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We will always be at war, is the nature of humans. After Iran, China? Besides, we will get the draft, give all the illegals citizenship if they will join up and fight our wars for us. Sound good?
The "good" news is that, like already mentioned here, we will probably be able to take Tehran and the military air force out relatively easily.
Here's what I think the bad news will be:
1. We will become international pariahs. Even staunch allies England and Australia may step away from us.
2. Conversely, Russia and China will gain even more international influence because their international exploits are done more on the down low.
3. Al-Qaeda and other like-minded sympathizers will increase their attempts to attack the country and our embassies as they see their cause as being even more "legitimate".
4. No one will fly anymore because airline security when El-Al Airlines-type security becomes the gold standard.
5. Many more people will go bankrupt when their energy bills increase and they can't unload their SUVs and non-commercial trucks after gasoline climbs up to $10 a gallon, out of necessity - or even spite - from Arab OPEC countries.
I don't think we would go to war unless 1 of 3 things happens:
1. Isreal will execute a preemptive strike against Iran, and they aren't going to consult their big brother. They've already put the world on notice about their intentions, and I have no doubt that we'll be dragged into it.
2. Iran sends their army into Iraq to engage us directly. I highly doubt they'll do this, but if they declare a real war on us, then we'll have no choice but to engage them.
3. Iran drops the bomb on US soil, or provides the means for someone else to do it. I've been debating this point with my husband. He says they wouldn't do it, because they would lose support from many of their allies - dropping the bomb would be taking it too far. I say Ahmadinejad is crazy enough to do it, and he doesn't give a rat's a** what the rest of the world thinks. And he would have plenty of support from Al Quaeda, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Hamas.
Unfortunately, it would take a bomb being dropped on US soil to get our act together, and getting our act together is what it would take to 'win.' We are in a great political divide, which amounts to little more than an ideological pi$$ing contest, but we're too caught up in our self-righteous point of view to see it. I don't care what your political stance is, that is our biggest weakness as a country. It makes us extremely vulnerable, and our enemies know it.
If this country stood together, there is no enemy that could defeat us.
If a bomb didn't stop the whining, then we're screwed.
Oh, and since we're the Big Bad Empire, I'll bet we'll have a Death Star up our sleeves.
2. Iran sends their army into Iraq to engage us directly. I highly doubt they'll do this, but if they declare a real war on us, then we'll have no choice but to engage them.
3. Iran drops the bomb on US soil, or provides the means for someone else to do it. I've been debating this point with my husband. He says they wouldn't do it, because they would lose support from many of their allies - dropping the bomb would be taking it too far. I say Ahmadinejad is crazy enough to do it, and he doesn't give a rat's a** what the rest of the world thinks. And he would have plenty of support from Al Quaeda, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Hamas.
I would be willing to bet that many people on this thread and many leftwing bloggers,commentators and celebrities would blame President Bush for either one of your scenarios.
Then there would be those who would say that Bush dropped the bomb on U.S. soil and blamed Iran.
Why do we want to go to war with Iran again?? I mean they are Shiite, right?? And most US soldiers are getting killed by Al Quaeda and Sunni militia sponsored by our buddies in Saudi Arabia, right?? And the 9/11 terrorists were all from Saudi Arabia, right?? So why don't we just go to war with Saudi Arabia??
Because we can't hold Saudi.
The Saudi's military plans would include a strategic retreat to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. If we were to do anything to those cities, bomb, invade, or occupy, we would have every Muslim in the world turn against us. It's a no-win situation.
The Saud family holds the right to Saudi Arabia because of their moral authority, not their right as ancestral monarchs. There authority comes from a huge moral endorsement from the ultra conservative Wahhabi imams. That authority may be waning but it's far from dead.
Yea, I know, Jason...it was a little sarcasm on my part. They and the Egyptians have less moral capital than the Iranians but for some reason they are our "buddies" while the Iranians are part of the Axis of Evil. It scares me that we have a leader that views a complex knot of worms such as the Middle East so...simply.
Yea, I know, Jason...it was a little sarcasm on my part. They and the Egyptians have less moral capital than the Iranians but for some reason they are our "buddies" while the Iranians are part of the Axis of Evil. It scares me that we have a leader that views a complex knot of worms such as the Middle East so...simply.
I'm guessing that that 'some reason' would have to do with the hostage crisis in 1979 - and the fact that we haven't sat across the table from them since then (until recently). Besides, I don't think 'Death to America' is part of the Saudi national anthem, not openly anyway.
I'm not a Bush fan, but I don't think that he views Middle Eastern affairs as a simple matter. This crap has been going on since well before he came into office. It's only a matter of time before it comes to a head, and our involvment in Iraq has escalated it.
We're playing chicken with Iran. Whoever wins gets their 'side' of the war justified to the rest of the world, and I don't think Bush is going to rush us into that just before he leaves office. That being said, we've been preparing for this since we left the ABM Treaty - I really don't think that move had anything to do with Iraq.
Well to be fair - we started it in 1953 when the CIA overthrew their democratically elected Prime Minister, leading to the repressive Shah. And people being forced to demonstrate is a lot different than the actual public mood on the street...by all accounts from reporters and other Westerners who have been there the Saudis and Egyptians actually exhibit a lot more hostility to America than the average Joe Iranian.
Also remember President Khatami in Iran was a moderate trying to reach out to the U.S. Bush blew him off and he became isolated by the conservatives in his country when he was not able to show any results. That led to this nutcase in power.
The fact that Bush has been planning this game of chicken with Iran for a long time quite frankly does not make me feel any better. No, I still think Bush is out of his league and Iraq is nothing compared to what a conflict with Iran would be.
Yea, I know, Jason...it was a little sarcasm on my part. They and the Egyptians have less moral capital than the Iranians but for some reason they are our "buddies" while the Iranians are part of the Axis of Evil. It scares me that we have a leader that views a complex knot of worms such as the Middle East so...simply.
Sorry. Sarcasm is difficult for me to detect in this environment but I'll try.
It is simple! Very simple. We're right and they're wrong. Major hostilities are over. We're on target and we're making progress. Once the surge is completed we'll have won. Iraq will be a new democracy with Wal-Marts and McDonald's and a population living in prosperous harmony.
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Sarcasm is difficult for me to detect in this environment but I'll try.
