A Masterpiece Explanation of The Coming Nuclear War
He presents a convincing argument, but I remain far less assured that Americans would accept it. Would Iranian ex-pats? Would Arab Americans? Would the cloud drifting towards - perhaps Pakistan - be accepted by a nuclear country with a population comparable in size to ours?
Josh Marshall is as worried as Billmon. And Chris Allbritton indicates Bush’s line in the sand has been crossed.
I agree that Bush might do it. I doubt the world would stand for it. I, for one, would renounce my citizenship, and would seek a country where nukes are outlawed as a matter of principle.
Update: I initially resisted the impulse to say this, but I feel it’s necessary to voice my opposition to a first strike nuclear attack on Iran as clearly as I can. If Bush does it, I will become a declared opponent of his government and will use whatever means I can to topple his regime. There is simply no justification to use nukes against Iran.
To do so unleashes a Pandora’s box of possibilities, as other nuclear states might unite in opposition and create a nuclear showdown scenario. The potential loss of life - not just from the US strike, but from others emboldened by Bush’s example, could dwarf the death rates of the worst tyrants in history.
By saying this, I may end up on a list, get incarcerated or murdered. I don’t care. It’s no moral failure to be an outlaw in the eyes of an outlaw, which is what Bush will be if he okays an offensive nuclear launch. And let’s be clear on our definitions. I’m not saying I’ll be an enemy of the state. I’m saying the state will be choosing to become an enemy of humanity. And as a member of humanity, I will defend humanity from Bush and his crony war criminals should they take that brutal step.
I would hope a wave of humanity would do likewise, marching on Washington with the intent of kicking out any member of the executive and legislative branches complicit in that nuclear offensive. Our troops would be faced with the dillemma of whether to shoot millions of unarmed civilians, or to stand down in the face of a popular revolt.
Of course, I can’t predict what others will do, but I’d expect millions of Americans would feel similarly compelled. And if not, well, I’d still have to take the course where my moral beliefs tell me I must go.
April 12th, 2006 at 6:59 am
If it’s any consolation America has a historty of deliberately acting insane with nukes so as to put pressure on other countries. The Cuban missile crisis is the one that comes to mind.
I think Bush could go nuclear and get away with it as far as most Americans are concerned. It would be Americans’ reactions, not Bush’s act that would convince the rest of the world. But I don’t think he’ll try it. He’s rich. He’s the one with stuff to lose.
April 12th, 2006 at 8:05 am
Billmon seems to display his usual naivety.
After all, the corporate media complex has already shown a remarkable willingness to ignore or rationalize conduct that once would have been considered grossly illegal, if not outright war crimes
Gee, who does that remind me of? Billmon’s asking the media where they’ve been for the last six years and I’m wondering where Billmon’s been for the last sixty years.
He actually still clings to the idea of America the global cop god help him — and it’s because of that attitude that Bush and a succesion of other warcriminal presidents could and did get away with this sort of thing. He can’t help himself. He just can’t help even in this essay saying America’s better than Iran for example. Even while he’s pretending to tell himself how awful it would be, what a “break” from the past, ha ha.
April 12th, 2006 at 10:38 am
You’re looking at the BushCo solution to global warming:nuclear winter. Let’s face it, the world’s seriously overcrowded and both the end of the oil economy and coming climate disaster will cause decades, if not centuries, of suffering and misery.
Better to just drop the big one on Iraq, let China and Russia retaliate, and viola:instant cooling and instant population reduction.
See, he really really is the “environ-mental president.”