With the recent unraveling of the U.S. presence in Iraq, it comes as no surprise that the Bush Administration is looking to deal someone (or perhaps everyone) in the Middle East a final and detrimental sissy-punch before withdrawing from the region. It should also come as no surprise that Iran may be the key recipient. The ideology of "When All Else Fails, Bomb Them Back to the Stone Age" has become both an ultimatum and a last resort for American diplomacy.
This wouldn’t be the first time that frustration of this kind was exhibited by the leaders of our great democracy. There are uncanny parallels between the Cowards-in-Chief that reigned during two of America’s major offensives-turned-evacuations, parallels that extend beyond human and civil rights violations. If my memory serves me correctly, borders were crossed via an intense military campaign when the U.S bombed Cambodia just prior to the U.S. evacuation from South Vietnam. While it seems unlikely that an invasion of Vietnam’s western neighbor was among the intentions of the oval office at the beginning of the Vietnam War, one has to wonder just how close Iran came to top-priority during the preemptive strike against Iraq á la Shock and Awe.
Whether friend or foe, if you don’t instantly succumb to the whims of the most powerful militaristic nation in the world you might find yourself becoming a means to an end.
by Davie Williams, Publishing Intern
Please consider supporting our work.
I hope you found this article important. Before you leave, I want to ask you to consider supporting our work with a donation. In These Times needs readers like you to help sustain our mission. We don’t depend on—or want—corporate advertising or deep-pocketed billionaires to fund our journalism. We’re supported by you, the reader, so we can focus on covering the issues that matter most to the progressive movement without fear or compromise.
Our work isn’t hidden behind a paywall because of people like you who support our journalism. We want to keep it that way. If you value the work we do and the movements we cover, please consider donating to In These Times.
