Is There an Echo in Here? Echo in Here? Echo in Here?
No links, not even any patties, but anyone who's been paying attention the last couple of days, since the Iranians test-launched (with the help of Photoshop) some missiles, knows the drill. There's been a universal rush to denounce the tests, and an equally universal rush to refer to "iran's nuclear weapons ambitions." That was the quote from a couple of NPR hourly newscasts, and, of course, that's the line from the Bush administration and the McCain campaign.
It's almost as if there wasn't a National Intelligence Estimate -- the consensus view of the nation's 16 intelligence agencies -- issued just last December on the issue of Iran's nuclear program. The NIE said that said the judgment of the agencies was that Iran's nuclear weapons program was stopped four years ago.
It's understandable that the administration and its anointed would-be successor would find it convenient to forget that conclusion. But the fact that no national news media "journalist" questioning any surrogates about this latest dustup can bother to remember that NIE conclusion would be disappointing -- if we hadn't already lived through this charade once before.
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In case you haven't noticed, NPR wants to become like the BBC or CBC (Canadians) so freaking bad, they can't stand it. Actually, the questioners on the "hard news" of the BBC political side would be better than the lightweights, dimwits, and complete idiots that NPR is fielding these days. NPR taes anything shoveled their way, and the first time a more progressive guest raises a different opinion, they get shot down. Don't want to have Congress shut your funding down. If you want journalism, stick to the Washington Post. Community radio is much better these days, stations which air shows like "Democracy Now" and other noteworthy efforts.
NPR seems to have a formula that follows this, at least for Talk of the Nation. Have the first hour of the show on something substantive - say the Iraq war. Then for "Comic Relief" have an hour on say Barbecue. It never fails the format of the show has this Bipolar programming format that it follows faithfully.
NPR got slammed by both the ADL and AIPAC for not toeing the party line. Google it. You'll notice there are no balanced Palestinian viewpoints. NPR tried it and the were reprimanded by the media police. The story was buried but it was reported in WaPo.
Ditto this nonsense about the NIE being used Kleenex.
There is an echo in journalists' heads. Oh where did they go? What happened to good questions and analysis. It's not so hard!
having been listening to npr since before the 1980 election, i can tell anyone who might be interested that they are generally loyal to whomever is in the white house.
prior to the 1980 nov election everything they had to say about reagan was just this side of being snide.
the morning after; they bent over backwards to show that they would be just as loyal to the incoming adiministration.
i have heard nothing to alter that view since.
as to Iran seeking nuclear weapons, it seems likely that no matter how much they protest to the contrary this admin and the State of Isreal will never believe it. even if they stop trying to enrich uranium.
just this morning on the BBC i heard one person saying that Isreal should attack Iran if they continue to enrich uranium as Iran is an "existenial threat to Isreal".
the same person also said that if one reads athe NIE correctly it states that while Iran is not currently working toward a "nuclear bomb" ( i am guessing atomic i.e. fission not fusion) they are still enriching uranium which, in his opinion, is much more important for a weapons program than the weapon itself.
i didn't catch this person's name, but he certainly seemed anxious for Isreal to attack Iran.
I have also been impressed by how the Media states as fact the Iranian's intention of building nuclear weapons.
It is the propaganda technique of the Big LIe. If it is repeated often enough and forcefully enough it will become the accepted "narrative
Just ask Adolph Hitler.
It is absolutely remarkable. The media are using the same propaganda techniques that got us into the catastrofuck in Iraq. Only now it is clear that the media aren't tools. They are the provocatiers.
GOD DAMN THEM. Each and every one of those fools.
I just love you NeoComs! What if the media, for once, is RIGHT!! Old Navy saying - "plan for the worst, hope for the best".
Lets go to war over what might possibly be.
Whoops. Tried that once. How did that turn out?
There is an old saying you might take note of. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. (see, unlike your great leader I can quote it right.)
What flavor was the Koolaid you drank?
NeoComs?
I love the geniuses who parrot the Administration line that Iranian enrichment would start a "regional arms race" .... as if that race hadn't started decades ago at Dimona, and expanded with Pakistan's weapons (and whoever they sold the tech to).
Look at Iran's historical adversaries and they're practically the only would-be power in the region *without* nukes. It would be downright amazing if they didn't pursue them, and certainly unlike the way we've ever played the geopolitical game.
If this was a movie it would be impossible to believe anyone could be dumb enough to fall for the exact same line of lies used to attack Iraq, yet apparently there are a certain number of braindead Americans that will believe anything the rightwing Coporatists tell them.
I could not believe 5 years ago that there were even a few, let alone a majority, of Americans that actually believed Iraq could attack the United States. And when the WMD lies were exposed it still didn't change 1 in 4 people from continuing to believe whatever lies they were told.
I would say that it's laughable that anyone could be so mindnumbingly stupid as to believe Iran poses a threat to the United States, but after the genocide of over one million lives in Iraq, there is nothing funny about a morally bakrupt, ethically devoid, homicidal maniac hell-bent on commiting a holocaust in Iran. I just pray that there are people within the governerment that will take the necessary steps to do what's right should that holocaust try to be initiated by the malevolent filth (Bush/Cheney) that are the greatest threats to peace in this world.
I appreciate your anger and agree with your sentiments. Still, these war criminals are not engaged in genocide in Iraq or anywhere else.
Just as Iraq earlier, Iran is attempting to achieve dominance in the Middle East. The world would rather not have it happened. Especially because Iran is currently ruled by a radical right-wingers.
Even most Arab states concur.
Outside of its aspirations ( brought about by Iraqi downfall) and buffoonish figurehead President, Iran's militarily and economically potential is fairly negligible. Patience.
The world should maintain the sanctions for as long as its necessary. Progressive forces in Iran will eventually overthrow their despotic leaders. This will inevitably happen. The question is when.
I certainly prefer this scenario. I just hope that if and when it does come to pass, that the overthrow isn't like the one sanctioned by the West in the 50s and the one in response to that in the 70s. The question remains: What should the world do about the radical right-wingers in the US?
The take over by Pprogressive forces in Iran IS NOT INEVITABLE.
Every time the USA or Isael threatens Iran the progressives die a little more. Seymour Hersh reports the CIA has begun funding them. Another kiss of death.
The USA has done everything in their power to destroy the progressives. (And make Iran the regions major power)
Iran is no different than the USA in that it's people will support their government in times of crisis. ( insert Georings quote here)
The best thing the USA can do is leave Iran alone. Reduce the threats. Make it clear that the DON"T NEED nuclear weapons. Allow the progressives to reorganize. In peace.
But there is nothing inevitable in their success.
Just like it is not inevitable that the people of the USA will be able to overthrow our cryptofascist leaders.
Unfortunately, McCain failed to checi with the present President, Dick Cheney.
Don't try to disturb the MSM's narrative when they are busy trying to gin up a war. You will be ignored until after the disaster is in it's full throes.
Yeah it's all a lot of Bushit.
I'm glad you are saying it. It should be no surprise that the MSM is not. I think we should be invoking a much longer term memory as it relates to the cause of war, however. If by having "lived through this charade once before" you mean- with this particular administration in this particular country and as it relates to that particular war- then I'd say "once before" is accurate. As it is (and was and has been), this is just the latest in a long line of befores. Trumping up the reasons for military aggression has been the way things have been done since the inception of military aggression.
Every person with an objective view saw that report for what it was: Inter-agency squabbling and a collection of policy "guesses". Our intelligence community is nearly worthless. I trust the Israelis much more than the State Department or the CIA or the National Security Council when it comes to what Iran has or doesn't have.
One of the reasons our intelligence community has poor information out of Iran is that Valerie Plame Wilson was outed and her network of informants in Iran scattered. I've long believed that was the real purpose of exposing her work was to help blind the CIA in the region. The better for the Bushies to lie to us.
As for believing the Israelis, well, if they want to go to war with Iran, they can. We don't need to do their dirty work for them. We managed to stay out of the Yom Kippur and 6 day wars, we can cheer from the sidelines for this one. Though I think that whoever attacks Iran, the results will be the same ugly mess.
I don't believe that the Plame incident was designed to BLIND the CIA.
But I have no doubt it was designed as payback to the CIA for not (entirely) going along with the Iraqi invasion.
If you were paying attention before the invasion parts of the CIA were very much against it. They were leaking info through retired CIA agents.
And Cheney used Plame as both payback and a warning.
No one was to contradict the KING.
Don't forget that the U.N. committee came to the same conclusion.
Iran must not and cannot have any weapon programs or knowledge of them. Otherwise it would be difficult to attack them anytime it is desirable! Simply put it we are rational and they are not. We never used nuclear weapons; Iran has used several nuclear weapons. How can we be sure that the missiles they have just tested are not nuclear weapons aiming at us? May be they have fallen on us and we don’t know it. May be we are unconscious! May be we having too many imaginations. May be our politicians are hooked to please AIPAC & Associates. Certainly Joe Lobyman & Friends are very devoted to such.
The fact that the original photo was altered should raise major alarm bells as to the accuracy of the story itself.
North Korea launched a few missles, and now they're our pals. Maybe this is just an offer of friendship from another remorseful "axis of evil" member
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