I recommend David Blair’s comments in the Financial Times May 20th: “Threat of war across region is unspoken realisation”.

I think the US has no reason to attack Iran, but I am concerned that those warmongers and proponents of the insane “Greater Israel” scheme will set up yet another idiotic war, rather than do the obvious correct move: Tell Israel to end the occupation of the Golan Heights and the West Bank.

I agree totally that a relentless effort to expose the lying, deceptions, ruses, scams, etc., that set up the illegal invasion of Iraq and that may very well set up an insane war with Iran, should go forward. I think the campaign fares better, and obtains important confidential information more readily, if it is clearer that Iran in fact is not trying to build nukes on the sly. Keep in mind here the ten-minute maximum attention frame possessed by most Americans.

Over a 1400 year period after the collapse of the Roman empire, Italy survived and prospered as a series of (disputatious) city-states. The varying states developed innovative ways of governing, of conducting trade and commerce, of art and culture. Good things come in small packages!

James Canning, while I understand and am sympathetic with your view that Iran should try to stay under the radar by not enriching to 20%, a view that is fundamentally consistent with Eric’s belief that Iran should try to weather the storm from the West while developing relationships with regional partners, I don’t think creating a record of virtue will in any way affect the propaganda machine. Propaganda starts in the mind and agenda of the creator of the misinformation, not on the facts of the target. The only way I know to counter propaganda is by exposing its falsehoods, as many times as the lie is repeated, if that’s possible.

The USA can’t seem to keep its story straight, and for that reason the real “international community” (most of the world) is getting ever more sick of Washington’s hypocrisy and posturing on Iran, Israel, the NPT, etc. in obvious preparation for a repeat of the Iraqi adventure. The price of oil would soar so high that the debt ridden EU countries would bankrupt, and the rest of the world’s economies would be strongly set back. Brazil and Turkey, the BRIC countries, UNASUR, and others have to act to deter US lunacy.

I agree that a number of US leaders want to punish Iran for its support of the Palestinians and the Syrians, and that the nuclear issue is a covenient excuse they exploit. On the other hand, far too many Americans actually believe Iran is trying to develop nukes for use in a surprise attack. If Iran continues to enrich U to 20% even when it is obvious that the fuel rods for the Tehran reactor cannot be made by Iran, the suspicions and fears of millions of Americans are easily aroused on this score.

Progressives should reconsider their devotion to federalism. There was a time when a strong progressive federal govt. stood up to regressive and racist state govt. Today its the opposite in the case of progressive states like California (or Vermont or New Mexico). A strong regressive fed govt. dominated by a combination of conservative and zionists pressuring relatively progressive populations of the mentioned states and creating a democratic deficit in the country. It would be very reasonable if the citizens of California decided to go it alone because they have had enough of their taxes being spent on imperial wars based decisions made by nutcases from Wyoming (Cheney) and Conneticut (Lieberman).

Progs. should reconsider their blind support of all things global. A little isolationism is not so bad.

Progs. should reconsider their pacificism. Everybody in the US is armed except progressives (the feds, the tea partyers, the various gangs this and that side of the border). Being armed helps you when you are peacefully negotiating.

The Viet Nam war protests may rise to the level of rebellion; I’d weasel that the rebellion was against a policy, not to overthrow existing government. I’d just watched reports of the mayhem in Thailand and used that as benchmark; Viet Nam protests did not rise to the same level of suffering endured, disruption inflicted. But you may be right….

In any event, we need a rebellion now. Our government is oppressing its citizens and it is carrying out homicidal policies against others, in our name and with our collusion. In 13th century Italy, to resist paying taxes was considered an act of patriotism since the governments were oppressing their own people as well as other, and courageous people did not wish to collude in that. I don’t see such a sentiment in the US.

Washington and Tel Aviv have always been looking for an excuse to isolate or attack Iran.

No matter what Iran does, the west will imposing sanctions on Iran and will reject any deal in order to satisfy their masters “the Israel power configurations”.

Even if Iran did not have a nuclear program, they would have found another excuse to impose sanctions.

Fiorangela wrote and I quote:

“The US is not bargaining in good faith, it never has and it never will.

If Iran agrees to a certain standard, US will move the bar.”

This is exactly what has been happening recently.

Iran’s crime is its independence and its technological success.

Iran has improved tremendously in the field of science and technology and is becoming a big power and a big player in the Middle East. This is intolerable to Israel and its backers in the USA.