I'm beginning to feel like the guy on the bridge in the Edward Munch "Scream" painting.
On August 30th, six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads were "mistakenly" carried on a flight from North Dakota to Louisiana. Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell assured us that concerns about the error had escalated to the highest levels. In fact, it was considered "important enough" that the president had been notified. Imagine.
Read this for some terrifying rumination on what might actually have been happening there. Was someone moving nukes for a possible strike against Iran?
Our whole country is like Condoleeza Rice reading intelligence reports that Osama Bin Laden was planning to strike the U.S. using airplanes, then for some unimaginable reason ignoring, or at the very least minimizing, the intelligence. Later, she would whine, "But who would have ever thought of such a thing....?" Duh. Like, someone who had read those reports.
Well, aren't we ignoring a warning or two ourselves? Certain people keep hinting at attacking Iran (Pat Buchanan has said that "a U.S. attack on Iran is coming," and Joe Scarborough has suggested it would initially be a very popular move) -- but it's such an extreme, reprehensible, stupid, even insane idea that you can't really believe they would actually consider it. Then again, see the documentary No End in Sight and you realize that no move is too criminally insane for this administration.
How bad do things have to get before someone begins impeachment proceedings? If the Congress is spineless and the media is spineless, does it follow that we have to be spineless too? It's left to each of us to be our generation's Paul Revere. In his day, the message was that danger was coming. For us, the message is that danger is here.
If this feels true to you, I hope you'll make a constituent call to your Congressperson and Senators immediately, saying you want Bush and Cheney impeached before they can invade Iran. It's easy to do: call 202 224 3121 and ask to be connected to all three offices. Remember: they work for you, and should hear your opinion.
This president has said so many outrageous, even stupid things, that the American people have gotten used to laughing at him rather than actually feeling the fear that some of his comments might engender. That would challenge us, after all, to act.
As an American, consider yourself challenged. We are challenged by generations who came before us, who had the courage to do what it took to save this country. And we are challenged by generations who will come after us, to do what it takes to secure the blessings that are meant to be theirs someday. This is so not a joke now. There is peril all around.