Rapture-Ready? Almost...

Afghanistan, check. Iraq, check. Iran:

Iran rejects EU call to abandon uranium project Ian Traynor - Monday September 13, 2004 - The Guardian Iran yesterday flatly rejected demands to abandon its uranium enrichment programme, as a leading hawk in the Bush administration warned that America would act to prevent Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons. The escalation came as France, Germany and Britain joined forces with Washington for the first time to demand a halt to Iran's fuel enrichment work, signalling possible sanctions unless the Islamic republic pledges to abandon the activity by November. On the eve of an important board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, starting in Vienna today, Britain, France, and Germany have drafted a board resolution on Iran demanding concrete action and answers by November. The draft resolution also asks the IAEA to deliver a final verdict on Iran's nuclear programme. The draft threatens "probable further steps", which means referring the country to the UN security council for reprimand and penalties if Tehran fails to persuade the IAEA that it is not working on a covert nuclear weapons programme. Iran responded by rejecting the key demand contained in the European draft - that its ambitious uranium enrichment programme be ditched. The Washington hawk dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue, meanwhile, said the US would act, if need be, to stop Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons. John Bolton, the Republican "neo-con" who is in charge of nuclear counter-proliferation at the US state department, told journalists in Jerusalem: "We are determined that they [Iran] are not going to achieve a nuclear weapons capability". Last Friday in Geneva, Mr Bolton helped to draft the EU troika's resolution, which sees a narrowing of transatlantic differences over how to deal with Iran...

Sound familiar? Mark my words, this is the start of another gear-up by Bush for invasion. The Neocons will stop at nothing in their attempts to further destabilize the Middle East in order to fulfill the prophesies of the Rapture. If you still have not figured out that the primary (or rather, only) driving force behind the Neocons and the religious ultra-right agenda is personal salvation at any cost, then you are truly not in touch with reality. Corporate America is tagging along only for the financial ride. We all have known for decades now that the Iran-Saudi Arabia-Israel region is the focal point of destabilization in the world. Hell, we learned that in high school.

The Neocons purposely bungled Iraq in order to start the process. Actually, I would say it started in Afghanistan, where the U.S. forces had Osama & Co. cornered and then "mysteriously" let them get away, fueling a rapid rise in their power and influence. Since then Bush has done everything he can to appear concerned about our heroin source's situation, while simultaneously diverting to Iraq the products necessary to finish off Osama's organization. How clever. Elections in Afghanistan? How stupid are we Americans, believing our current White House squatters when they tell us that democracy will take hold in such a religiously extremist nation, when we can't even hold fair elections here, after nearly 230 years of practice?

Bush purposely invaded and occupied Iraq with no (serious) post-combat plan in order to not only destabilize that nation but encourage terrorist-inspired unrest to bleed into Saudi Arabia and Iran. Before 3/20/03 Iran was steadily on course to a stable and increasingly progressive society. Following the Iraq invasion Iran has been slipping back into the control of the extremist and militant religious clerics, perfect fodder for Neocon "rage". Saudi Arabia? About two steps away from civil war.

The Neocons need the political and financial support of coprporate America in order to fulfill their agenda. As long as the White House continues to give tax breaks to the wealthy, relaxes environmental regulations on big business and stomps on American workers (increased tax burden, decreased real wages, regressive health care, deteriorating education), they will receive all the reciprocal support they could possibly need.

Global warming? Who gives a damn! We'll all be in heaven (fundagelicals) or hell (the rest of us) before it really matters. The rapture is scheduled to start in roughly 6-8 years. Bush's timeline is perfect so far. We've got one crazy, alcoholic, completely-out-of-touch-with-reality religious fanatic with more power over our destiny than any other individual at any time in our planet's history.

So I say keep one if not both eyes on Iran over the next several months and see how the current Neocon demand for cessation of Iran's nuclear weapons programs evolves into a military intervention almost guaranteed to bring an end to the current world order. And go ahead and take that once-in-a-lifetime vacation of which you've been dreaming for years. It's probably your last chance.

ddjangoWIrE has a poll (right sidebar) about the chances of an invasion of Iran. Check it out.