This is the new George W Bush. Trump is what Bush metamorphoses into when it emerges from its red cocoon. The crazier the US empire gets, the more insane its managers are becoming.
Younger generations often ask if this situation resembles the Iraq invasion. My response has been, “Kind of, but it’s far more foolish and chaotic.”
During the Iraq war, some reasonably intelligent people accepted the propaganda. Many anti-war activists believed Saddam might possess weapons of mass destruction but rejected the idea that warfare was the solution. There were genuinely interventionist voices who thought the conflict could benefit Iraq’s populace.
This current scenario is completely different. Only the most clueless imbeciles truly accept the claims underpinning the Trumpanyahu administration’s assault on Iran. Mostly, it’s dishonest actors cynically feigning belief in tales about nuclear arms, massacred protesters, and spreading freedom and democracy to Iranians—because they want Iran bombed.
This time, they don’t even bother to feign concern for American public opinion. Nor do they pretend to care about humanitarian issues or the futures of those being targeted. They repeatedly propagate blatant falsehoods that mainstream outlets promptly fact-check and debunk, all while killing people and boasting about it.
The Iraq invasion was an unforgivable, monstrously evil act, but looking back it’s possible to grasp how someone acting sincerely might have been swayed by post-9/11 frenzy and the unanimous pro-war media narrative. The argument was made that Saddam Hussein would be replaced by a government serving Iraqi interests, and the US coalition did remain to establish a new regime. Compared to today’s reality, that seems almost innocent.
What we see now is blatant brutality. The US and Israel are replicating the Libya strategy with Iran: destroying and decapitating a nation, then abandoning its people to confront chaos, lawlessness, and sectarian violence. Their goal is to plunge a 90 million-strong population into widespread conflict and possible collapse or fragmentation, then walk away indifferent to the devastation wrought globally.
They make no claims about replacing Iran’s government with a superior one or delivering freedom and democracy to an oppressed population. Their WMD and atrocity narratives are presented in a lethargic, insincere fashion, with no real concern if anyone believes them. Essentially, they are tearing down an ancient nation simply because they have the power, then defiantly challenging the world with “Yeah we’re thugs. What are you gonna do about it?”
This is the new George W Bush. Trump is what Bush metamorphoses into when it emerges from its red cocoon. The crazier the US empire gets, the more insane its managers are becoming.
Original article: caitlinjohnstone.com.au
About the Author
