Things That Go Bump in My Night

[CrisisPapers]

| Bernard Weiner |

In the hour of the wolf, I am visited by a number of nightmarish political scenarios. No doubt, dear reader, you have your own scary visitations. Here are just ten of mine:

1. MOVING CLOSER TO IRAN WAR

That some major false-flag terrorist attack, perhaps arranged by our own black-op agencies, will be unloosed in a major American city -- maybe a dirty nuke, or some virulent toxin, or a bomb -- and the planted "evidence" will seem to lead back to Iran. CheneyBush, perhaps in coordination with Israel, will finally get their wished-for aerial assault on that country.

This could happen either very shortly or sometime before the November election. The buildup of U.S. forces in the region has proceeded apace in the past few months; the military preparations are much the same as just prior to Bush's "shock&awe" attack on Iraq five years ago. And the Saudis seem to be preparing for http://www.chris-floyd.com/content/view/1463/135">possible nuclear fallout from a U.S. attack on Iran's reactors. Not a good sign.

The result of a U.S. attack on Iran would be a spiraling rise in violence in the Greater Middle East, more hatred of America around the world, the dollar heading into the toilet, various holders of billions of U.S. notes calling them in, a possible economic embargo on essential resources coming to the U.S., the economy in ruins, the U.S. a pariah in international affairs.

2. ABOVE & BEYOND THE LAW

There won't be an inauguration of a new president because Bush, following some major incident (perhaps the false-flag operation noted above or something similar), will declare martial law and rule by decree. Which, not incidentally, is pretty close to what he's doing right now with his signing statements and executive orders and his refusal to obey decisions of the courts and legal subpoenas requiring testimony and documents from Congress.

Under the cockamamie "unitary executive" theory, and hiding behind his supposed wartime powers that assert that Bush can do anything he wishes as long as he says it's done as "commander-in-chief" during "wartime," Bush has effectively put himself above and beyond the law. The only hope for saving what remains of our democratic institutions lies in impeachment, a rebellion in Congress and among the populace, a united Supreme Court ruling against him, or a refusal by the military to fire on protesting civilians. Probably all of these at the same time will be required.

If none of these stop-gaps work, it's the FEMA camps for all manner of protesters and resisters.

3. A THIRD TERM FOR BUSH

That Hillary Clinton's destructive campaign (praising McCain as fit to be "commander-in-chief" and constantly demeaning Obama as unfit to rule) will effectively result in Bush being elected to a third term. That is, John McCain would win.

McCain would be aided in this by Ralph Nader, who once again would be financially supported by the Republicans, as happened in 2000 and 2004.

4. PILFERING AT THE POLLS

That the November 2008 election, assuming we actually have one, will be stolen yet again by the GOP in enough key states to guarantee a Republican presidential victory through a combination of manipulated vote totals by the private, GOP-leading companies that tabulate the ballots, and by the host of dirty tricks that by now the Rove-ian GOP forces have down to a T, such as:

Culling the voting rolls of hundreds of thousands of likely Democratic voters in minority precincts; robo-calling registered Dem voters again and again and again, supposedly by Dem candidates, to irritate those called into not voting for that candidate; telling minority voters that if they have any unpaid traffic tickets, they are liable for arrest at their voting precinct; distributing leaflets in minority communities that voting this year will be on a Wednesday; etc. etc. (All of these, and more, were vote-suppression techniques utilized by the GOP in 2004 and 2006.)

5. DELUSIONAL THINKING IN IRAQ

That the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be unable to stop CheneyBush from escalating the Iraq fighting yet again, getting the U.S. even more deeply enmeshed in that country's civil war, and making it even more difficult for a new administration to extricate America from that immoral, multi-trillion-dollar sinkhole.

Bush remains lodged somewhere in cloud-cuckoo land, bragging about how the current explosion of violence throughout Iraq is a sign of the "success" of his policies. The only reasons the violence slowed a bit post-"surge" was that Muqtada al-Sadr told his militia forces to stand down and the U.S. paid off Sunni insurgents not to attack U.S. forces but to go after the foreign militants (called "Al Qaida in Iraq"). Now that the battles are being resumed, the violence spikes will continue to rise.

CheneyBush, desperate for something that looks positive in Iraq, leaned on Maliki to launch the major offensive against the al-Sadr militias -- but clearly that was way premature, as the Maliki forces are not there yet, and may never be. (There have been significant defections to the militias by forces supposedly loyal to the central government.)

This is the same mistake made by the American forces moving into Iraq five years ago -- that it would all be over quickly -- and was in evidence in last week's government offensive against the Sadrists. We underestimated their capabilities, said an Iraqi government official. Sound familiar?

6. LOCATING THE BODIES FOR MORE WAR

That, given this recent turn of events, the effect of the Iraq government offensive is to put American and British forces in the middle between warring Shi'ite factions: Maliki and his supporters taking on the powerful forces controlled by al-Sadr. I don't think the American public, or the Pentagon chiefs, will support having U.S. troops in such an untenable position for any length of time.

The U.S. and Maliki thought the central government would wipe out the Sadrists quickly. That did not happen. Sadr, after his forces humiliated Maliki by stalemating him on the ground, has offered to rein in his troops once again, but the militant mullah has made his point: He can bring rack and ruin to the Iraq central government whenever he wants, and there's not much they can do about it.

And Sadr may want to do so before the American election in November, which is precisely what the CheneyBush Administration fears as another large Sadrists attack will demonstrate the total ineffectiveness of U.S. policy in Iraq.

Already, Bush has said there will be no draw-down of U.S. forces this Spring, and eventually there may have to be Administration calls for yet another "surge" force dispatched to Iraq, just to "temporarily stabilize" the situation. Can you spell (and smell) V-I-E-T-N-A-M and Q-U-A-G-M-I-R-E?

And from where would the military, already stretched dangerously thin in the Greater Middle East and around the globe, put their hands on 30,000 more bodies? The Reserves and National Guard and in-country troops about to be "stop-lossed" yet again are close to the point of rebellion. As much as CheneyBush do not wish to go there (because of the likelihood of a mammoth opposition to the war in the middle class), there's the feel of a draft in the air, doncha think?

7. NOBODY DID ANYTHING WRONG

That Bush will issue blanket presidential pardons to Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales, John Ashcroft, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleezza Rice, David Addington, and Himself for all crimes that they "may have committed" during their tenure in the Administration.

Once again, nobody in the higher echelons is ever accountable in the CheneyBush court. It was the dog that ate all the homework.

8. A DEPLETED WORLD LARDER

That the trend of various countries in the world running short of essential commodities will result in even more horrendous resource-wars between and inside nations over potable and irrigation water, oil, wheat, rice, and so on. Starvation, dehydration, no rice to eat in Asia, no grains with which to make pasta and bread in Europe, etc. etc.

Another worldwide Great Depression.

9. DENIAL ON A GLOBAL SCALE

That even with the waters rising as a result of global warming, and the consequent faster melting of glaciers and ice shelves with the consequent disastrous effects on climate-change, the Republicans will continue to downplay what they see in front of their eyes. Given that state of denial means that the Republicans will wind up doing nothing and blaming Bill Clinton, abortion providers, and the "homosexual agenda." ("Let's see, today I'm going to get my hair done, get married to my partner, and then take my hair dryer and go melt some glaciers.")

10. CHENEY, THANK YOO

That Dick Cheney will be named chairman of John McCain's vice-presidential selection committee. And that John Yoo will be nominated by McCain for the next open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is where we've come to after seven years of the CheneyBush Administration: The scariest thing about most of these nightmare visions, is that, based on their previous record of outrageous and illegal governance, we've become conditioned to accepting that CheneyBush could very well make these scenarios come true.

All the more reason why we must redouble our oppositional energies: organize, organize, organize; resist, resist, resist.

-- BW

[Demeter]

1. Nobody Could Sleep With Those Thoughts On the Mind

Except Dick, who would classify them as soothing bedtime stories.

[stellanoir]

2. This is so-o-o depressing.

I generally enjoy your contributions.

Now that you've spewed your worst case scenarios, please consider visualizing some happier outcomes.

Thanks. That's perhaps how we will make it so.

Peace

[Bernard Weiner]

6. Bernard Weiner replies

As you imply, most of the 200+ articles I've written since 9/11 have been devoted to how we can fight the bastards and the joy and fun in so doing, especially when our hard-work activism pays off. But we progressives need occasionally to stare right into our nightmarish scenarios, and figure out a way to defang their energy and to keep them from turning into reality. Yes, these possible futures may be depressing, but depression and lethargy is what the bastards are counting on to keep their greedy, immoral, reckless juggernaut moving forward. You might want to take a look at "Depression -- And Its Activism Antidote -- Will Lead to Bush's Downfall" ( www.crisispapers.org/Editorials/depression.htm ).

[stellanoir]

7. Thanks for your response.

I've been appreciative of your intrepid contributions for years so it is an honor.

There is indeed a delicate balance between exploring one's worst case scenarios and empowering them for sure.

According to cosmology and psychology, anger and depression share the same root. One is expressive and the other is imploded.

I agree both ideally can be great motivators for redemptive action and that the apathy and lethargy of far too many is all too pervasive.

I've often thought that those in the RW are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome wherein they are lulled into a false sense of security by their abusers.

Still though things can appear quite grim, I'm still hopeful that the truth will come out in the end and that we approach the same ends that has befallen every Imperial power throughout recorded history. That would be to fall by lack of virtue of our own hubris.

I also feel that super powers might just be no longer appropriate for this still new millennium.

It has been said that the only way to unseat an unruly tyrant is through satire. Yet who knows?

As evidenced by these threads, my approach is quite quirky and unconventional.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3569357

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2589421

WARNING: there is a sloppy Einstein misquotation on this one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=214x158385

Thanks again for responding.

best

[InfiniteNether]

9. I don't understand you, Mr. Weiner.

I visit your website frequently. You and Mr. Partridge have previously pointed out BushCo's depravity and criminality in ways that I hadn't even thought of. Yet you both flat out refuse to consider that these very same people might have had something to do with 9/11. These people don't wait for things to happen. They MAKE things happen.

[Hissyspit]

12. And, of course, many nightmare scenarios have already come to pass.

[Tim Hollis]

11. Pollyanna

Infinite Nether:
When you wish
Upon a Star...
Stay positive, you simp.

[Hissyspit]

13. See post #12

[tavalon]

3. I think the most likely is the false flag "attack"

My thoughts center around which poor city will get it this time.

[mlevans]

4. re: his refusal to obey decisions of the courts and legal subpoenas

Is there no mechanism in place other than impeachment to deal with this? The thing that keeps troubling me is that no one has arrested him. Surely such a thing should be possible. Maybe there's just no precedent.

[Senator]

8. No, there is only impeachment

And in your question we see the essence of our problem. (Note: It's not my intent to single you out personally. Your simple question belies an attitude that is nearly universal -- and tragically so among our so-called "leaders.")

We currently have an entire politcal/euphemedia class content to put their more immediate, personal/party interests ahead of the nation and imagine that there is "somebody else" who should actually be doing something. They pass non-binding resolutions, sue the White House, and pretend we do not live under monarchical, unitary rule-by-signing-statement. And all the while claim their rationalizing for inaction is some kind of wise political strategery.

It is not. It is simply dereliction of duty -- the same thing that allowed the unlawful Florida electors to be counted to confirm that an appointed ruler would supplant an elected leader as chief magistrate for our once-great nation. Chances of them waking from their damaging stupor is low, but still well worth trying to force.

On a more practical though even-less-likely note -- and in direct answer to your question -- as we have not as a nation fulfilled our treaty obligations by acting to stop the ongoing torture and punish those responsible, they are all in fact subject to abduction and arrest anywhere in the world, by anyone who would make the case against them at The Hague. The same is true for those who, even now, stand by in dereliction and watch.

Impeachment really is our ONLY moral, patriotic option.

--

[caseycoon]

5. The worst thing is

that any or all of these things are possible.
We live in a frightening time thanks to the currant administration.

[Richard D]

10. Damn

We have the same nightmares.
I hope that's all they are.