Comments on: Rubin and Chalabi, and Gerecht

By: scott

scott — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:43:39 +0000

all the benefits Gerect seeks from democracy are ironically, in no way popularly supported. Democracy has come to mean not consent of the governed but Western allied dictators.

No democratic Arab would support Israel, the US agenda. The Arabs democratic wishes give Israel nothing but scorn and speaking loudly and forcefully against American adventurism in the region.

Remember all the denunciations of the Turks when they refused to allow US access into Iraq though their territory. This was what the Turkish people wanted, yet it only brought scorn Stateside.

We are so through and beyond the looking glass. We’ve entered Orwellian times and only doom can await us. Never has this country been so looped out on it’s own reality defying myths. With broken metrics, barometers and compasses what hope is there than the US will chart a clear course. Only utter destruction and bankruptcy will discredit the deciders who chart our national course.

I don’t care if you’re democrat or republican, neither party stands for a single principle. The juvenile machinations of Congress have become infantile. Considering it’s old people who vote, there’s little chance of any reform. Where’s the thrust to cut defense (sic) spending, entitlements, and to raise taxes? Taxes need to increased dramatically (over 50% as they were from Ike to Reagan) on those who earn $2million and up annually to eliminate this pay scale. (after all this really only applies to one group of people, corporate managers and politicos who are the only ones in the economy who’s pay is set by their buddies rather than a boss)

But again, everyone on TV fits in this tax bracket, no wonder they won’t discuss this. But low income taxes mean big incomes for those who get to pay themselves. High taxes mean investment, hiring and raises for lower level workers–after all there’s no motivation for those fat cats to work so hard for such a pittance. Further, to avoid taxes corporations will increase expenditures, like capital investment, R&D, and hiring. All these things have been on the wane, as taxes cuts have spiked upper incomes (for those who pay themselves with other people’s money) and financialization. Financialization has turned a manufacturing economy to an economy of froth.

By: stevieb

stevieb — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:43:38 +0000

We’d all like to see democracy in Iran. But I’d rather those progressives who’d like to see that would just shut up about it, really. Iranians can figure it out on their own – they’re a pretty proud and intelligent people(imo). Any Western organizations involved in Iranian ‘democracy’ has a completely different agenda to the one you dream about. I don’t condone many of the regime’s harsher tactics against it’s own people, but there are more important issues, unfortunately, that require progressive focus. And that’s preventing elements within our own Western democracies from forcing through legislation that pushes(illegally, actually) the U.S(and or Israel) towards war with Iran – in the name of ‘deomcracy’.

By: Carroll

Carroll — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:25:44 +0000

For regime changers.

Before you jump on that bandwagon see the poll done in Iran by the World Opinon Poll of the Univ of Maryland..they are btw one of few polling orgs that can be trusted.

By: Jon Harrison

Jon Harrison — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:27:55 +0000

We’d all love to see a democratic Iran, Jim. But don’t hold your breath on that, please. And in the meantime our Iran policy is causing priceless advantages to slip through our hands. Furthermore, we may be stumbling toward war eventually. Certainly an Israeli attack seems all but inevitable at some point (though perhaps farther down the road than one thought before the recent revelations of difficulties in the Iranian enrichment program).

Would a democratic Iran give up nukes? Personally, I doubt it. In any case, I’d like to see what basis there is for that particular argument, beyond the hopes of people like Gerecht.