No, we aren't. Not in an election year, anyway.

Dammit, just when I was starting to like life in the middle east. Where should I forward my stuff to when we move into Iran?

"too late", as in "before my presidency ends and some sane non-war monger takes office"

No.

We can't afford a war.

What we can afford is the appearance of escalation. That sh*t is damn near free.

Oh, god I hope not subby.

The security of the world seems most threatened by having a grade 1 godbothering tool in the White House.

CtrlAltDelete: No.

We can't afford a war.

What we can afford is the appearance of escalation. That sh*t is damn near free.

That would seem to be the rationale, but you have also to remember the effect of good-will. For instance, look at the massive increase in the value of the Kuwaiti Dinar these last few months. It's increasing because they are throwing the dollar out of their currency basket. And they are your best friends. Where possible people are stepping away from the US.

We're going to war with Iran, aren't we?

Please don't expect us to come with you.

Gavino: That would seem to be the rationale, but you have also to remember the effect of good-will. For instance, look at the massive increase in the value of the Kuwaiti Dinar these last few months. It's increasing because they are throwing the dollar out of their currency basket. And they are your best friends. Where possible people are stepping away from the US.

I can't pretend to know the full function of this political move toward escalation rhetoric, but it does seem like a political move only. Perhaps they intend to provide contrast for a later deal to make it seem all the more heroic. Or maybe they intend to put pressure on other governments who wish to do business in Iran directly; some dialogue of warning and concequence. Or perhaps it's simply as crude as provoking Mideast destablization to provide ammo for an election year.

Who knows what the hell they're doing anymore.

But I seriously doubt they are going to start bombing raids in Tehran or anything.

Fool me once....won't get fooled again

War talk w/r/t Iran makes staying in Iraq for a hundred years more palatable, or at least that's the theory. A few skirmishes could make it quite tasty

flaEsq: War talk w/r/t Iran makes staying in Iraq for a hundred years more palatable

That makes sense.

CtrlAltDelete: But I seriously doubt they are going to start bombing raids in Tehran or anything.

I just pray you're right. I lack faith though :)

Of course we are. As long as we continue to allow politicians to live we will continue to go to war to sooth their damaged egos.

real shaman: Of course we are. As long as we continue to allow politicians to live we will continue to go to war to sooth their damaged egos.

So you want to kill all politicians?

No, we're not. Well, at least we shouldn't be. And Congress won't vote it in. But Bush will probably try for a police action or foreign aid advisory situation, which means yes. So we may be going to "conflict" or "police action."

When the fark are we going to revolt around here?

I'm still chuckling over Bush saying that by the end of his presidency, he will have brokered peace in Israel that includes a Palestinian state - and he's sure he can get the two parties to meet his deadline. (Got that from BBC last week, never saw it reported on US sources.) Makes me laugh just thinking about it.

He should wait until after he's president, then give away tons of money to build his legacy. Leave the rest of us out of it, dammit.

It's ok. My brother is already over there...I'll just have him stop off and pick up some extra medals on his way home.

I heard a rumor that all the socks that have ever disappeared from any dryer are in Iran.

We must take the country and liberate the footwear of the world.

I hear Sweden is shaking in her boots. But then it's wintertime up there, so that's normal.

I think he might intend to go out with a bang.
(whimper)

No, we aren't. Just STFU subby. Who are you, Obama?

But the Iranian people deserve democracy, and Bush will give it to them under his "Oprah Democracy Doctrine"

And you get democracy, and you get democracy, and you get democracy...

mr_bunny: I heard a rumor that all the socks that have ever disappeared from any dryer are in Iran.
We must take the country and liberate the footwear of the world.

So you're saying we should invade Iran for the group socks?

/that's hot.

Snarfangel: mr_bunny: I heard a rumor that all the socks that have ever disappeared from any dryer are in Iran.
We must take the country and liberate the footwear of the world.

So you're saying we should invade Iran for the group socks?

/that's hot.

Group socks involving Persian women?

The upside to a war with Iran would be the resurgence in the careers of Flock of Seagulls. Maybe even a tour, so... fingers crossed, everyone.

Sign me up to help the liberation...

CarolynLibrarian: When the fark are we going to revolt around here?

Right after they finish up with some more gun bans. You're screwed.

clancifer: Sign me up to help the liberation...

I'd hit it.

On topic, HELL NO. We've heard these falsehoods before.

I hope Gates resigns as head of the Defense Department.

if we go to war with Iran, bush is handing the election to the democrats. Not that he hasn't already.

FTA: ...Iran funds terrorist extremists, undermines peace in Lebanon, sends arms to the Taliban, seeks to intimidate its neighbors with alarming rhetoric, defies the United Nations and destabilizes the entire region by refusing to be open about its nuclear program.

Kettle/Black rhetoric aside, are any of these things patently false?

Do any of these things look like an immediate justification for direct action even by Bush standards?

No.

No.

So calm down subby.

For those who say that this political move isn't costing us anything, think about all the money we've wasted sending battle groups over there. They've been there for months just waiting for the word to push the button.

Alphax: We've heard these falsehoods before.

You're being willfully ignorant.

Read the article.

Chuck Wagon: So you want to kill all politicians?

You make that sound like a bad idea.

Drant: For those who say that this political move isn't costing us anything, think about all the money we've wasted sending battle groups over there.

The Navy servicemen are receiving combat zone pay and are earning their vacation days more quickly.

YouUSP .45: Kettle/Black rhetoric aside, are any of these things patently false?

Yes.

SpeshilEdjukashin: No, we aren't. Not in an election year, anyway.

We are going to bomb Iran before his term is up.

I've been working on a future conspiracy theory. Thinking about working it into an epic poem of FAIL to upload to a website covered with flashing gifs and ads for Ron Paul.

A future President is in the middle east on a whirlwind tour of all the nations inspecting the great work our troops are doing. Gives a speech a the new UN headquarters in Tehran. Blowback from the early 21st century has caused an angry Israel to hate us. The UN left NYC in 2009 when a lostnooclear weapon ended up in the hands of San Salvadoran terrorists. During the speech, the nanobot President (yeah, humans have been extinct since 2021 when the lead in the ID cards leeched into our bloodstreams while holding them for presentation at the bunkers we now live in) is interrupted by a call from Ron Paul's nanobot clone. He's somewhere in the tropics up around Anchorage, Alaski (Russian territory). He says just one word. Boom.

I know it needs some polish and I have some issues with figuring out the creationist process that had nanobot dictators living side by side with the humans for a couple of years. It's a start.

The pot calling the kettle black:

"You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government," Bush said. "And you cannot stand up a modern, confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms."

A very good friend of mine was arrested for holding up a sign that read "No War For Oil" at one of Bush's speeches back in 2003. (new window)

Brett was there holding his sign along with other people who had signs with pro-Bush placards.
"We were across from 2,000 people who were waiting in line," Bursey said. "They had signs supporting Lindsey Graham and Mark Sanford. And I had a sign saying, 'No war for oil.' The police didn't have a problem with their signs."

Alphax: YouUSP .45: Kettle/Black rhetoric aside, are any of these things patently false?

Yes.

Which/what, and how?

The burden is on you to explain how all of the claims are false. A single claim being true would justify "Bush: Iran threatens world security," like it or not.

Does it matter whether any of it is true? How would we even know? Have you people been watching the cable news shows? It's all election coverage. Yeah, for the past 6 months. We still have 10 more months of this stuff. If anything happens, it will be a long time before we figure out what it was.

The Iconoclast:

That's the product of legal precedent. Not Bush.

The same arrest could have been made under Clinton.

if we do do to war...it will happen soon, without any of us knowing about it.

-until it's too late.

and since i don't put anything pass g. walker bush...

we're going to war with iran.

Iran would get raped worse than a white woman in Harlem.

Remember, boys and girls:

* Bloviating asshat with a head full of that old-time religion who talks a big game: A THREAT TO WORLD PEACE.
* Bloviating asshat with a head full of that old-time religion who actually starts bullshiat wars: NOT A THREAT TO WORLD PEACE.

Can't wait for Israel or US to launch the fighter/bombers. It's time to send a message that the UN & IAEA lacks the balls to send.

sorry...that's past, with a "t".

-which stands for...TERROR!!!!!

Not in an election year? Riiiiiight. Do you know a better way to create a patriotic surge in the polls - "I sure don't like that candidate, but in this time of war, it's Americans first, and all others second or lower." War will start after two clear front runners have been picked, so that they can properly capitalize on it. The smart money is on energy and defense stocks right now. Or shorting Iran's Water & Power industries.

Freeper_Madness: The Iconoclast, one thing that idiot leftists are biologically incapable of grasping is that free speech does not include disrupting someone else's.

Free Speech does not include free shouting. In the real world, we call that disturbing the peace.

How is holding a sign disturbing the peace? He said nothing about his friend even saying anything, let alone shouting.

The Iconoclast: A very good friend of mine was arrested for holding up a sign that read "No War For Oil" at one of Bush's speeches back in 2003. (new window)

Wow. Was he convicted?