The US President appears set on a course for war, particularly given his statement that Iran is, was and always will be 'dangerous'. In the context of the US energy conundrum, an infinite war scenario makes sense, and thus a continual pretext for war remains necessary. If this is a prudent approach strategically (for the US, and more particularly, for the US and the world) is entirely another question. But it is this sort of language that confirms the opinion that the President subscribes to a set of beliefs, and chooses to believe what he does, whatever the information he is presented with, whatever the facts. I believe the US has already mapped out its course, made up it's mind.
That course has been variously described as Last Man Standing. What we're seeing is the pretext being written for the war on resources. America must stake its claim, as it is by far the world's largest consumer and polluter through the use of oil and its byproducts.
Naturally, to espouse a view of nation as eternally dangerous, eternally a threat (whatever the facts) is, in itself, dangerous - but Bush's evangelical views are likely to fail second time around on Iran - certainly when colored in, not by generic words on good and evil, but by the hard reality, the hard evidence that comes from the experience of war, invasion and bloodshed, whatever the pursued ideology. Phew - long sentence!
Let's hope the Americans have wizened up second time around. Possibly, they haven't. They've been fooled a few times already under Bush's administration, and so have many people who aren't in America.
For the news conference where the President talk about his intentions, go here.
For a New York Times article on this topic, go here.
More here.
