foreign_policy { Circularity of the Hawk Mind

The NIE report released indicates that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Bush says it won't change his policy.

Not content to lie ala bald realpolitik to justify pro-war hawk policy, the current administration has now taken to simply quit caring about evidence altogether. When information that undercuts their goals is brought up, they disregard it. We're supposed to trust their goals and not the evidence.

This is faith based policy.

Iran represents no real threat, and certainly not enough to justify another illegal war of aggression (whose major goal is a resource grab of the maybe 132 billion barrels of petroleum still under Iranian soil and to cut off any direct pipeline of Southwest Asian oil to China).

When you persist in a belief beyond the point where evidence shows you are mistaken, we call that delusion. Its a dangerous affliction for any mind, and all the more dangerous when it is the faith of war for American dominance, as it seems to be for this administration.

Thoughtcrime { Never ending war, never ending enemies, Orwellian state

I started seeing more and more of this popping up since Wednesday, the idea the Bush is advocating a war (or at least armed conflict with Iran).

here which links to here. (and here and here)

In the past I would have considered this merely posturing for Iran's sake to say we are serious about their nuclear ambitions, but now I am not so sure.

I use this to illustrate the increasing parallels with Orwell's 1984. Its becoming less a work of fiction and almost a work of history and history in the making.

We are not at war with Iraq. We are at war with Iran. We have always been at war with Iran.

"We've always been at war with Eastasia." - 1984

How soon till we start having 'Hate Week'?

How soon until they come for me? I'm a liberal, I've committed thoughtcrimes.

We already have groups taking advantage of the climate created by this Administration in America and abroad to advance their own agendas (in some cases they are even supported by Bush). We have those who used to be marginalized and written off as extremists now garnering more attention than they ever should and taking advantage of the intellectual and informational monopolies to spout forth hateful rhetoric (again see my previous post about hateful nut-jobs). I feel my place in this society eroding. Not just economically, but politically and intellectually.

The turn of events last November had given me some hope. But listening to the fence jumping, and the rhetoric coming from Capitol Hill this last week leaves me with less a feeling of actual change (and choice) but more an illusion of change/choice. The parrots and puppets are still there. Their apparent pandering is not action. Bush does not, as Commander-in-Chief have to listen to them. They don't have the stones to cut the budget. They won't impeach or make any kind of binding punishment. The House's attempt at enacting domestic social change (minimum wage increase, Medicare negotiations, ethics reform, stem cell research) are very good ideas, but this is more show. They will be hard to get through the Senate, and Bush has already said he will veto (stem cell research, Medicare negotiations).

One of the principle themes of the Matrix movies was the illusion of free will and choice. I enjoy it as fiction, I do not in my society.

What can be done? At this point I don't know. 2008 is close, but none of the people who have announced Presidential aspirations (either side) give me any hope, with the exception of Barack Obama, I would get behind him. Coleman is on the hot-seat. Pawlenty has done an about face on a lot of stances lately since November. This gives me a little hope that Minnesota will once again become solidly blue.

But, politicians are politicians. I seriously doubt this Congress will take Bush and his Administration up on investigation or charges of any kind anymore than the last one did (they make talk about it, but talk is not action). We'll see. I hope I am wrong.