America's Biggest Threat

The right wing conservatives have been trying to impress upon Americans that Obama presents a grave threat to America over the past two or three weeks.  Fortunately, most of their prognostications are ignored by most, however, they do strike a chord with the Christian Evangelicals in the country.

If the predictions are correct, Obama will be the next president of the United States.  This is an event that most of the world is looking forward to.  The world has had enough of the Bush Administration’s “cowboy diplomacy.”  It is also fearful of the potential “moose hunting diplomacy” that could occur under a McCain-Palin Administration.  Rightfully so, as McCain and Palin are in lockstep on some policies and theories despite their highly public disagreements on other policies.

No matter who wins the election, America faces one major threat -- a threat that America does not readily admit is a threat.  That threat is Israel. 

In America, Israel has many highly supportive and inflammatory friends on the far right. including the Evangelistic Christians.  These two segments of America have stood in the way of peace in the Middle East through their unfettered support of Israel in general, and the Israeli radicals who have been establishing illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.  No accurate records exist as to how much money, time, goods and services have been donated to the illegal settlers, but the estimates are in the millions of dollars since at least 1998.

Israel has now, finally, decided to cut off their funding to the illegal settlers calling them the equivalent of criminals, but stopping short of calling them “terrorists” which in reality they are.  Regardless of who gets elected today, their first step should be to ban all American contributions to these settlers, and classify those contributions as funding terrorist organizations.

Both candidates have vowed to support Israel no matter what.  While that commitment should extend to supporting the ban on financial assistance or funding to the illegal settlements, neither candidate would take that step.  Neither of them will take that step.  Going against the American Evangelical Christians and the far right, both of whom supports Israel unconditionally would be equivalent to political suicide.

Israel, like the American neo-cons and the more conservative Republicans do not want Obama or anyone sitting down with Iran and discussing anything.  Israel, it must be remembered, swore on a stack of Torahs that Iraq had WMD’s, which was intelligence that America relied on in part for its rationalization for misguidedly invading Iraq.  Israel now claims that Iran could be just a matter of months from developing a nuclear war head.

No one knows what Iran’s nuclear capabilities are.  Ahmadinejad of course does neither himself nor Iran any favors with his rhetoric about wiping Israel off the map.  How much of his rhetoric is bluster and retaliatory for the remarks made by Israel is unknown as well.  Two things are certain though:  Israel and the US neo-cons at the very least, take his comments seriously.

President Bush has been under pressure from the neo-cons and Israel to either allow Israel to make a preemptive strike against Iran, or for America to take that step.  There is little doubt that the repercussions of such an attack would be long lasting and devastating.  Given President Bush’s most recent statement that it is a “good thing that I’m in charge” in relation to the financial crisis, it is fair and reasonable to wonder what he may be thinking at this time.

Any attack on Iran by either Israel, America, or both countries acting in concert will be devastating to not only the Middle East, but also the world.  Ultimately, such an attack will involve all the major powers of the world.  America cannot afford that on any level.

In any event, Israel poses a severe threat to America concerning Iran.  Hopefully, Israel will step back and allow Obama to try a different form of diplomacy with Iran.  Of course, in doing so, Americans need to be restricted from contributing to illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.  Removing contentious elements in the region can help to defuse potential problems.

The Old Codger has left the room.