With the growing likelihood that the Bush administration intends to attack Iran, possibly with nuclear weapons, we have entered a new level of dangerous behavior that threatens to bring down this nation.
Speculation has been running rampant, with anecdotal stories coming in from all sides. Each on it’s surface may seem insignificant at best and little more than conspiracy theories at worst. But what I for one find compelling is the sheer volume of these stories. Usually when a rumor becomes this pervasive there is at least a kernel of truth embedded within it.
How pervasive is this rumor? Take a look below the fold
I went through just one blog, this one (admittedly a very big one) and collected some of the diaries in the past week which prognosticated an impending war with Iran or Bush’s perceived desire to go to war with Iran. These are not just off the wall crackpot postings, every one of these had at least 20 recs.
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Now I’m not saying this is conclusive evidence of anything, but if you read some of these you begin to understand that there is at least a reasonable expectation that something seems to be waiting in the wings.
Many of these do a pretty good job of describing what some of the consequences of an attack on Iran might be. Increased terrorism, nuclear proliferation, a nuclear attack here in the US, collapse of our already over stretched military, economic collapse, and the one most frightening to yours truly, a declaration of martial law here in the US followed by a cancellation of elections and permanent seizure of the white house by the current criminal occupants.
Any one of these would be reason enough to take action right now, but the combination of many or all of them would demand it. Frankly, there is already sufficient evidence of high crimes by this administration to warrant impeachment right now (inherent contempt anyone?). But in truth, the strong likelihood of an impending attack on Iran clearly presents a severe danger to the republic. Once the genie has been let out of that bottle, there may be no putting it back. If this administration feels significantly threatened it seems highly likely that they will figure they have nothing to lose and effect a defacto coup which would essentially neutralize the constitution and all congressional opposition.
Fortunately there is a little time and clear warning signs will present themselves. Before they attack there will almost certainly be a period during which they attempt to sell the war.
They [the source's institution] have "instructions" (yes, that was the word used) from the Office of the Vice-President to roll out a campaign for war with Iran in the week after Labor Day; it will be coordinated with the American Enterprise Institute, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Fox, and the usual suspects. It will be heavy sustained assault on the airwaves, designed to knock public sentiment into a position from which a war can be maintained. Evidently they don't think they'll ever get majority support for this--they want something like 35-40 percent support, which in their book is "plenty."
This administration has already tipped it’s hand that it would like to do something about Iran, in fact they have explicitly stated so.
"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. And that is why the United States is rallying friends and allies around the world to isolate the regime, to impose economic sanctions. We will confront this danger before it is too late."
Emphasis mine.
For me at least, that seems pretty convincing evidence of their thought process if not their outright intentions. This is not a threat to be taken lightly. This administration must be stopped and it must be stopped before an attack can be ordered. There is a way!
Congress already has evidence and reason to believe that this administration has committed high crimes. Therefore they already have legal justification to begin the impeachment process. Once this administration begins attempting to sell the war, they will have telegraphed their intentions to congress. Congress will then have probable cause to believe that the republic is in jeopardy at the hands of this administration. Since this administration has already shown inherent contempt, congress already has the legal justification to arrest and detain the president and vice president.
This of course would require use of the House and Senate Sergeants at arms and the capitol police to affect such an arrest. It is entirely possible that a gun battle would ensue between the capitol police and the secret service. An ugly consequence which would likely lead to some loss of life, but that loss of life while tragic, would not be in vein. It would be in the service and protection of the constitution and of the nation, and possibly the prevention of a nuclear holocaust. A more solemn duty does not exist, certainly at least as solemn as the one that our valiant soldiers are being asked to lay their lives on the line for every day in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.
The consequences of failing to take this action are so severe, so devastating, so irreversible that they must supercede the considerations of normal, more typical courses of action. This president and vice-president clearly present a danger to this nation and to the world. They will not stand idly by while impeachment hearings proceed. The only recourse is to physically capture and detain them and keep them under lock and key until impeachment can be completed. Impeachment could be a very lengthy process, and it may be necessary to extend the process until the end of their term.
This is especially true if the republican minority can not be convinced that removal from office is warranted. It does not take a 60 or 67 vote majority for a congressional committee to issue an arrest warrant, and just as Bush has detained people without charge for years on end, congress can detain the president and vice president for as long as necessary to protect the constitution. In a way, the president has given them the key to doing so by exercising that course of action himself. By so doing he has tacitly granted that the US government has the right to do so.
So the time and trigger for action is growing near. If this administration indeed begins an obvious push towards war with Iran, we will know where it is headed. Congress will know what it’s duty is. Congress and all 535 members of it have taken an oath to protect the constitution from all enemies both foreign and domestic. A war with Iran would clearly be a devastating course for this country and must be considered an act of an enemy of the state.