Nukes for Israel, No Surrender from Iran

The big powers got together in Istanbul to discuss what to do about what they claim is the ‘problem’ of Iran and its ‘controversial’ nuclear energy program. Iran in effect made some anatomically impossible suggestions which we ought to applaud.

• NYT Headline – Iran Nuclear Talks Close With No Progress By STEVEN ERLANGER
• AP Headline in Yahoo News -After failed Iran nuclear talks: What now? by GEORGE JAHN
• Washington Post Headline – Six-power nuclear talks with Iran end without agreement By Joby Warrick
• Al Jazeera and agencies Headline – Iran talks end without agreement
• CNN – EU diplomat ‘disappointed’ in nuclear talks with Iran
• Weekly Standard – Tony Blair on Iran and Al Qaeda By THOMAS JOSCELYN

You get the message: Iran is an intractable problem and no progress is being made on its threat to us.

The U.S. political culture is haunted by a phantom Iranian threat conjured by the media that would be funny, tail-wagging-the-dog funny, were it not so obvious that President Obama and his GOP opponent will both parrot neocon talking points declaring their derision of Iran, and their support for Israel in the 2012 presidential campaign.

A good guess: A strike by Israel against Iran will precede the Autumn 2012 election campaign with potentially catastrophic, world-wide ramifications blamed on Hezbollah, Hamas with something called Al Qaeda worked in somewhere.

An alliance of huge-moneyed interests freed by the corrupt ruling in Citizens United v. FCC, Christian Zionists [anti-Semitic theology overlooked], the Catholic Church [anti-Semitic theology overlooked], neocons, closeted gays, and banal follow-the-power ass kissers will wage what will be the most negative, information-less campaign in American history behind the Republican nominee.

Demographically, the composition of the electorate in 2012 will be quite different from that in 2010. A GOP victory is by no means assured.

But Obama’ hope-and-change message will be very difficult to sustain or justify as of this writing, domestically and certainly in the Middle East. And there is ample reason to believe that this president simply doesn’t get it.

One thing is certain: The big powers will not get together in Tel Aviv to discuss what to do about the ‘problem’ of  Israel and its illegal nuclear weapons program.

Nor will the the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have any luck persuading Israel to join the world community of nations and sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). [Thank you Mordechai Vanunu and God bless you.]

Israel will remain “the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear arsenal and … the only country in the Middle East which is not a signatory to the NPT.” (Jason Ditz, Anti-war)

We won’t hear  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeating that Iran “doesn’t directly threaten the United States” (McGovern, CounterPunch) as Obama seeks assistance from the Lobby to mitigate the political forces aligned against him domestically.

We won’t hear mention that “the unanimous judgment of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies” in the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report reads that Iran has no nuclear weapons program.

The fanatical, terror state of Israel has reached its zenith politically and militarily, but Iran has no intention of rolling over for Zionist militarism.

The fact is Iran remains a strong economic, military bulwark against Israel, the most compelling reason Americans should be reaching out and establishing solidarity groups.

Opposition to Israel from the American peace movement to elements of the isolationist-libertarian wing of the Tea Party-Republican grassroots to military and intelligence veterans is growing as America moves into an uncertain future.

As for jobs domestically, we’ll see. Hoping for a change there.