It's starting...

**Chingwa** · January 12th, 2007, 11:02 PM

The next war with Iran that is...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/wo...rtner=homepage

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6246665.stm

http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/zone0...ic.php?t=66155

All news from today. Time to start calling your congressman and doing the things you didn't do when they started the last war.

**2b BOY** · January 12th, 2007, 11:13 PM

God damnit if there's a draft I'm fucking dodging.

**invinciblewombat** · January 12th, 2007, 11:17 PM

dammit, it was only a matter of time, but still, dammit dammit dammit.

**Jason Rainville** · January 12th, 2007, 11:36 PM

Whoa, this was a close one:

"That opening came when border tensions with Hamas in Gaza and with Hezbollah in Lebanon led to the capture of three Israeli soldiers and a rapid Israeli escalation of the conflict into an air-and-ground campaign against Lebanon.

Bush and his neoconservative advisers saw the Israeli-Lebanese conflict as an opening to expand the fighting into Syria and achieve the long-sought “regime change” in Damascus, Israeli sources said."

**s.ketch** · January 13th, 2007, 12:23 AM

**Blue** · January 13th, 2007, 12:31 AM

So how is the weather in canada anyhow?

**Jason Rainville** · January 13th, 2007, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by Blue

So how is the weather in canada anyhow?

It's actually a little warm for my taste. -10 is hardly january weather.

EDIT: hey, nice post count I got... reverse countdown for when the missles lift off

**charger** · January 13th, 2007, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by Blue

So how is the weather in canada anyhow?

thats not where you need to go they will send you back

**Tully** · January 13th, 2007, 12:51 AM

Ahh, cmon. Gotta come to calgary! We were a paltry -27 yesterday. Canadians LOVE talking about the weather.

On topic, WTF is Bush thinking? I'm skeptical that this is gonna go as far as the business with Iraq has honestly, if only because Bush is running on fumes as far as public support is concerned. With the dems running congress, the army used up and less than two years left in office, I can't fathom he'd be able to get much going at this point. I just hope I'm not being overly optimistic.

**ColdKodiak** · January 13th, 2007, 12:52 AM

people have been saying this since the U.S. went to Iraq.

It's not impossible, but unlikely active engagement between Iran the U.S. will come to fruitition any time soon.

This just seems to be the usual brinksmanship game on going.

but this seems like good reading for people who agree with the author
http://www.slate.com/id/2157489/fr/flyout

**dfacto** · January 13th, 2007, 01:26 AM

Not going to happen if you ask me. We (the American men and women of serving age) aren't going to let a draft be instated. Self-entitled, outspoken, hard-wired to our technology and routines, sick of Iraq, etc etc. A draft would crash and burn, and without that there is no way that a war with Iran would be anything other than missile strikes and limited ground action.

And I hope I'm right on this one too, cause otherwise I fear there is going to be a fuckton of political (and maybe even literal) fallout.

**dkounios** · January 13th, 2007, 01:50 AM

Originally Posted by Blue

So how is the weather in canada anyhow?

we were at a woppin -49 with the windchill yesterday.
yay frozen tundra!

**Denart** · January 13th, 2007, 03:04 AM

Don't worry!

(from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16603072/ )

Defense Secretary Robert Gates:

“We believe that we can interrupt these networks that are providing support through actions inside the territory of Iraq, that there is no need to attack targets in Iran itself,”

On Friday, White House spokesman Tony Snow called the suggestion that war plans were under way an “urban legend.”

heh...

**FlipMcgee** · January 13th, 2007, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Blue

So how is the weather in canada anyhow?

-35 degrees Celsius = -31 degrees Fahrenheit

thats not where you need to go they will send you back

heh heh heh.....As long as you don't wave your yankee flag whenever an american hockey team comes to town...you'll do just fine.

**2b BOY** · January 13th, 2007, 12:19 PM

jebus christ and I've lived in florida my whole life and only experienced snow in New York when i was 10. I guess if i get to Canada I'm in for a surprise. I'm sick of palm trees and seeing spring break party people anyway. Clogging the roads, with their straightened hair, and massive orgies o.0, and and their MTV.... Their drunk driving, and living off their parents money for partying instead of college. Floridas annoying.

**Stark** · January 13th, 2007, 12:23 PM

Oh well...I have a friend in Sweden and NZ that I can go relax with when this thing comes to a head. :p

**2b BOY** · January 13th, 2007, 12:25 PM

Hmm New Zealand sounds nice. Will i be able to meet frodo and aragorn?

i wonder if I can get the hobbits to call me Mr.Popadopalis.

**Deverion** · January 13th, 2007, 12:42 PM

Do any of you guys know if it's difficult to get Canadian citizenship? If a possibility of me getting a good job in Canada ever pops up, I would seriously consider taking it.

I've heard thing's like "It's easier to get in if you are already set up with a job there". Then again, I've heard a different story from other people who moved there.

**Chingwa** · January 17th, 2007, 11:10 PM

Bump!

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_5615540.htm

This issue ain't goin away... in fact it's getting worse. I suppose we could sit around and talk 'bout the weather... might as well, once this sucker goes nuclear our weather will be really screwed up.

**Chingwa** · January 17th, 2007, 11:15 PM

And another....

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...articleId=4483

Scary stuff.

**Justin.** · January 17th, 2007, 11:16 PM

I am Florida currently too... 80 Farenheit...

I wish it would get down to like 40 or 30, even in Florida, 80 is REALLY HOT for January. I hate it!!! Ugh. Can't wait to get out of this God Forsaken state!

**Tully** · January 18th, 2007, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by Deverion

Do any of you guys know if it's difficult to get Canadian citizenship? If a possibility of me getting a good job in Canada ever pops up, I would seriously consider taking it.

I've heard thing's like "It's easier to get in if you are already set up with a job there". Then again, I've heard a different story from other people who moved there.

Uh, yeah.. it's easier to get Canadian citizenship than it is to get American citizenship (if only because the US is uber strict when letting *anybody* in legally). You'd have to live here legally for a minimum of 5 years. You get to live here legally by qualifying under the skilled professionals immigration programs, which tends to require you having a degree and speaking french. Either that or you get a job here and your company applies for a work permit. Or if you have canadian relatives who could potentially sponsor you.

Generally, you get temporary residency first, then permanent residency, then citizenship. Unfortunately immigration ain't that easy, but if you have a job, it's usually not too hard.

I have a number of friends who actually had good job offers in the US and they were shot down. Lucky for me my dad's a dual citizen and I could get a green card if I had a job

**CaptainInsano** · January 19th, 2007, 06:28 AM

nah, the US won't go to war with Iran.

Iran has a showdy hand in the affairs in Iraq and the insurgency and is a power broker for any hopes of long-term Mid East peace. They've got their mits in with Hezbollah over in Lebanon and are in cahoots with Syria. Messing with Iran will create a myriad of troubles that isn't worth the effort. Violence in Iraq will escalate and destablize the already unstable situation there. They could pass WMD over to Hezbollah to use against Israeli civilians.

Iran is also semi-free, and the citizentry wouldn't view Americans as a "liberator." They'll fight back. It will cause Iran to become united in it's anti-America hatred... just when things are looking like Iran will crumble from within under the weight of it's own dictatorship. And in a time of urban warfare, getting into a fight in Tehran, which is nearly the size of New York City, just isn't feasible. Airstrikes are pointless, as the Iranians develop a lot of their nuclear technology under the cities and suburban communities. To take out underground nuclear facilities would require the bombing of a lot of civilizans the whole world would condemn. It would even cause them to *speed* up their nuclear ambitions to gain a trump card, which in turn will cause Sunni nations such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt to also develop WMD in face of the growing power of the Shia country.

In addition to having some 150,000 troops tied down in Iraq that's costing a 500 million dollars a day to keep up, and the international communities growing apathy and war weary Americans, the US can't afford to wage another war, both financially, diplomatically, and psychologically. There's just no way war can be an option no matter how far things escalate. It's just not in the interests of America *or* Iran.

**Carnifex** · January 19th, 2007, 07:08 AM

but it might well be in the interests of george bush and his coworkers if they find some bullshit reason.
i do hope you're right though.

**jmascho** · January 19th, 2007, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by CaptainInsano

It's just not in the interests of America *or* Iran.

Exactly. What benefit does Iran gain by threatening with a nuclear arsenal? Wouldn't the international community pretty much take them off of the map if this did ramp up into a nuclear conflict?

Bush doesn't have a nation in fear of terrorists or the middle east this round either, just a healthy fear of him. I don't think preemptive is even in our dictionary right now. You can't sell us this war.

**Cthogua** · January 19th, 2007, 04:26 PM

Well as Bush has made evident with this recent troop "surge." He doesn't need approval really. He needs the general approval of Congress in order to get funding, however anyone against funding will be branded a traitor, and not supporting the troops. If congress tried to block the additional funding required for the troop surge, and began scaling back funding for the war in Iraq you can bet your ass the next time elections come around all you're going to hear is "Senator X doesn't support our troops overseas, He pushed for much needed funding to be reduced and cost the lives of American soldiers as well as weaking our position in the war against global terrorism" All those people that went out and voted for GW the last two times, but have lost faith in the mission as of late, will come swinging right back around. Then suddenly we're right back where we started with a republican congress, and some other disciple of the PNAC in the presidents seat. Also, if another significant terrorist attack does happen inside the US between now and elections, you can almost guarantee 1.)return to conservative republican controlled congress + presidency 2.)more war.

Also, war is big business, you think all those institutions that made (and continue to make) billions off of the Iraq War are simply going to just sit back and rest on their profits? Thats not the spirit of capitalism at all. Also, there are very real reasons for the way the world is today, and to think the forces that orchestrated things then are any less powerful today is just foolish..everyone should go check out the documentary "Why We Fight" its a serious eye opener.

Here's a clip from it on YouTube (bless you youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv_QAootU08

**Gnosis** · January 20th, 2007, 09:12 AM

Interesting post, Cthogua. I think you're right.
The Bush administration is indeed in the hands of the weapons- and oil industries.
I'll check out that documentary.