The View From Iran
OK, thought I’d get one last post in about Iran before the shooting war starts. Sigh. I know I’ve posted about this before, but the USA has really been upping the ante lately, and I can’t help but wonder if this time it really is the prelude to war. I’ll likely be repeating stuff I’ve said many times before, but once more with feeling.
The first and most depressing thing about this is that most Americans think Iran is a country run by evil crazy mullahs who are out to destroy the USA and Israel. They couldn’t find Iran on a map, couldn’t list even ten facts about Iran like it’s capital or president, know nothing about Iranian history other than the US embassy hostage crisis (US version only of course,) have never spoken to an Iranian in their life … yet consider themselves experts on Iran and its intentions and foreign policy. Yes, most Americans live in a Faux News comic book world.
Sigh. I doubt too many Faux News readers read my blog, so moving right along. The USA has really been ratcheting up the pressure on Iran lately, using for all practical purposes the same playbook they used to justify the invasion of Iraq. A combination of completely unsubstantiated charges about what Iran is doing and their intentions, combined with ultimatums that are tantamount to Iran giving up its status as a sovereign nation. And the way it works is simple, if Iran does accede to a demand, the USA just raises the bar. Iran did in fact back around 2000 agree to additional inspections of its nuclear facilities above and beyond what the NPT required. And what did it get for this? Nothing, the USA didn’t skip a beat and kept making demands.
So even if Iran did give up its nuclear program, thus crippling (for starters) its medical services, and killing many Iranian in the process, what would they get for it? Nothing, the USA would simply come up with some new threat the Iranians were posing and come up with new demands. And the western media just plays along with this and regurgitates Washington’s talking points. And it’s gotten worse since the run up to war with Iraq, at least then there was a semblance of public debate over the possible war, now, nothing but sheep listening to propaganda apparently. I know, it’s an election year and all, but dear God, our government is trying to start a war and no one cares?
And if it’s not bad enough that Obama seems hell bent on stirring up trouble with Iran, the Iranians are rising to the bait. They have threatened to close the strait of Hormuz if the sanctions the USA are talking about are implemented against it. And when Iran makes a threat, the USA media dutifully hysterically reports it without any mention of the US threats the Iranians are responding to. I don’t know if the Iranians have just decided to stick to their guns, they aren’t actually doing anything wrong; or worse, they have had some very strong private assurances that Russia will stand by them.
It takes two fools to have fight in other words. I don’t really know what’s motivating the Iranians aside from national survival, but in some ways I’m even more baffled by the Obama administration. Why is the USA so hell bent on goading the Iranians into giving us a casus beli? I mean, God only knows the USA doesn’t need much. Is Obama really trying to start a war with Iran?
Sure looks like it from my perspective. I can only speculate why. Today’s theory is that Iran is the most visible threat to the petrodollar. The American dollar is only worth something because it’s the world currency required to buy oil. Iran has made noise for along time about selling its oil for something other than dollars. Would the USA really go to war with a country to protect the petrodollar? The last (and only) two countries to start selling oil for other than dollars were Iraq and Libya. I rest my case.
Yes, there appears to be an excellent chance for a war with Iran soon. I mean, another Iranian scientist was just blown up. The USA and Israel are the obvious suspects. Imagine how Americans would react if some foreign entity was assassinating US scientists in America. Many Americans would go ape shit. Guess what, many Iranians will react the same. This isn’t going to end well.
The last points I want to make are that Iran is a nation of people, not monsters. Pretty much the same as people anywhere. And that war with them would be a really bad idea. All wars have unintended consequences. Sadly, risky wars are a hallmark of desperate regimes, and when it comes right down to it, the post World War Two American hegemony of the world is on the ropes, so all bets are off.
(The above image is public domain to the best of my knowledge. Because of my weird computer issues, I can’t preview or look at pages. If there is something wrong with how this page displays, please mention in a comment.)
Have a good day everyone.
Doug
Doug's Darkworld 
If i had to make a quick comment without thinking, i’d say we are still a little upset over the revolution and embassy crises.
If america goes to war with Iran i think it would be quite interesting, especially if china and russia backed them up. if all goes to hell. California secedes :)
Ryan
January 12, 2012 at 12:55 am
Texas too.
Pyrodin
January 12, 2012 at 7:23 am
The Embassy crisis was 30 years ago, the Iranian leaders of the time are long dead, heck, most Americans alive today weren’t even born then. Exactly zero (count em) Americans were killed, and since then we have inflicted untold horrors on Iran. That Americans are so conditioned to salivate at command and sputter about the hostage crisis when Iran is mentioned is a testament to the effectiveness of western propaganda, and the utter failure of our media and educational system. As I said, most Americans live in a comic book world. I can only hope that our leaders are not so narcissistic and immature that the hostage crisis plays any role in their policy towards Iran, but maybe that’s me being naive. Yes, I think balkanization may very well be the future of America, that will make a fun post someday. —Doug
unitedcats
January 12, 2012 at 9:09 am
Yes, it is all about enforcing the US Dollar as the only currency for purchasing oil, you are correct.
Since the Federal Reserve Note is a piece of worthless fiat, this is the only way to preserve its ‘value’ LOL.
Whatever happened to the idea of doing on to others as you would have then do unto you? Or walking a mile in their loafers? If we were intellectually honest with ourselves this war would not happen, but honesty is gone.
Our biggest export is bits of green paper, backed by a gun. Thats nothing to be proud of.
John Galt
January 12, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Guess what guys and girls, I’m Iranian. I like to cook, read, movies, music, honest work, and stay fit, and have a BA in history/sociology. And despite how interesting you might think a war with Iran would be, you’re misinformed. Pardon my French but it’s utter bullshit. Emperor Palpatine better back off. Iranians are proud people and they are making ends meet under difficult circumstances.
Now let’s get one thing straight in relation to the US embassy crisis. Firstly, get the notion out of your heads that Iranians are compulsive lying irrational hotheads plotting against you. I know it’s hard to ignore the years of textbook propaganda but try!
Now to the point: did you ever stop and ask yourself why the Iranians were pissed at America? Wait for it: they discovered that the US was exporting nuclear waste and dumping it in their country. I bet that wasn’t in your highschool textbooks. Certainly, there were other reasons but this one was high in the list of grievances.
Finally, thank you Doug for investing time in reeducating your countrymen in a fair and balanced way. I hope my input has been of use here. All the best. Make peace, not war.
Joe
January 13, 2012 at 4:55 am
If one pays attention to the bi-lateral currency deals currently being arranged between countries like Iran, Russia, China, India etc, thus bypassing the USD then it makes Doug’s petrodollar proposition the most likely explanation, taking into account Iraq, and Libya’s demise for engaging in similar practices.
That said one doubts whether the US has the heart to engage in a shooting war, the externalities would be totally unpredictable. What would China do? Dump T Bills for gold? What about the Shia’s in Iraq, Russia?, and so and so on.
If the stupid pricks do engage in a shooting war then let’s hope, for their sake it goes better than this:
“16 U.S. NAVAL SHIPS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PERSIAN GULF! INCLUDES ONE AIRCRAFT CARRIER DESTROYED — Recent War Games Disaster”
http://www.cuttingedge.org/News/n2026.cfm
Pemulwuy
January 14, 2012 at 12:02 am
I can think of at least four of the six rainbow war scenrios covering the Persian Gulf that begin with the utter destruction of all of Iran’s AShM systems. If the USA starts a shooting war with Iran, then nobody should be in any doubt that they will win it very quickly. For all f Iran’s boasting, they are at best a third rate country with a fifth rate economy and a military infrastructure that can be brushed away within 48-72 hours.
I do not favour war, but neither do I want Iran believing they hold sway within that theatre.
Thelion
January 18, 2012 at 1:36 pm