A worrisome and serious question for DU'ers

[Parisle]

--- Certainly the alarms are sounding all over this board. Alarms over Bush's supposed looming intention of attacking Iran. Alarms about Bush's unitary executive usurpation of authority and suspension of Constitutional liberties,.. perhaps leading to martial law and detention of US citizens. And finally, dictatorship.

--- And each of these potentials has been substantiated with all manner of evidence and knowledgeable testimony. Expert predictions and projections have been numerous and terrifyingly persuasive. Hell,.. I believe 'em. I react. I'm politically active,.. I talk to my congressman,.. I write stuff here and there, including the Vermont Prior Dissent resolution. (The DU gave me a big yawn on that one) The lines are drawn, and I know which side I'm on. So why is there this persistent atmosphere of unreality about what is happening to our country? Is it just me?

--- Let's explore that question with a scenario, eh? Just speculative, Ok? Let's hypothosize that, in three or four weeks,.. all other political events, activities and trends having remained essentially static,... the Bush administration actually DOES attack Iran. It starts with Israeli planes bombing Iranian nuclear sites,.. the US military steps in to provide cover and back-up,.. and the shootin' match is on,... all in the space of... say, three hours. (For its own part, Iran manages to knock out a carrier group, and sends 225,000 troops flooding into Iraq.) Much of this could occur while America is asleep.

--- The predictable public and congressional outcry is met with a clampdown on the media, a call-up and "federalizing" of all National Guard units, a draconian curfew for all citizens, and the rounding up of a few political opponents,... all justified with choreographed BS about impending terrorist attacks. Got all that? And we're still only a few hours into it.

--- Now, the question I'm asking is not, "So,... holy crap,.. what do we do at this point?" No, instead I'm asking how many of us,.. even us vehement detractors of this administration,.. will at that point find ourselves saying, "Damn,... y'know I didn't think they would really do it?"