There are two critical things that will happen within the next year that will decide the fate of this country. One is the 2008 election. I believe the current Republicans have slipped over the edge. They are authoritarians with serious fascist tendencies.
I was a Republican my whole life until the Bush administration and I was called fascist countless times, so I don't use the word lightly. Even Sandra Day O'Connor, the former Supreme Court Justice that put Bush into office warned about the beginnings of dictatorship in this country.
Republican nominees like Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are constantly justifying and excusing torture, spying on innocent Americans, bombing countries that are absolutely no threat to us and running roughshod over the United States constitution. None of these are conservative principles. The Republican Party has become radicalized.Mike Huckabee is an evangelical Christian who doesn't believe in evolution, a position I find laughable and embarrassing, but I think he might be the most sane among them (Ron Paul is roughly right about foreign policy, but he is a different kind of radical in domestic policy). That's how bad the Republican Party has become.
If one of these guys wins next year, I really don't know what terrible direction this great country is going to spin off into. Luckily, they don't have a very good chance of winning. Every poll indicates the country gets it. They are sick of these radicals and want some sanity back in the country. But don't put it past a Democrat to blow this one. If ever a party was built to lose, it's the current Democratic Party built on weakness and capitulation. So, this election will be pivotal.
The second moment -- or non-moment -- that is absolutely critical is whether George W. Bush orders an attack against Iran. The results of this order would be catastrophic. Iran would retaliate all over the world, but mainly against our troops in Iraq (with their Shiite brethren in Iraq). Even more importantly, we would inflame the whole Muslim world. We would create this absurd world war against Islam that the idiot neo-conservatives are dreaming about. Let alone what it would do to oil prices and the world economy.
The same incompetent fools who gave us the Iraq War are now claim attacking Iran would be easy (apparently, according to these nuts the Iranian people would welcome an attack on their country). I don't think they even believe that. They're doing the same thing they did before the Iraq War -- try to imply that the war will be easy so that we are more likely to enter it. These band of merry fools are led by Dick Cheney.
ABC News is reporting today that giant bunker-buster bombs have been included in the latest Pentagon request as urgent needs in the battlefield. As the ABC story explains, the only place where we can use a Stealth bomber to drop these massive bunker-busters are ... Iran.
But luckily, there appears to be another side in this fight within the administration. And it is led by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. These men appear to be arguing for sanity. Adm. Mullen warned this weak that attacking Iran would lead to risks that are "very, very high." He made it clear that it would in fact be a last resort, as opposed to the fake last resort that Cheney can't wait to fast forward to.
I know that even that kind of language is silly. Last resort to what? Do we have to strike before Iran takes over Cleveland? The whole thing is ridiculous. But Adm. Mullen was giving clear signals through his choice of words. And the signal was that he did not want to attack Iran on his watch.
They are also joined by the head of Central Command, Admiral Fallon, in their opposition to attacks against Iran. Apparently, Admiral Fallon has indicated that he would resign before giving such an order.
The head of Central Command, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Defense Secretary make for powerful allies. But never, ever underestimate the power of Dick Cheney. The force is strong with that one. Cheney has never really lost a bureaucratic war within the "Bush" administration. He has lost some battles, like the peace deal we made with North Korea (he was, of course, against it; it had the word "peace" in it). But Cheney always win the big ones.
So, I really don't think it's overstating it to say that the future of this Bush administration, this country and even the world turns on this internal administration battle. Unfortunately, the man who will decide who wins this battle is -- George W. Bush. The single most incompetent, unwise, and thoughtless leader this country has ever seen. The battlefield is his tiny mind. Who will gain control of it? Which way will "The Decider" go?
There's your great suspense for the next 15 months. Will Bush pull the trigger and start an even more colossal and disastrous war or will Gates and Mullen walk him back from the edge?
I don't know which way it's going to go. I wait nervously as the clock winds down. I have never wanted 15 months to go by quicker. Will we able to make it out of this administration in one piece? Will we be able to contain the damage done so far? Or will Bush open Pandora's box? Stay tuned.
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The Great War Within the Bush Administration
Posted Oct 25th 2007 4:28PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Middle East, George Bush, Young Turks, Dick Cheney
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Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 8)
16. I don't know which way it's going to go. I wait nervously as the clock winds down. I have never wanted 15 months to go by quicker. Will we able to make it out of this administration in one piece? Will we be able to contain the damage done so far? Or will Bush open Pandora's box? Stay tuned.>>
Let's all drag this pathetic drooling spew out during the next administration ... be it democrat or republican, and see what the Young Jerks say when the next president acts just like Bush when it comes to Iran. Heck, maybe if Hillary is elected our liberal brothers can take a sober look at the at the real dangers in this world and realize Iran is at the top of the list.
Thomas J Gassett at 8:10PM on Oct 25th 2007
17. Hey Cenk, you're sounding paranoid. The United States isn't going to whack Iran. Remember those WMD's? There was some evidence nuclear weapon technology was going into the Middle East. Well, we were wrong about Iraq. The technology was going into Iran.
So what now? Well, to be sure another invasion is out of the question. Unless, of course, there is major support from Europe and countries in the Middle East.
So calm down. Neither Europe or Middle East countries are even sneering at Iran, much less sabor rattling.
willet at 8:55PM on Oct 25th 2007
18. The argument concerning the pros and cons of evolution certainly have caught the attention of those with a limited quantity. Perhaps one day absolute hard evidence will fully clarify once and for all this never ending dialogue of amusement.
HOWEVER: there is no doubt since hard evidence makes patently clear the devolution of logic in our current government most especially and specifically the junta of neo-con/military industrial complex leader-DC through their spokes-pupett figurehead. Within day's of taking office as 'w' was walking back into the White House, a reporter yelled a question-"How is it going Mr. President?" Never missing a beat or change of stride the 'w' responded; " It would be easier to be dictator." This is ON THE RECORD.
Steven at 9:01PM on Oct 25th 2007
19. "Evolution is a bad theory". Right. There's no garden of Eden with a snake trying to get the first woman ever born to eat an apple that will get her and the first man kicked out.
Hey, I believe in fairy tales too but I don't try to impose whatever they preach on other people.
You got a better theory than evolution, let's hear it. No, some supreme being on a cloud somewhere, carving little statues to place uponj the Earth won't cut it.
By the way, did you know you have a tailbone?
Brian Wolle at 9:27PM on Oct 25th 2007
20. Brain,
Surely you are the world's expert on this topic...
man...you secular humanist have less knowledge of science than a kindengardner and you spout off like idiots...go open some science books...
Reality check....Reality is bigger than your imagination. The jury is still out... about evolution being the origin of life, let alone how it's being used as a ideology that explains the meaning and purpose of life, but whatever...if you know anything, you'd know there more questions than answers. And it's been 140 years...still....no prove. So lay off those that care to believe in a Creator and appreciate that Genesis records something...that to tell you the truth...has as much value to some as evolution has to you. I'm weary of numbskulls spouting off about all they know about nothing.
Paul Thompson at 10:00PM on Oct 25th 2007
21. Tailbone LOL yes we do have rudimentary tailbones as well as other vestigal organs and other ditties from times goneby. I wonder what the Creationists make of supernumerary digits or limbs. Guess that divine creator makes some mistakes sometimes.
Heidi at 10:03PM on Oct 25th 2007
22. Heidi,
Freshman biology...no doubt...congratulations on making it to college.
Paul Thompson at 10:10PM on Oct 25th 2007
23. Where are the concentration camps, the political prisoners, the jackbooted death squads? Why are newspapers and magazines critical of Mr. Bush still in operation? Why are Harry Reid and his ilk allowed to speak their foolish minds with impunity? Why aren't people who advocate the assassinations of Mr. Bush and Mr. Chaney behind bars? Why hasn't the vote been taken away from everyone? Why aren't the young conscripted and turned forced into the military? Why are people allowed to come and go as they please? Do any of you pathetic jerks know the real meaning of fascism?
william boyer at 10:32PM on Oct 25th 2007
24. "It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." -- Thomas Sowell
Micheál at 9:52AM on Oct 26th 2007
25. I sincerely hope that next year's election will be the laxative that pushes the Republicans out of the White House. "Authoritarians with serious facist tendencies" is exactly the way to describe them. To them, our Constitution consists only of the first three sections of Article 2--the powers of the president. (Section 4 deals with the impeachment process. That's part of someone else's Constitution.)
The candidate who scares me most is Rudy
Giuliani. Forgetting his ideology, he has shown himself to be a poor judge of character. A Giuliani administration would have more than its share of corruption and incompetence.
hmsboston at 1:48AM on Oct 26th 2007
26. Great points, all -- but the writer needs to do some serious work on his subject-verb agreement. "[T]he only place we can use a Stealth bomber ... are Iran." That's just one example. The credibility of his writing is seriously undermined because it contains grammatical errors that should have been wiped out in seventh grade. "These band of merry fools are led by Dick Cheney." Dude, listen ... "THESE bandS ... are" or "THIS band ... IS", but not "These band ... are". Yeeesh -- this guy must have a tin ear. It really takes away from his message.
Nancy at 4:55AM on Oct 26th 2007
27. Cenk I didn't know so many republicans read your column. I am not a real fan of democrats(pussies), but to even consider to vote for a party that represents facism (republicans) is totally well - American(politically naive).
waiteman at 8:39AM on Oct 26th 2007
28. I absolutely cannot believe that in the year 2007, there is still an argument about evolution. This should have been over a hundred years ago. Evolution is not a theory-- it is pretty much fact that has been proven over and over and over and over...you get my point.
It doesn't amuse me that people still think this way. It absolutely terrifies me. And why does it seem that those who militantly believe in creationism are usually those who love to wave banners and cry for war? Is it a genetic thing?
Oh yeah, that's right. Genes don't exist either. We're all made of dirt and all guys are missing a rib.
J Boyd at 8:56AM on Oct 26th 2007
29. All science is theory right now, even though some theories are called laws. Science embraces the concept that we do NOT know everything and that we will continue to learn. Today's theory is merely the best model or explanation that we have to explain what we observe. When we observe something that does not fit into the theory, the theory is refined to include all of the knowledge.
The theory of evolution has been refined over the last 100+ years. The theory of gravity has been refined over an even longer period. They will both continue to be refined as new data are gathered.
The religions with which I am familiar, on the other hand, do not embrace learning. What was, is, and shall always be. No doubt is allowed. New information must be forced into the existing LAWS.
alan at 9:09AM on Oct 26th 2007
30. j boyd and alan,
Obviously you've been indoctrinated into the church of the human secularist...good for you. However, in this country people are given the right to believe whatever they want...now...I believe that evolution is for those that want a philosophy that doesn't believe in God and that everything came from nothing...fine by me. But Respect!!! my beliefs....because I'll respect and defend your right to believe what you want.
And it cracks me up you think that I'm ignorant because I don't 'believe' in evolution...I mean...since we're using the word 'BELIEVE'...
maybe it's part of a BELIEF?
Paul Thompson at 9:31AM on Oct 26th 2007