The media's newest war story
Capt. America to the rescue
According to the Western media, Iran is preparing to attack Israel "in days".
This could be the WAR we've all been waiting for!
F-15s and B-52s over Teheran, American warships locking Tomahawk missiles…as Captain America steps in to protect brave little Israel— and all of the world that counts--which is, I guess, the White House -- from… ummm... justice?
The logic is a little convoluted. But let me try to explain.
Israel and the US have committed genocide, violated numerous international laws, most recently the Vienna convention. But nothing's happened! Unconsciously, we expect something to happen.
Because it would only be right
"Absolute Discharge"
Suppose a rich guy and his partners covet some property for "property development" and the owners refuse to move. The rich guys just burn down the house— with mommy, daddy, grandpa, grandma and eight kids of various ages inside. Firemen come and the rich guys and their goons shoot one or two to keep them away. Ambulances come and a few medics get killed.
The police are afraid to intervene.
As the fire burns itself out, the rich guys drink champagne in back of the limo trying to decide what they're going to do with the site now that it's vacant.
Some people are upset and the rich guys are charged in court. They are found guilty —as everyone expects. But they get an "absolute discharge" –which in legal language means no punishment. Having money helps.
It's not fair right? It's not just! We expect comeuppance!
Justice takes time
Sometimes there is a reckoning!
But, in any case, justice takes time. For one thing, it needs to be appropriate— that is, retribution must match the offense.
In the case of Iran, shooting a few missiles at Tel Aviv would not be “justice” it would be a slap on the hand. A hard one maybe but still just a slap!
Israel and the US’s crimes are great. “Appropriate” retribution would be to engineer the collapse of the Israeli state and of the US as national entities to prevent them from committing such crimes again in the future. Of course, one must also consider restorative justice. Someone has to rebuild Gaza.
Justice can be served – but it is a long, complicated process — and very rare indeed.
The global community – the world majority – must come to see Israel and the United States as pariahs and ostracize them— finding ways to erode their wealth and influence. Hopefully, that process is already beginning.
In the meantime, Iran and its allies must not only whittle away at Israel's and the US’ legitimacy but also demonstrate their weakness and corruption.
Hamas began the process. The Houthis and Hezbollah and the Axis of Resistance continue it. Iran can supply training, coordination, intelligence, and technology.
But no hypersonic missiles. No big bangs.
Just drones. Smaller bangs. Each drone costs about 100 times less in the interceptor needed to counter it – and interception is never 100%. This is how you win a long war.
War Movies
War movies are always popular with the public– as long as they are not too real.
The media will talk up the threat of war-- the kind of war that the Israelis and Americans would wage if they could— shock & awe —but deep down we know it's not going to happen.
So, the media will be making up stories and playing on our fears for a week or two – or even three.
Exactly how long is hard to say: the length of a news cycle varies, depending upon other things— like a major sex scandal— say, Barack Obama caught on camera doing the dirty with a 16-year-old girl!
When the Iranians don't shoot volleys of ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv – or wherever-- people just get tired of waiting for the action and the media will have to distract them with some other story to preserve their obviously dubious credibility.
50 years ago two thirds of Americans trusted the news media. Today it is less than 1/3. Today the New York Times it a National Enquirer for the college educated.
Iran, however, is keeping the pressure on.
Drone strikes on Israel are already increasing. The Houthis are more active. Many Israelis feel that Israel has lost the war.
Strategically speaking, one would expect an escalation of attacks on Israel after a new news cycle begins—not necessarily the next one, even but further in the future —perhaps in May when Putin visits China cementing the relationship between Russia, China – and of course Iran! Russia's gains in Ukraine are incremental and the US is stuck in a corner.
But you won't see the US backing down. It's an election year!
It all sounds crazy I know.
But for the US government the Biden administration there is method in the madness.
With defeat for Ukraine almost certain now, the American neocons have to somehow mitigate the disaster. As a result, when Iran doesn't launch major strikes on Israeli targets starting a larger war, the US will pretend that it was their support for Israel -and the … mmm…Cause of Peace —that deterred the Iranians. \Biden will say (in effect, " I saved the world".
Cat Tales
The cat shown here appears to be an Egyptian Mau. No one knows exactly when cats started living with human beings but it seems to have happened in the Middle East a few millennia ago when desert cats began to hunt for mice in granaries. They also killed poisonous snakes, which as helpful.
The Egyptians regarded cats as sacred. Killing a cat was a serious crime. A question arises— did we domesticate cats or did they domesticate us?
CoffeeTime
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Just updated this article.
My sense is that Iran and other countries that are outraged by Israel's behaviour are playing a long game. Israel and its backers don't seem to understand how to do this. Every atrocity they commit is a nail in Israel's coffin, and the coffins of its backers.