Fundamentalist foreign policy
GW Bush, International affairs - - Posted on December, 5 at 3:07 pm by Ken L
It’s a scary thought that the world has 12 more months of living in nervous anticipation of another act of madness from the Bush Administration before it is finally turfed out of office. Nowhere has the nature of Bush’s foreign policy been more starkly revealed than in the way he created a ‘crisis’ out of thin air with regard to Iran and then became a blundering captive of his own creation. It’s policy-making by reference to faith and ‘civilisational will’ to use Mark Steyn’s Nietzschean expression; policy-making that is as fundamentalist as anything the Islamists practise because it depends ultimately on a set of beliefs that are incapable of rational explication.
This week, the US intelligance agencies demonstrated once again the evidence-free zone that surrounds Bush’s Middle Eastern adventures. Two years ago, the National Intelligence Estimate found that Iran had definitely decided to build a nuclear weapon. Now, the same NIE advises that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Presumably in 2009 they’ll tell us solemnly that the Iranians are about to perfect a death ray or have had nuclear weapons since 1969 or something. After all when you’re getting $40 billion a year to gather intelligence you really do want to make it look like you know something of value.
The point is that it doesn’t matter a damn what the NIE finds. As far as the Bushistas are concerned, any findings support the simple message that Iran is global enemy number 1. According to the Imbecile-in-Chief:
“Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous and Iran will be dangerous if they have the know-how to make a nuclear weapon,” Bush told a news conference a day after intelligence agencies released an assessment that contradicted his administration’s earlier assertions that Iran was developing a nuclear bomb.
Considering that anyone with basic understanding of physics these days can acquire ‘the know-how to make a nuclear weapon’, this is just another version of “Iran sux and I’m gonna smash it,” which is a fair summary of the Bushistas’ Iran stance since 2002 or earlier.
What gems of evidence and logic have been presented to support this fundy thinking? Well in common with other faith-based belief systems, the answer is “Bugger all”. Instead, we get another batch of tedious dogma, delivered with that condescending presidential smirk that Peter Costello tried so desperately to emulate. For instance:
The world needed to view the report as “a warning signal,” not grounds for reassurance, he said, and the United States would not renounce the option of a military response.
“I have said Iran is dangerous,” Bush said a day after the release of the National Intelligence Estimate, representing the consensus of all 16 American spy agencies, “and the N.I.E. doesn’t do anything to change my opinion about the danger Iran poses to the world — quite the contrary.”
Hey, you’ve won me George. The reasoning is as clear as the air in the Texas high country. But wait, there’s more:
“I think it is very important for the international community to recognize the fact that if Iran were to develop the knowledge that they could transfer to a clandestine program, it would create a danger for the world,” he said.
Given that his own NIE has just told him Iran stopped its weapons program four years ago, why not apply the same logic to other countries? It falls into the ‘if my grandmother had balls she’d be my grandfather’ school of rhetoric; propositions which are self-evidently true but which have no link to the real world. Maybe the USA should just bomb everyone every few years, as a precaution against nuclear proliferation.
El Presidente went on to spread some more pearls of wisdom:
“I want to compliment the intelligence community for their good work,” he said. “Right after the failure of intelligence in Iraq, we reformed the intelligence community.”
He said the new assessment was one result of those changes, adding, “The American people should have confidence that the reforms are working.”
If I understand this correctly, it means he acknowledges that decisions made about Iraq were based on faulty intelligence. This presumably extends to the 2005 assessment that Iran had decided to acquire a nuclear weapon. This latter belief has driven his behaviour towards Iran right up until the present day. Yet despite the fact that he now concedes the intelligence was flawed, he doesn’t see any need to change his policy. It’s beyond stubbornness or stupidity; it’s wilful determination to assert that his chosen goals and values are beyond question and exist in a world of their own, untarnished by anything as everyday as evidence or logic.
The basic article of faith that underpins the whole fundy position is the doctrine of original sin, expressed in this case as “Iran must be up to no good!” Once you declare a nation to be part of an imaginary Axis of Evil, certain consequences flow irresistibly, among them the absolute conviction that anything the nation in question says is a lie because that’s just the kind of people they are … moreover we know they are up to something and the way they refuse to admit it is just proof of how devious and untrustworthy they are.
Once people get into this fundy belief system they are immune to the kind of considerations that might persuade rational people to modify their actions. Once they resolve - or rather, are moved - to forsake decision-making based on careful collection and analysis of data, anything is possible. Black is white, speculative fears are concrete threats and any story about Iran can be twisted to support the preordained conclusions. As in look they had a program in 2003 they could start it up again some time in the future OMG THEY MUST BE STOPPED!!!!!!!
Didn’t South Africa have a very active nuclear weapons program once upn a time? Maybe the Russians should flatten Pretoria, just in case they start it up again.
In truth, of course, once a reasonable person considers the facts without a preconceived conviction that the Iranians are lying through their teeth and desperate to get their hands on a bomb so they can nuke Israel, two things become apparent: one is that American intelligence information about the Middle East is worthless, and the other is that there is no persuasive evidence that Iran ever had a nuclear weapons program or wanted one. As one commentator says:
To open another caveat, this author’s past exposure to Iran’s nuclear decision-makers, particularly in 2004 and 2005, leaves no doubt the new US report’s claim that Iran “halted” certain nuclear activities due to external pressure should be taken with a grain of salt. This is in view of the fact that all exhaustive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)inspections have produced no such conclusions and, on the contrary, have actually reinforced the Iranian claim that Iran has never diverted to military development.
Israel’s response was predictable and once again the language was revelatory:
“This is definitely a blow to attempts to stop Iran from becoming nuclear because now everybody will be relaxed and those that were reluctant to go ahead with harsher sanctions will now have a good excuse,” said Efraim Inbar, the director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.
In other words the need for ‘harsher sanctions’ is taken as a given and the NIE report - which is the only actual data on offer - is dismissed as providing people who don’t toe the fundy line with an ‘excuse’ … to backslide and sin some more, presumably. In a sane world, there would be no talk of ‘excuses’ but of ‘reasons’ … and the known facts provide no reasons to take action against Iran. The whole alleged crisis would never have existed if it wasn’t for the blustering rhetoric of Bush’s mob and especially the maniac who somewhat unbelievably, will become president should anything happen to Bush.
The Bush fundamentalism is summarised by this quote from Stephen Hadley:
“Iran is one of a handful of the hardest intelligence targets going. They are very good at this business of keeping secrets.”
In BushWorld, the fact that you can’t find incriminating evidence doesn’t suggest that there isn’t any, which is what a normal (rational) person might think. No, it just proves what cunning malevolent devious bastards Teh Enemy are.
We have 12 more months to endure while The Most Powerful Nation the World Has Ever Known (the label used so impressively by our late prime minister) is run by a bunch of crazies who are convinced that the Islamists in Iran are out to get them so they better retaliate first. Let’s just hope that the US military knows how to keep them in line.
Posted in GW Bush, International affairs |
December 5th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
And they said Hitler was a crazy madman.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Up until just recently, the government of this country was slavishly obeying every damn thing this dangerous nutcase spruiked. Well done, Australia!
Meanwhile, I’d be far more concerned about the nine countries who are already bristling with nukes; the US possessing the second greatest stockpile after Russia. It’s just absurd to prattle on about how Iran MAY be building ONE bomb, when Israel just down the road already has 75-200 very kosher nukes ready to roar skywards. (Wikipedia)
How about Pakistan with their 80 and India’s 120? Yes, mine saab. Iran’s imagined ‘threat’ pales beside this ticking disaster. China’s got 130 nukes, North Korea maybe 10, while our French friends boast 350 nuclear weapons. Bon Aperitif!
And what about Pommie mates, the good guys, where most of us came from? 750 nukes, thank you very muchly. Cop that, gov! And we should be nice to our comrade Mr Putin ’cause he’s got 16,000 primed and ready to rock ‘n roll. Ya, ya!
And our great allies the USA possess about 9,900 nukes (that they’re telling us about;) how apple pie wonderful is that? If all released together, it’s enough to dislodge the earth from its correct orbit around the sun.
Therefore Bush’s drum-beating about Iran is farcical in light of the armageddon already in place, and it is his nation which is the prime threat of today and to our world’s future. It is he and the rest of the nuke club that we should hold in the greatest fear. This latest propaganda drum-roll is mere distraction from the real terror: him.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
So let me get this straight. Iran decided to abandon its nuke program when the Coalition of the Willing moved into Iraq. One result of that was to discover Saddam had really been crying wolf on his WMD program, so before assuming Iran had definitely abandoned theirs, the Admin wanted strong corroboration from its spooks this time round. Sounds like look, listen and learn all round to me.
December 5th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Of course obs … the nuke program that probably never existed. That’s why they said in 2005 that the Iranian program was all systems go, and why Bush’s mob have been screaming war talk for years and still are.
You explain everything so well IDK why I couldn’t see it for myself.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
It just proves that Bushit rules the world.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Isn’t this the point where some dude who owns shares in mega-corporations, & luvs visiting Saudi Arabia for indoor skiing with his grandkids, invites President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & President GW Bush to their yacht, hands them a ‘peace joint’ & says:
“ok gentleman, your job is done, top marks for building the population’s fear up to hysteria level…we made a mint…thanks…you can cool out now.
“Besides, we’ve got China, Russia & America nicely building up their missile stocks for the next military-based scare campaign…gotta keep the herd on the edge of their seat now. Plenty of spy novels to be sold.
“We’ll get the next generation of pollies to do the nuclear disarmament talks once we make enuff cash…before, ya know, any accident can happen…
“And of course Hillary will send Bill over to have another try at the Israeli/Palestinian thing. Before we find another freak to do the Sharon thing and stir the sh*t up again…
But for now gentleman, inhale & enjoy…we’re going to focus on Clean Energy. Plenty of bucks to be had via that movement.
“Merry Christmas gentlemen…
you can leave now…& George…say hi to your Dad for us”
December 5th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
Sadam repeatedly said that he didn’t have them, and that did not matter to Bush, because he was still going to invade.
Guess you are still confused about what was propaganda and what’s reality. Fair enough, some people take a little longer than others, but perhaps you should consider changing your name, Observa. It’s misleading, and you are placing yourself under impossible expectations.
December 5th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Well I certainly feel safer now.
Not because of Iran. Blind Freddy could tell there was less of a chance she was a nuclear threat, than there was of Bush invading on a pretence.
But this strips Bush of his causi belli, unless he can find another within the next 12 months.
December 5th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
The Ledeen Doctrine: “Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business.”
He who rides the tiger….
December 6th, 2007 at 12:54 am
“Sadam repeatedly said that he didn’t have them”
Well obviously he forgot to tell his generals because you’ll recall they were expecting the eleventh hour rollout of his WMD as Operation Iraqi Freedom was in full swing.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:01 am
They were of course surprised to find they had no such defence, just like the COW were surprised to find a squadron of planes underneath the western desert. Imperfect knowledge is always a problem with dictatorships, which is of course why leftists were fooled about the state of Stalin’s Soviet for so long. That’s all been remedied now.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:04 am
Oh dear oh dear Obs.
You wouldn’t happen to be referring to Sada and al-Tikriti, would you? All the WMD hidden away in Syria (and Jordan and Lebanon…) because they just couldn’t be bothered actually using any of it to defend their country, eh?
A word to the wise: Hannity and Colmes is not a great source for info on Iraq. Hope this saves you further embarrassment, man.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:04 am
Bush claims he was told there was new intelligence about Iran last August but he didn’t bother to ask for any details.
He just went ahead and made speeches about Iran causing world war 3.
The man is certifiable.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Amazing how leftists who were fooled for so long by Communist dictators, can then bag democracies for drinking their spooks bathwater about similar Stalinist dictators and then in the next breath reckon those spooks early ruminations have to be treated as Gospel immediately.
How’s the good war going by the way? Presumably that was responsible for the Iranian’s change of heart on nukes and makes us all safer from terrorism nowadays. Let me know when it’s mission accomplished won’t you?
December 6th, 2007 at 9:46 am
‘Leftists’?
Well, it aint ‘Socialists’ but at least it’s a start.
Bonus points for mentioning Stalin’s regime of half a century ago when discussing an entirely different contemporary issue - shows you’re still moving with the (wrong) times.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:47 am
The more devilish part of me secret welcomes the prospect of Bush wrecking what’s left of America’s standing army on an adventure in Iran. It would dispel this sense of America’s military invulnerability. It would change the world forever, and not in ways favorable to the American empire. It would finish George Bush.
But my better nature recoils. The loss of life would be appalling. It would fuel yet more Islamic extremism. It would destabilize the whole world, and maybe even cause America to start throwing around nukes out of sheer frustration.
On the whole, I’d prefer that America fade away to irrelevance quietly. It’s not absolutely necessary to go out with a bang.
December 6th, 2007 at 9:50 am
BTW, just what the hell does this mean:
Imperfect knowledge is always a problem with dictatorships, which is of course why leftists were fooled about the state of Stalin’s Soviet for so long. That’s all been remedied now.
Imperfect knowledge is always a problem with dictatorships?
Thanks for demonstrating that imperfect knowledge is always a problem with ignorant ideological blowhards
December 6th, 2007 at 9:55 am
On the whole, I’d prefer that America fade away to irrelevance quietly
My bet is that you’ll get your wish.
When an investor like Warren Buffett ditches every single US dollar he owns and switches to the RMB and the Swiss franc we should all probably take note.
That’s why they call it the ’smart money’…
December 6th, 2007 at 10:05 am
With the benefit of hindsight now, you don’t think it would have been far better for a Coalition of the Unwilling, say China, Russia, France, Germany and the like to enforce economic sanctions and no-fly zones on the Taliban, in order to avoid the increasing slaughter of innocents going on there now? I haven’t heard much introspection on that, but perhaps we’re all waiting for the Lancet or some such to shed some light on the matter.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:07 am
From Juan Coles site.
http://www.ipsnews.net/print.asp?idnews=37738
Some hope of an antidote to Bush’s captious rhetoric.
Fool me once, my fault…etc, etc
December 6th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Meanwhile back in the bad war, ever more problems- http://www.dnronline.com/opinion_details.php?AID=13650&CHID=
December 6th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Observa
Economic sanctions against the Taliban? No fly zone?
Not having an economy or an air force may well have put a stick in the spokes of that wheel.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I wish I had a dollar for every declaration of victory in the Iraq war.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Obs your brilliantly insightful ‘good war/bad war’ rhetoric was worth a run the first time but after 74 repeats it’s getting kind of tedious. Especially when you don’t actually point to anything anyone has written here that proposes such a simplistic dichotomy.
I can understand why you are desperate to try to justify all the lies and bullshit you swallowed so enthusiastically years ago, but how about commenting on what people write now. That’s how a blog works. Either that or refrain from commenting at all.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Obs - a useful link for you I think. I reckon you’ll like it if you haven’t already found it!
December 6th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Exactly, Ken. To return to your original point, is it a defining characteristic of regimes like Howard and Bush the Lesser that they decide what is the truth? We all remember so many occasions when both of these loonies have received advice from respected committees (not lead by Ziggy Switkowski), and simply said “Well, that is not my view of how things are”, usually obviously without having bothered to even read the report.
As some have said, it’s an Alice in Wonderland world. Hopefully that era is now ended in Australia, and will be in a year in the US. the only worry is what may happen in that year, especially if GW decides he needs to leave (another) mark on the world.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Yes that’s right, let’s forget that “Bedtime for Bonzo” Reagan spent years delivering goodies to the Iranians & Contras…
(canned laughter)
& spent valuable tax payer’s dollars that could’ve been used to create more affordable healthcare & Uni education for the American youth on a mad plan that created a nuke-tipped missile for every ant in California.
(canned “ahhhhh”)
What genius was displayed by Ron & Co. to get them Russkies to break the bank by copycatting, whilst bringing the World to the brink of Apocalypse.
(Canned applause)
But I guess it all comes down to historical revisionism via Fox News…
(canned “booooo”)
& forgetting that by helping to bring to power Boris (burp, slurp, gulp) Yeltsin the Yanks were able to shove the Russian face in the poo long enuff that they’ve now gone & hired themselves a sheriff who acts just like…well, Stalin w/ a penchant for nice cool sweaters & the approach of a 007 prepared to seduce before the kill.
(canned “ohhhhhhh!!!!”)
Yes, “peacemaker Putin”…the man with the easily-identifiable & glowing soul…as far as GW Bush is concerned.
Perhaps Putin eats Polonium for breakfast…eh Obs?
Yep, you can always rely on the American Hawks & the Corporate Chess Players to get us into another pickle.
Happy days!
(more canned applause)
December 8th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
It’s funny how the latest NIE report has barely rated a mention on the wingnut blogs in the USA. The passing mentions it has got fall into two categories: (1) it’s another overwhelming triumph for American righteous wrath cos we scared those bastard Iranians into quitting their evil ways back in 2003 and it just goes to show how we gotta redouble our threats now to keep ‘em scared, or (2) pffft what would intelligence agencies know they’re just running scared from the liberals, it’s plain as the nose on your face that the mad mullahs are developing the bomb and we gotta act fast to stop them.
Completely deranged people. They’ve found a champion in John Bolton, who is about as good a choice to star in a remake of Dr Strangelove as I can imagine.
December 8th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
True. He’s a complete crackerjack. A menace by half. And a regular guest on American TV & our stupid Lateline.
I have lost all respect for the American political system & media…the Senate is stacked with lazy arses who spoon feed their lobbyist mates & bore the crap outa anyone who watches them open their sycophantic mouths…particularly on Wolf Blitzer’s ‘Late Edition’ (the most excruciatingly BS news show on TV…yep, even worse than Fox ones…except mebbe a tie w/ O’Reilly & Hannity/Colmes)…if i watch one more Iraqi politician & American Senator look in the cameras of that show & lie thru their teeth again i reckon my eyes will melt.
The vast majority of Democratic Party politicians need to lose the next election. Same goes for the Repugs. They’re a smarmy, sneaky, slow-poke, deceitful, elitist bunch of turd burgers.
How Americans can stand listening to their piss weak excuses for inaction…& slimey sales pitches is beyond me?
More people in that Country need to get a decent education in the political economy…& freakin’ vote.
This worry about Iran getting the bomb is such a farce & obvious distraction from the lack of any meaningful Leadership & promotion of useful policies in America. I imagine most Americans with any nouse tend to put pressure on their Governors, Mayors & Councillors to bring about reform…’cause they sure ain’t gonna get any satisfaction from that bunch of lizards in Congress.
It’s like this latest bogus assistance package for the homeowners who got sucked in by their brokers to take out crap sub-prime mortgage loans in order to pay their bills in a Country w/ exorbitant costs for healthcare & higher education etc.
In the long run the nasty investors & wacko speculators will get away scott-free if they come from an influential family or company…and the bankruptcy laws would’ve been altered intentionally by the Repugs a few years ago in anticipation of this BIG housing con in order to ensure the ripped off mortgagees can’t have their interest rates altered to a decent rate & either go bust by selling at a sh*t price…or are stuck paying off an exploitive rate in order to keep the big end of town “liquid”.
And noone wants to talk about JUSTICE because they are so conned by big time investors & the Corporate media they are led to believe that anything more than voluntary compromise measures by the financiers will lead them to back off on future investments…BS!!!!
& as for REAL ASSISTANCE…well, that’s a NO GO AREA because the Libertarians w/ money & the likes of the Wall street Journal reckon that taxpayer’s money should not be involved in an assistance package…what a joke!!!…only bailing out wealthy Floridians, Senators from Alabama, Airline Companies, Oil Corporations is acceptable in the “good ole USA”.
Yep, screw!!! the average householder forced to refinance due to health problems…or the black family who made the jump to house owners for the first time in their life & got conned.
You couldn’t get me to go to America if my life depended on it. The place is a disgrace thanx to its crap Leadership & tendency to allow con artists like Bush & War-Mongers like Bolton to rule the roost. Yuk!
The sooner we & America get Corporate influence & money out of politics the better. The fckin’ system is a joke.
Bush & Cheney should’ve been impeached by now. The lies they’ve told over Iraq, Iran, Plamegate, Hurricane Katrina assistance, spying on Americans, the torturing of detainees…all should’ve led to a metaphorical public hanging…but the Israel supporting & Corporate sucking Dems & Repugs whimped out.
SHAME ON THEM!!! No respect for Democracy. Their ancestors would be spinning in their graves.
December 8th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Thankfully there are voices of sanity & calls for Justice in America. Here’s one that in his vigorous articulation, expression of passion & outright courage shames the talking heads on news channels like CNN & Fox.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/12/06/countdown-special-comment-the-nie-reflects-an-unhinged-irrational-chicken-little-of-a-president/
Imho, KEITH OLBERMANN deserves respect.
As do the sites ‘Buzzflash’ (who alerted me to the existence of this clip) & ‘Crooks & Liars’ who have hosted it…& provide heaps of other goodies.
Maybe there is HOPE for America yet?
“Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in”
(Michael Corleone: Godfather 3)
December 8th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Great post yet again Ken_L. Aside from the shriekings of some Israel fans warning of the Iranian induced 2nd Holocaust it is very very worrying to have to dispel all the “evidence’ that Iran is the Devil emanating from the White House. Let’s have a good laugh and a shake of the head at the lies they use to (judging from recent history) gain ascent from the mob to destroy a country and its people.
But what can we really do to avoid another shameful debacle?
Oh yeah I forgot, the Disclaimer;
Just because I said this does not mean I am all for beheading or cutting off of hands for stealing or for female circumcision.