Posted: 3/14/07
It seems to me that there has been a significant increase in the propaganda coming from the government regarding Iran lately. It's no surprise, really, to those of us who have seen it coming. In an interview with Amy Goodman, host of popular radio show "Democracy Now!", four-star General Wesley Clark recalls a memo sent just a few weeks after 9/11 describing the Bush administration's plans for future wars with Iraq, Iran, and other countries. We've all seen their purposes for Iraq unraveled, to the dismay of thousands of dead people and their grieving families. With all of the pre-planning evident in the administration through memos such as that which Clark recalls, it should be no surprise that we're starting to see the same thing happening with Iran. It's almost like an instant replay of 2000 and 2003 - like we're reading the same news stories again, but with the "q" in Iraq eerily misspelled.The media outlets have started pumping out dramatic reports of nuclear weapons treaty violations, talk of economic sanctions, and threats by the United States and Israel of a "firm response" and a "tougher approach" should Iran not fully cooperate. In the news this week are stories of the United States, Israel and the European Union supporting and planning on discussing economic sanctions on Iran at the United Nations.
My question is: do they really expect us to fall for their little schemes again? Do they really think that after the debacle in Iraq, we're not going to be armed with counter-knowledge which stands in opposition, or shows a different perspective, to their propaganda? Are we, as free Americans, not going to fully investigate the situation through multiple independent news outlets prior to showing blind adoration to our leader's imperialistic policies? The full answers to these questions remain to be seen in the days leading up to a possible strike on Iran. I believe that knowledge will be one of the most important resistance tools to the forthcoming sanctions and war on Iran.
First, let's all try to understand exactly what all this sudden fuss over Iran is about. It's difficult to fully comprehend the situation, as there are multiple perspectives by many intelligent analysts. A basic analysis of the situation reveals that Iran is enriching uranium at levels appropriate for producing energy. This is legal, under the Nonproliferation Treaty, which Iran has signed (and interestingly, which Israel has not). The Nonproliferation Treaty guarantees a country the right to produce nuclear energy as long as they agree to be carefully dogged by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has fully complied with the peaceful enrichment for energy purposes, according to the IAEA, allowing their enrichment to be monitored, but our administration isn't happy. They're trying to convince us that Iran has a secret weapons program, a program so well-hidden that we're going to have to push sanctions and go to war to find it. Then, after they don't find one, I predict that they're going to tell everyone that we're in Iran to spread democracy--sound familiar?
It will also behoove us to consider the humanitarian side of sanctions or war with Iran. I advocate everyone to research the tragic humanitarian effects brought about by the past harsh sanctions on Iraq. Unfortunately, those hit hardest by sanctions are a country's poorest and most helpless citizens, including its children. Educational, medical and economic institutions slowly disintegrate and fall to the wayside.
I also would like to invite everyone to get to know the Iranian people. Although many Iranians oppose their government, they also oppose outside military intervention. One Iranian citizen says: "I am a critique of Iranian government, the way they treat human rights and freedom of speech and so many other things but at the same time, I am outraged by the way (the) U.S. is trying to collect means of putting pressure in Iran or attack Iranian people. . . . (the) U.S. is attacking the minds of (the) international community...bombing the logics...targeting sane thinking...yes you can bomb me but don't you dare imagine that I will be that stupid to make my dislike of Iranian government be the yes to militarism."
So I implore you: educate yourself! Arm yourself with the knowledge that you need to make an intelligent decision about whether or not we deserve to attack Iran. It is perhaps only the voice of an educated American majority that can stop our country's next huge mistake.
© Copyright 2007 UCD Advocate
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