Deja vu all over again

It never fails: election year in the US, fear feeding frenzy between ultraconservatives from DC, Tel Aviv, and Tehran.

This time, warmongers from all sides share a common target: Barack Obama. And clearly, "44" has more to fear from them than from Romney or Santorum. Among the usual suspects:

- Khamenei and Ahmadinejad clearly remember this guy who, as soon as he took over the White House, adressed the Iranian people for Nowruz*. The message got through, and if the regime crushed the first non-Palestinian uprising in the region, it lost for good whatever was left of its credibility at home**.

- Four years ago, Tel Aviv hawks perfectly seized the Bush-Obama transition, launching an infamous attack on Gaza to secure a crucial vote on February 2009, before putting out the fire with more gazoline***. With Netanyahu back, and all moderates eradicated from the national debate, these guys managed to survive the Arab Spring, deliberately playing it as a threat instead of embracing the opportunity. They are not likely to release the pressure now, and will give all the support the AIPAC needs to keep the upper hand over J Street in the vetting of candidates (beyond the White House, the Congress remains key).

- At home, Obama still has to cope with a minority of dangerous fanatics who badly want a war between Israel and Iran because it's supposed to bring back their Messiah****, but at least they don't control the Oval Office anymore. Of course, the usual Cassandra crew keeps lobbying and forging a case with smoking guns and nuclear mushrooms, but what they want is to secure fat budgets for defence contractors, not necessarily a real war. The people I fear most are the likes of Frank Carlucci, Donald Rumsfeld, or Paul Wolfowitz: amoral thugs who'd do anything to turn the tables, even if it means the humiliation of the United States of the loss of thousands of lives. Preferably when a Carter or an Obama is in office, but the trick also works when it comes to maintaining a friend in power (guess whom).

Okay. When boys start playing with a certain kind of toys and matches, things can go really bad, but they may not need to go all the way. A well timed second dip could sink Barack Obama more efficiently than a torpedo. And if you need a quick fix, ye ole oil crisis easy does it. Not very original, I know, but these guys are more often into creationism than into creativity.

One thing's for sure: we'll never run out of bad guys for this kind of show.


blogules 2012
Since 2003, nonsensical posts about noncritical issues in nonenglish (get your blogules transfusion in French)
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*as well as Israeli leaders (Beyond the Iranian people, Obama is addressing Israel)
**"Khamenei's death wish"
***"Bush's Farewell : Mission Accomplished... as Fundamentalist in Chief", "Netanyahu's al Aqsa intifada"
Iran : who wants war and why

Sign O' The New York Times

The NYT picked John McCain and Hillary Clinton as Primary Choices.

There should no contest for McCain, who stood against Bush, against torture, for democracy. And yes, Mitt Romney keeps compromizing on any issue in order to get one more vote (he even joined the crew of "Roe vs Wade" killers). No one know what that guy would do.

But John McCain sold his soul to the Discovery Institute and stood in favor of teaching Intelligent Design theories in school. And that's a rather scary perspective.

Unless someone comes out of the blue (Bloom ?), the only way out for the US is to elect a Democrat for the top job.

Both Clinton and Obama would do fine, but the NYT decided to put a conservative bet on Hillary. A little bit too early in the race. Truly, a big favor at the tipping point of the campaign...

NYT Executive Editor Bill Keller can trust Hillary's judgement : not only did he support the war in Iraq but he preferred Paul Wolfowitz to Colin Powell.

By the way : Wolfie is back to the White House.

Is Keller also betting on a war with Iran ?

Dismission Accomplished - Red blogule to the other peanut president

LBJ's quagmire, Nixon's scandals, Carter's hostages, not to mention Dubya's own trophies (lies, propaganda, fundamentalism, revisionism, torture...)... This President seems ripe for impeachment, and it's up to the Republicans to get rid of this bunch of Hall of Shamers (Cheney, Rove, Wolfie...). For good, and for the good of this country.
Besides, it would be the only way out of Iraq. And in the 2008 race. The Dems will keep shooting till someone waves a white flag : "why should I catch a bullet ? I should be shooting the darn lame duck along with you instead".
It would be an act of repentance from America too. I made a mistake in 2003, and then I made an even bigger mistake in November 2004. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Here's his head, shall I wrap it up ?
Here is the man. Ecce homo. George Walker Bush eventually meeting the same fate as his favorite philosopher. Atoning not for the sins of mankind but for the sins of one unkind man.

Red blogule to Wolfie's Personal World Bank

Annus horribilis for neocons (continued) : Paul Wolfowitz, whose World Bank is supposed to give governance lessons, abused his power to raise above the level of decency the pay of his own girlfriend. Alberto Gonzales and Karl Rove may be the next members of the crude crew to fall, the Dems only have a few months to restore America and impeach both Lord Dubya, King of the Banana Republic of the Divided States of Amerika, and his puppeteer Lobby Dick Cheney.
Anyway, History will give its verdict sooner or later, and the Bush years will be forever remembered as years of immorality and disgrace.

Red blogules to hypocrisy - what Bush doctrine ?

North Korea back to the 6 party talks ? Thank the very official US-NK meeting, a total renouncement to the Bush dogma : we don't talk to dictators (er... make that "this kind of dictators").
Iran and Irak restoring diplomatic links ? Thank the US-backed Iraqi government for initiating a meeting the US wouldn't want to be known as the actual initiator.
$500M for Iraq from the World Bank ? Thank the same US-backed Iraqi government for asking a favor which had been denied to the country since 1973. Thank also Paul Wolfowitz for making a priority of what we expected from him (outsourcing the US deficit created by the Iraqi quagmire) instead of what he said he would do (fighting against poverty in Africa).
The World is better when the US don't follow the Bush doctrine.
And the World would definitely be even a better place if the US didn't follow it in the first place.

Red blogule to the "oil for fools" program

- "Am I my brother's keeper ?"
Jeb should answer "sorry Georgie but I'm affraid you ain't. Bush '08 relies on the Architect's craft again. Say... what have you done for America ?"
Terror is on the rise (and the next generation gets all the motivation it needs from Uncle Sam), WMDs are blooming in North Korea and still nowhere to be found in Iraq, and George II is almost rejoicing to the perspective of using anti-nuclear devices against his fellow tyrant Kim Jong-Il. Besides, lies and torture have been institutionalized by Amerika and the "age of diplomacy" is about destroying the international bodies the Bush Administration snubbed during the first mandate (in order to get rid of these embarrassing bodies, Bolton is supposed to act as a UN-bomber and Wolfie to take the money and run). The Axis of Evil got stronger, the Axis of Weasels exhibited courage and King Dubya is still leading the Axis of Liars, a lame duck asking for a few lame bucks...
Yet, Neocondi still has a crush on "my husband", and her disdainous snarl keeps resembling that of Lobby Dick by the day.
Barf bag anyone ?

Red blogule to Paul Wolfowitz

The US are withdrawing from all international bodies but the ones they initiated, especially when they can help putting some of the Iraqi mess away from the national flags (casualties, deficits, counter-propaganda). But the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz for the head of the World Bank sounds like the ultimate insult to the international community.
The man is anything but "a compassionate and decent man", as a master in both compassion and decency, George Walker Bush, dared dub him. How could an expert in dissimulation promote transparency ? How can this man handle the World Bank's priorities ? I just pick 3 out of the 6 "hot topics" mentioned on the World Bank's website : "Chad-Cameroon pipeline", "extractive industries transparency initiative" and "Iraq"... Come on !!! The World Bank is about reducing poverty ? It sure will if you consider Halliburton a poor entity. Look at the chest Wolfie will be able to pump from :

• IBRD : The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development , $11bn in 2004
• IDA : The International Development Association, $9bn in 2004
• IFC : The International Finance Corporation, $4.8bn in 2004
• MIGA : The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, $1.1bn in 2004
• ICSID : The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (that definitely settles it, doesn't it ?)

Red blogule to the Red machine - The potential RNC tickets for 2008 :

Jeb Bush - John McCain
Rudolf Giuliani - Condoleeza Rice
Arnold Schwarzennegger - Buzz Lightyear
Ken Mehlman - Barbie
Billy Graham - Abu Masab Al Zarqawi
Dick Perle - Paul Wolfowitz
Alberto Gonzales - Hannibal Lecter
Dick Cheney - Dick Cheney
George Prescott Bush - Chelsea Clinton