Well Sir, it's a year later and nothing much has changed. We elected a new Democratic controlled House and Senate, The Liberal Party has died, and we are still in Iraq with no end in sight. Now we are facing the prospect of another conflict, this time with Iran. That's what you wrote about in the Daily Kos. You may believe that you are reaching out to Liberal/Progressives, and there are many that do read Kos. My personal opinion of Kos is that is pretty much a Democratic mouthpiece wrapped in Progressive clothes, but that's my opinion. You wrote at length about Iran, and that's what I would like to address with you, after all, I feel as if I'm talking to an old friend.
You present a good argument on the military situation, as well as the political situation. I can see that you have thought about this and I believe we are on just about the same page here but with one exception. That exception being that I don't believe we have the legal or moral authority to tell Iran that they can or can not build a nuclear reactor in their own country. Sadly, that is the point that you miss altogether. You sound exactly as if you were writing on a site such as OpEdNews, until you start using words like "last resort" and "establishing a dialog before more people die". Sir, I don't believe anyone has to die in military operations against Iran.
Why do we have to assert our will on Iran? Did we make it the 51st State while I was busy doing something else? They are a sovereign, independent nation. We have absolutely no right to threaten them about something that isn't any of our business. When are we going to stop trying to police the planet? How much more money and how many more lives are going to be lost trying to assert our will over the world? If Iran developed a nuclear weapon they would be one state out of many that have already done so. If I were an Iranian citizen and I had a madman like George W. Bush threatening me, I would want to have nuclear weapons also. Even so, Iran is projected to run out of oil in the next 15-20 years. They have two refineries. They have to import gasoline because they cannot refine enough for domestic use. They want nuclear power. So do many nations.
I supported you when you ran in the primaries. I thought that a level headed General with liberal tendencies was just what this nation needed. I believe now that I might have been wrong. I believe Sir that deep inside, although you think more than most of our leaders, you are still of that mind set that we have to control all of the situations that might threaten us in the future. It can't be done. This preemptive thinking has gotten this nation where it is today. We are controlled and manipulated by corporations and special interest groups that fund campaigns such as yours and have more influence in what happens at the Federal level than any citizen. We should not be controlled and manipulated by other nations as well. This takes away time and energy that could be better spent working on the things that must be fixed and corrected in our own back yard. All the money we spend chasing "terrorists" could be better spent guarding our points of entry and educating our children and finding renewable sources of energy.
This is how I feel. While I don't speak for all Progressive people, many feel as I do. I don't want to live in a fascist "American Empire". I want a representative democracy back. I want to rid the government of this corporate and special interest money that funds political campaigns. If Iran ever has the temerity to attack us, there will not be an Iran. This is what we are capable of doing. You know it and I know it. They know it too. Instead of playing every would-be dictator's game, we should just stay away from that kind of behavior. Trying to fight nations on their terms is just about impossible. They will drain us dry just as the situation in The Middle East is now draining us dry.
This is my take of your diary entry in the Daily Kos. As long as you feel that Iran is a danger to the United States, I can't support you. I happen to believe that the rhetoric about Iran is just that...rhetoric. Our nation has already seen this movie and we didn't like it. I don't believe you will get a chance to show it to them again.
