TYT - Sky News Iran Propaganda, Warmongering!

[SaintPete]

Sky News, partly owned by Rupert Murdoch of News Corp/Fox News infamy, had an absurd article filled with assumptions and propaganda regarding Iran, Al Qaeda and Israel. Will the US attack and wage war on Iran? The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur sets the record straight.

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Learn more about the media failure on Iran here:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/18/cenk-the-media-is-grossly-deceiving-people-on-iran/

[kenfrequed]

1. Thanks Cenk!

We really need to be a lot more wary of any of this stovepiped propaganda nonsense this time around.

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. Intrade is now speculating a 53.2% chance of an Israel or/and American attack this year

http://www.intrade.com/index.jsp?request_operation=trade&request_type=action&selConID=750356

[Behind the Aegis]

3. How far back does that "information" go?

What I mean is, were there similar "projections" from 2001, 2002, 2003...aw hell, until the supposed "sure thing Israeli attack" in September of last year. You remember that attack on Iran don't you? All those Israeli jets bombing the place....Oh wait, it DIDN'T happen, despite all the "chicken littles" and "former CIA agents" declaring it would happen.

[Douglas Carpenter]

4. I certainly hope you are right

however, if one follows the international media - there does seem to be reasons to believe that an attack on Iran is more likely now than at any time in the past so many years. I might suggest Asia Times http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East.html who are doing a lot of very intelligent and dispassionate writing on the matter. I had not been even thinking very much about this issue until about a month ago when a friend of mine - retired American-Iranian who lives in San Francisco visited me. I know that he never in the past was too concerned about the prospect of war. But now he is. I'm afraid this time there might be something to it. But I certainly hope your dismissiveness turns out to be correct - given the dangerousness and risk of the situation.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. I disagree with you about Asia TImes. Very anti-Israel and slanted "reporting."

I cobble things together from Al-Jazerra, Ha'Aretz, and a few other sources, but I really look for actual reporting, not speculating based on two words from some unknown general or other unnamed source. It isn't "dismissiveness" it is looking at what is actually being said by all sides. Unlike many, I don't see Israel as the "Great Satan" or 'the most evil place in the world.' I also recognize Israeli bluster, much like Iranian bluster. To me, the true wild card is Obama.

EDIT to add: Sorry, Douglas, I was in the middle of something else and when I re-read this post, it looked very snippy. I am just very frustrated by the saber-rattling and the "chicken little" syndrome. But, I really am interested, are there speculations about past years like the ones you have presented in this thread?

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. well frankly I do not consider Israel a great Satan either and I don't think that is the point of

view of Asia Times either. But many countries including Israel, The United States and Iran become captive to their own national mythology, to their military industrial complexes and their paranoia. I believe that the Obama Administration does not want war. But if Israel becomes convinced and frankly based both on legitimate concerns and national mythology that it is a matter of necessity to attack Iran - I suspect they will do it.

Iran is a fiercely nationalistic society that no doubt does desire to become a leading power in the Middle East. Even the liberal reformers in Iran are very nationalistic and supportive of their nuclear program. Iran is as captive to their own military industrial complex and to their own national mythology and their paranoia as the United States or Israel. I don't know whether Iran has a nuclear weapons program or not. I used to completely dismiss it. Now I am less certainly. Frankly there are many Arabs who view Iran as more dangerous and less predictable than Israel. But most would fear the consequences of a war greater than they fear a nuclear Iran.

I don't know if the prediction markets have ever reached this level. I found this one:



So, it does seem that the prediction markets are rating it significantly higher than previously. Although I'm not certain about that.

On a purely anecdotal note - I remember when things were really heating up and I was at that time living in the region - few people I talked to really believed it was going to happen. Now that has changed and many people do now seem to believe that it is between possible to probable.

[rudycantfail]

7. "It could have been my uncle"