors of these reports can refrain from cackling mischievously over the glaring ironies of what they are denouncing (my all-time favorite example is discussed in the update here).

In 2010, the State Department included a long section on the oppressive detention practices of China. The “principal human rights problems” of the tyrannical Chinese government include “a lack of due process in judicial proceedings” and “the use of administrative detention.” Indeed, “arbitrary arrest and detention remained serious problems. The law grants police broad administrative detention powers and the ability to detain individuals for extended periods without formal arrest or criminal charges.” Can one even find the words to condemn these Chinese monsters?
~ from Khader Adnan and Now-Normalized Western Justice by Glenn Greenwald ~

If you haven't noticed, it is this kind of information that gives rise to my frequent and vehement denunciations of my own government. While ALL governments are hypocrites, it is hard to fathom that any nation on the face of the earth is more hypocritical than our very own.

We criticize others for the kinds of things we routinely do and our leaders don't bat as much as an eyelash at the, shall I say, irony.

Just take a look at one contemporary issue. Our leaders are all up in arms because Iran is pursuing nuclear power and, potentially, nuclear weapons. We might have a wobbly leg to stand on IF we ourselves were trying to curtail -- better yet, end -- our use of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.

But we are doing nothing of the sort! We possess the second most nuclear warheads (slightly behind Russia) in the world and we happen to be the only nation to drop nuclear bombs during a war. In Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, we have utilized depleted uranium in the various bombs and missiles that we have rained down on these countries. We are the poster child for the irresponsible threat and use of nuclear weapons.

So, why do we get to decide which nations can possess nuclear technology and which ones cannot? Personally, I would like to see ALL nations agree to eschew nukes and to phase out nuclear energy, but that prospect -- particularly in the US -- is unlikely. So, if we have the right to jeopardize the health and safety of the entire world, why shouldn't Iran have the same right as well?

Framing the Next Great Story

Trey Smith

For several years, the U.S. and Israel threaten on an almost daily basis to aggressively attack a country, all while engaging in multiple acts of war against them, and then when their leaders suggest they may not acquiesce to such an attack with passivity and gratitude, those vows of defensive retaliation are used to depict them as the threat-issuing aggressors. And the American media, as always, eagerly implants the propaganda. Thus, if such a war breaks out, NBC News‘ [Jim Miklaszewski] announces, “the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet would be the world’s first line of defense,” though those crazed Persian leaders have threatened to use “Iran’s massive stockpile of ballistic missiles” and to “launch those missiles at U.S. targets.”
~ from U.S. Media Takes the Lead on Iran by Glenn Greenwald ~

It's difficult not to anticipate that the next US war will be in Iran. As it always seems to happen, the US government and media (along with Israel) is working hard to frame the next great story. Anything and everything that Iranian leaders do/don't do is being painted as hostile and menacing. This entire narrative is being created to produce the political will of the American people for our next brutal foray.

By and large, it is producing the intended results. Opinion polls show that the majority of Americans are ready to go mano-a-mano with the "evil" Persians. Hey, they are different than we are and they worship the wrong god. So, it doesn't take much to whip up nationalistic fervor.

Greenwald goes on to address the bloodlust in the American psyche.

I used to find somewhat baffling this bizarre aspect of American public opinion: time and again, Americans support whatever new war of aggression their government proposes, then come to regret that support and decide the war was a “mistake,” only to demonstrate that they learned no lessons from their “mistake” by eagerly supporting whatever the next proposed war is. Thus did the widespread belief that Vietnam was a “mistake” have no impact on their support for the attack on Iraq, and now — with some polls showing Americans, before their government even proposes it, preliminarily willing to cheer on an attack on Iran — it is clear they have learned nothing from their acknowledged “mistake” in supporting the attack on Iraq. Most Americans continue with this strange mindset: we realize we were wrong to support those past wars you gave us, but we stand ready and eager to support this next one!

While I do think that Greenwald yet again has is thumb on the pulse of an American-created "situation," I do disagree with his perspective in one respect: I think the Obama administration is orchestrating the storyline from behind the scenes.

As this is campaign reelection season and the Occupy Movement is making Team Obama a tad bit nervous -- they can't be confident that they can count on as much grassroots support as before -- the last thing Obama needs right now is a resurgence of Occupiers infused with anti-war protesters. So, rather than act as the front man for a war in Iran, administration officials are feeding the storyline to the mainstream media and these lapdogs are eager to run with the story.

It certainly is not hard to understand why -- tension sells! War, just like a major earthquake, oil spill or nuclear disaster, generates viewers to news shows and the more viewers you have, the greater your advertising revenue will be. Consequently, the mainstream media will benefit economically from the prospect of war.