From Charles Manson to the Israeli Attack on Iran

Imagine if the public learned that Charles Manson had warned Sharon Tate to evacuate her Southern California mansion before his "family" attacked the people in it.

People would be repulsed, I suspect. What b.s, they might insist.

Well, to me, this scenario lines up with headlines I've read recently. They indicate that Israel and the U.S. have warned Tehran residents to evacuate the capital city of Iran.

Now, I get it. We're talking about international power politics here, not the ravings of a madman. And it's clear that the U.S. and Israel possess the money, and military and intelligence might to do what they want.

Might makes right, right?

But not for this secular Jew, who continues to find ways to wonder what the Jewish state thinks it is doing.

Yes, Iran makes trouble around the world. Of course, leaders in both nations express concerns that Iran is close to getting powerful weapons of mass destruction.

However, truth may be more complex than what leaders beating the war drums want us to believe. For example, a former Democrat turned Fox News mouthpiece turned Trump Administration director of national intelligence claimed in Congressional testimony that Iran wasn't building a nuclear arsenal.

Say what you will about Tulsi Gabbard, the Trump intelligence chief, she seems to be an equal opportunity offender who has pissed off her former Democratic brethren and now caused Trump to "blow off" what she said, according to press accounts.

With the ever unpredictable Gabbard as context, it's fair to ask what the real motives are for the Iranian attack. Regime change? What?

And all of this leads me back to Charles Manson and Sharon Tate.

What good are your evacuation warnings, Tehran residents might ask, since you attacked us and continue to blow us up?

If Israel and the U.S. weren't the actors on the world stage, more Americans might find it easier to decry the brutality and cruelty of what we're witnessing.