Thoughts of the day

1. Here's a thought. What's Iran's major export? Oil, of course. And with most of Iran's economy tied down by cronyism, bureaucracy, and state control, the only way to quickly boost national income is with higher oil prices. So here we have Ahmadinejad, who was elected because he promised to improve the economy. And what's the first thing he does? He starts blustering about wiping Israel off the map, joining the nuclear club, etc. And what happens to the oil price every time Ahamadinejad opens his mouth? It soars. That means Ahmadinejad's bluster = money in the pockets of Iranians. Now he's saying that the oil price is below its "real value" (whatever that means). Predictably, oil prices have soared again.

Could all of Ahmadinejad's blustering BS be a form of fundraising? And wouldn't such a strategy carry more than a few risks (sanctions, US attack)?

Unfortunately, if this is true, Ahmadinejad might be significantly overstating his country's nuclear capabilities. Looks like the US has taken the bait. The eternally pro-war Weekly Standard has apparently bought its own tired recycled arguments for preventive war against Iran, and has actually begun discussing what to do with Iran after we conquer it. Remember, this magazine, called the "neocon Bible," is thought to be the most influential opinion journal in the Bush White House.

Shudder...


2. In other news, we have a remarkably reasonable and clear-headed analysis of the Indian nuclear deal, from the Washington Post's Jim Hoagland. After weighing the pros and cons, he asserts that:

[F]laws in the nuclear draft agreement are heavily outweighed by the advantages it brings in cutting global pollution, easing pressure on oil markets and bringing a substantial part of India's nuclear program under international supervision.

Right on, Hoagland. And he didn't even mention the administration's main reason for the deal, which is to cement India-US friendship. Or that such an alliance would make a US attack on Iran less likely (India strongly opposes any attack). We need all the allies we can get right now. A billion people in our corner is nothing to scoff at.


3. Tony Snow, a Fox News analyst, may become Bush's new press secretary. Snow worked in the Bush 41 adminsitration, as it happens; looks like the Republican "revolving door" system now includes Fox. This just confirms my belief that Fox News is the most dangerous and negative force in American politics today. It's a propaganda network, supported by the Republican party and certain political lobby groups (defense, tobacco). Its "anchors" are freewheeling opinion commentators who parrot Republican talking points and gush sympathy for extremists like Tom DeLay.

Fox is not an independent media service, it's an arm of the Republican political machine, and it has to go down if people are to get a clear-headed objective understanding of what's going on in this country. Therefore, I have decided to link to News Hounds, an excellent website devoted entirely to zealously exposing and debunking Fox bias and distortion. I especially recommend the "Outrageous [Fox] Quote of the Week" segment.

Down with Fox, down with the Weekly Standard, and down with Ahmadinejad. But up with the US-India alliance! Man, I love making proclamations.