What's America's temperature for another war?

hexcrass

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...and to these panicy Petes, thanks for sweating me.


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I was looking at your page because I used to ride nothing but Supernaut skateboards. They were an awesome company.
 

Lagduf

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I talked to a dude at a gas station yesterday who said we should kill some Iranians to lower the gas prices. He said he got 7mpg in his truck.
 

bokmeow

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I talked to a dude at a gas station yesterday who said we should kill some Iranians to lower the gas prices. He said he got 7mpg in his truck.

This is gonna be a tl;dr for some people, but Juan Cole, a respected academic and commentator on the Middle East, has pointed out that sanctions towards Iran have driven up oil prices.

Next time, if you do see him again, direct him to Juan Cole's blog Informed Consent.

http://www.juancole.com/2012/03/oba...ans-that-iran-sanctions-drive-gas-prices.html

A rundown of the factors that determine gasoline prices at the pumps:

The price of gasoline depends on 1) petroleum supply, 2) refinery capacity (the ability of the world to turn raw crude into gasoline, kerosene, etc.), 3) global demand, and 4) investor confidence, which affects futures prices.

The Iran crisis is affecting demand for Iranian petroleum. Because of the boycott, Iran has been encouraged to produce less, so it is pumping about 300,000 barrels a day fewer now than it typically did last year on average. But over-all global demand is actually quite high, if not historically high, so the reduced demand for Iranian petroleum is artificial. In the context of high over-all demand, reduced Iranian supply contributes to high prices.
 

Rade K

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What sucks about the Iran situation is that it just feels inevitable and everyone's not telling the truth about the real reasons.
 

bokmeow

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What sucks about the Iran situation is that it just feels inevitable and everyone's not telling the truth about the real reasons.

Nah, people know, but they can only be as outspoken as the social circles they travel in. You can be tar'd and feather'd if [you think] you're the lone dissenting voice in a sea of manufactured consent.

Media and politicians answer to similar pressures — who wants a headache when no one's got your back?
 
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Lagduf

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This is gonna be a tl;dr for some people, but Juan Cole, a respected academic and commentator on the Middle East, has pointed out that sanctions towards Iran have driven up oil prices.

Next time, if you do see him again, direct him to Juan Cole's blog Informed Consent.

http://www.juancole.com/2012/03/oba...ans-that-iran-sanctions-drive-gas-prices.html

A rundown of the factors that determine gasoline prices at the pumps:

I'm certain this old man doesn't have a computer or use the internet.
 

bokmeow

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Will Israel drag US into war? A Jerusalem Post columnist weighs in.

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=262855
Washington Watch: Setting back the war clock
By DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD
03/21/2012 22:15
One of the PM’s objectives is to help defeat the incumbent because Obama in a 2nd term might not be so easily bullied.

The question of whether US or Israeli forces will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities in this volatile election year became murkier in the wake of this month’s AIPAC policy conference and some serious saber rattling coming from the Washington Convention Center, as well as from Jerusalem.

Some factors on the international game board suggest the likelihood of a US attack has diminished, but political factors may be driving the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to ratchet up Israeli plans for possible military action.

In the US, a number of factors seem to point to a diminishing chance of American military action in the coming months.

• The tragic massacre of Afghan civilians by a lone American army sergeant has given new strength to growing bipartisan calls for an early exit of US forces from this nation’s longest war. A new Rasmussen poll shows 53 percent of Americans favor immediate withdrawal.

• Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan went on 60 Minutes to tell Americans that “an attack on Iran before you are exploring all other approaches” would be reckless and irresponsible.

• There is strong public and bipartisan opposition to American intervention in Syria despite calls by some prominent senators for the US to bomb government forces in order to protect those fighting to overthrow Bashar Assad, a reflection of growing war weariness here.

• The New York Times reported this week that the CIA and the Mossad agree with an American intelligence assessment that Iran suspended efforts to build a nuclear weapon in 2003 and that has not changed, although some weapons-related research has continued.

• British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government would back a US decision to attack Iran but “I don’t think as we stand today that military action by Israel would be justified.” “The window for solving this issue diplomatically is shrinking,” he said during a White House meeting.

• US President Barack Obama’s clear declaration that “I do not have a policy of containment” relieved Israel’s greatest fear and put Tehran on notice about American determination, in Obama’s words, “to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

• Israel’s own threats of attack have helped energize international support for crippling sanctions, most recently blocking Iranian access to SWIFT, the international financial messaging system. The obvious impact of these measures has bolstered calls to give the sanctions and other pressure time to work before deciding on the military option.

• Congressional offices reported they were impressed by the numbers and enthusiasm of AIPAC members lobbying them for tighter sanctions but privately complained that the lobby group was pushing too hard for another war when their were increasingly war weary constituents were calling for accelerating the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

• Rising gasoline prices and Republican efforts to blame them on President Obama and tensions with Iran could make another war even more unpopular. Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, blocking oil exports, spiking fuel prices and sparking another international recession.

• The more talk coming out of Israel about a possible of a unilateral preemptive strike, the more preemptive news stories we see about the economic, military and political fallout of such an action. One such story in the New York Times Tuesday that may have been leaked from the Pentagon reported a classified war game concluded an Israeli attack on Iran would spark a wider regional war, draw in the United States and leave hundreds of Americans dead.

While many indications point to a diminishing likelihood of a US attack, the signs are mixed in Israel.

Columnist Jeffrey Goldberg reports from Israel that conversations with senior officials there convinced him Netanyahu feels a preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities won’t be as risky as some of his own security advisors and the Americans believe.

He and Defense Minister Ehud Barak reportedly believe an attack won’t spark a major Israeli-Iranian war or any violence against US interests in the region because Tehran fears that would spark massive American retaliation. Netanyahu also is said to feel that an Israeli attack would not unite the country, as many warn, but instead spark an uprising that would bring down the Islamist regime. That leads Goldberg to believe the prime minister could decide to attack before the American elections.

Netanyahu reportedly feels he has Obama boxed in – that in the months before the November election, the president will have no choice but to back up an Israeli attack however ill advised or opposed because failure to do so would look like abandoning our close ally in its hour of need. To drive home that point, leading contenders for the Republican nomination gave saber rattling speeches to the AIPAC conference virtually accusing the president of letting down Israel by being afraid to confront Iran.

It’s no secret than one of Netanyahu’s objectives is to help defeat the incumbent because Obama in a second term might not be so easily bullied.
 
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bokmeow

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Army chief cancels IDF-wide Passover -- speculation swirls around war [with Iran].

Army chief cancels IDF-wide Passover vacation
For first time in many years, all IDF units to be on full alert during Passover holiday; army officials insist decision not related to any planned military operations

Yossi Yehoshua
Published: 03.28.12, 17:18 / Israel News

Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has ordered all IDF units to cancel their traditional Passover breaks so that they can operate in full capacity over the upcoming holdiay, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.

The implication of the decision is that for the first time in many years, all IDF units will maintain their regular operations and remain on full alert throughout the holiday.

As result of the unexpected decision, thousands of soldiers at various IDF headquarters and bases will have to report for duty as usual in order to allow their units to operate with no interruption.

IDF officials dismissed suggestions that the decision is related to operational circumstances or preparations for military maneuvers. The army said Chief of Staff Gantz made the call after asserting that he does not accept the notion of an army-wide Passover vacation.

However, IDF soldiers who received the news Tuesday could not be convinced that the timing of the decision was arbitrary.

Notably, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Tuesday said that after meeting Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak, he was more concerned about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran.

Over the years, an army-wide break during Passover became a tradition followed by all major military units, including the Air Force, Navy and intelligence corps. The IDF's headquarters in Tel Aviv is also traditionally deserted during the holiday.

But as noted, the longtime tradition will be broken this year, as soldiers will have to divide their vacation days among themselves in order to ensure that their units maintain their full capacity to operate if needed.
 
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Lagduf

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I just can't imagine any good coming from an Israeli strike against Iran.

It wont be like in the 80s when Israel flew some jets in to Iraq and blew up their nuclear facilities.
 
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