The High Cost of Driving

by Skald

"In the eyes of the Bush administration, however, Iran’s worst transgression has less to do with nuclear ambitions or anti-Semitism than with the petro-euro oil bourse Tehran is slated to open in March 2006. Iran’s plan to allow oil trading in euros threatens to break the dollar’s monopoly as the global reserve currency, and since the greenback is severely overvalued due to huge trade deficits, the move could be devastating for the US economy."

--From Common Dreams

Deja vu. The above statement has an eerie resemblance to the situation in Iraq, shortly before we invaded. At that time, Saddam Hussein was also moving to switch from dollars to euros as the accepted currency for his nations oil. During the buildup to our invasion, many pegged the dollar to euro switch as the underlying reason for the invasion... the US simply cannot allow one large oil producer to get away with this.

Now its Iran's turn. By most expert accounts, the country is at least 10 years away from having an atomic bomb (assuming they want one). More to the point, why souldnt they have nuclear weapons? How can the US, Britain, France, Russia, China... justify being armed to the teeth with nukes (and intercontinental missiles)... yet piously declare that no other country may have them. Even this declaration is a lie, as the US has embraced both India and Pakistan despite their "illegal" development of nukes. Finally, what sane country wouldnt want nukes. Nukes are currently the only defense against an American invasion. Iraq didnt have them and they got pulverized. Iran doesnt have them, and they are in the crosshairs. N. Korea does have them... so America doesnt dare attack. Given America's psychotic bullying, Iran would be crazy NOT to develop a viable nuclear arsenal.

But all this is just hype. Another ploy to whip the timid American masses into fearful hysteria. Americans are easy to scare, and easy to control once they are afraid. But they arent completely cold hearted. Invading Iran to bolster the US dollar simply wouldnt fly with most folks. And so we get this constant stream of smug bullshit about the "Iranian threat".

Keep your eyes on the calendar. The attack on Iran should closely coincide with congressional elections this coming Fall.

Will it work? Will mainstream Americans be fooled again? Will they wave the flag, "support the troops", wear yellow ribbons, and declare their moral superiority? Will they vote to keep the Republicans in office in order to "protect us from Iran"?

Of course they will.