So, there's a little bit of an argument going on. I'm referring, of course, to the hubbub over the Daily Kos's new skin featuring an ad by Vote Vets- a household name in the houses of Kossacks. The ad argues that clean energy will protect American servicemen and women by claiming that Iranian oil money goes to insurgents. Some don't like it. PrimaryDoc absolutely blasts it, using an argument by professor Juan Cole that is three years old. As for Primarydoc's poll, which offers 2 choices, these are the results as of the time of this diary's posting;
Should Kos Delete This Fucking Skin?
yes, it's an ugly tramp stamp worthy of red state
89% 997 votes
yes, it's screwing up my browser, and i've got teh google Chrome
10% 117 votes
100% of Kossacks agree with Primarydoc ! Amazing.
I should mention that a lot changes over three years. We learn more about the once-present and we see things evolve.
But I digress.
Back to PrimaryDoc's diary and the Vote Vets ad. Does every dollar increase in the price of oil really give Iran that much money to use against us? I don't know about the specifics in terms of cash, and I certainly don't think they're using all of that money to harm Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan or Iranians in Iran, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are using at least some of that money for those purposes.
Look, it's obvious Iran is finding and using assets to protect their national security interests. We do the same thing. Just about everyone does. I don't think any cynical realist could really blame Iran for being interested in what happens both on their western and eastern border.
No one here, and no one smart, is arguing for war with Iran. Why? Because we don't have the fucking troops for starters. Seriously. Even if we wanted to, for some ungodly reason, we don't have the resources available and won't for some time. Have you ever looked at a fucking map? You think it's difficult securing Iraq and Afghanistan? Why not take a look at the size of Iran. It's not even a fucking possibility to go to war with them. And I'm not even getting into a Strait called Hormuz or any missiles/rockets that could be aimed at fixed bases full of American and allied soldiers across both Iran's western and eastern border.
But back to Professor Cole's 3 year old argument. He IS right, or WAS rather, that the primary reason for speculation regarding Iranian interference- the presence of EFP roadside bombs- does not necessarily mean they were made in Iran or by Iranian assets in Iraq. The recent appearance of these devices in Afghanistan- especially western Afghanistan- is ominous. Western Afghanistan was calm not so long ago and never really considered a major stronghold of the Taliban, and it just so happens to sit along the border with Iran. But again, it's probably correct to assume that the Taliban, like Sunni militants in Iraq, could have gotten these devices and training from other sources.
The thing with the activities is they are meant to be covert and are therefore difficult to prove or disprove with hard evidence.
But this is a reality-based community. To claim that Iran is definitely not trying to undermine the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan is to tell the whole community that you are willfully ignorant. I know, I know, it'd be crazy- Shi'ites helping Sunni extremists. Imagine if the U.S. were helping Sunni extremists such as, oh I don't know, Sunni extremists based in the impoverished Pakistani province of Balochistan- let's call them "Jundullah."
Primarydoc makes a lot of wild statements and claims;
The skin is warmongering and alarmist and utterly irresponsible.
There are better ways to encourage this community to get behind clean energy climate legislation; making false claims about Iran hurting American troops is counterproductive and destroys the credibility of the Vote Vets or Operation Free.
They are just that; wild claims, which is pretty hysterical considering the diary's intent to attack Vote Vets for their allegedly-wild claims. I would love to know how Primarydoc knows these things are facts.
I trust Vote Vets, and implying that they are warmongers is utterly uncalled for.