Setting the World Ablaze

Apologies again for being delinquent in my blogging duties but I have been inundated with all sorts of trials and troubles, resulting in a delay in this week’s OTF. I have been trying to catch up on all the news and views, much of it devoted to the goings on in Southern California. It is not at all surprising given the human interest angle of the disaster but there are others fires threatening the illuminate the horizon as well.

The embers of war with Iran have smoldered for some time, flaring up and subsiding at irregular intervals. Last week, the Bushies began the last effort to fan the flames once more. President Bush’s off-hand remark about preventing Iran from starting “World War III” perturbed many. Equal distressing was Vice President Cheney’s follow-up, invoking language eerily similar to that in the run-up to the war in Iraq. Now if only Cheney can stay awake long enough to watch his handiwork.

For this week saw them up the ante, not only officially designating a part of Iran’s military as a terrorist organization but also imposing some of the harshest unilateral sanctions against their government. And despite protestations from the Bush administration that these sanctions are in no way meant to force a military confrontation, few remain convinced. Bush’s ever increasing trips to the Congressional ATM and hidden budget requests have some worried we may soon be looking at a conflagration that can not be extinguished.

But hey, just as we can’t let those young whippersnappers in Iraq beat us, we certainly can’t let all those Islamofascists in Iran do it.

The estimated costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have now been pegged at over two trillion dollars. That’s trillion with a T. But the Bushies aren’t worried about the numbers. Perhaps they’re more interested in the dividends.

Arianna says its time for the Dems to play hardball.

Maureen Dowd says the there is no method to Cheney’s madness. Rosa Brooks, meanwhile, posits another route to rout the “crazies” in the White House.

The Washington Post reports that bombing Iran would send oil prices skyrocketing (as if they aren’t already breaking records). Kevin Drum says they obviously didn’t get that memo about how great bombing Iran would be.

(X-posted at The Xsociate Files)