In light of the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, which says that we got it wrong about Iran’s nuclear weapons program, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman imagined an Iranian intelligence estimate about us that also had to backtrack. Here’s an excerpt:
“As you’ll recall, in the wake of 9/11, we were extremely concerned that the U.S. would develop a covert program to end its addiction to oil, which would be the greatest threat to Iranian national security. In fact, after Bush’s 2006 State of the Union, in which he decried America’s oil addiction, we had ‘high confidence’ that a comprehensive U.S. clean energy policy would emerge. We were wrong.
“Our fears that the U.S. was engaged in a covert ‘Manhattan Project’ to achieve energy independence have been ‘assuaged.’ America’s Manhattan Project turns out to be largely confined to the production of corn ethanol in Iowa, which, our analysts have confirmed from cell phone intercepts between lobbyists and congressmen, is nothing more than a multibillion-dollar payoff to big Iowa farmers and agro-businesses.â€
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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16 Comments
Don’t worry, Phillip.
The Iranians aren’t stupid enough to believe anything Bush tells the American public.
They aren’t CONservatives, after all . . .
“Iranian intelligence”What an oxymoron. Kind of like “government intelligence” during the Bush administration.
Which is more a threat to the U.S. people, Iranian intelligence or the U.S. intelligence? I guess it would depend on which one is facts based. And how that intelligence is to be used, facts are nothing more then talking points to be used to support a decision that has already been made.
I guess the first several posters didn’t understand irony when they saw it. The columnist was making that all up, using humor to make a point about our (lack of an) energy policy. It’s right on target, though. The right won’t let us increase mileage standards and impose fuel taxes, the left won’t let us develop oil deposits in Alaska or build nuclear plants. And everyone (with the notable exception of John McCain) panders to Iowa because they have the first caucuses of the primary season.
Thomas Friedman of the NYT always did write fairly good fiction even when trying to report the facts.
Great comedy; however it is just too far-fetched for anyone to believe that the Bushies would ever go against his masters in Big Oil.
“James” –
Chalk me up as one Liberal who’s pro-nuke… provided there’s a Manhattan Project-like effort to develop technologies to deal with nuclear waste better than “bury it in a hole.”
Chernobyl was the result of substandard and ill-imagined techology; the Soviet Union doing it on the cheap. Three Mile Island was a plumbing problem.
Seems to me, with all the energy inherent in nuclear waste, there is potential to recyle that stuff to keep it viable. So far, it’s just not economical, so power companies bury it in the ground where it’s nothing but a threat to groundwater, vulnerable to earthquakes, etc.
If Ronald Reagan had not quashed the alternative energy policies established during the Carter Admnisitration, we’d be well on our way toward solar, wind, and viable alternative energy.
Carter, you will remember, was turned out of office because gasoline had reached the outlandish price of 75.9 cents a gallon.
Thanks, Republic Party.
Good one Phillip.
When they really stop and think about it, how the mideast must laugh at us.
All our wealth and power and technology and we are slaves to them for some goo in the ground. We have progressed in almost every field and yet remain chained to technology that hasn’t changed a whole lot in 100 years.
Scan….review….nonsensical….ignore.
It’s sadly amusing that Iran had more faith in the competence of our Republican government than the people had. Bush declared America is addicted to oil but he’d veto the first energy bill that actually tries to do something about it (just like Tiahrt, but pointing out Bush’s lapdog is redundant)
Ethanol is one of the biggest hoaxes placed on the American public, right up there with WOMD.I have been told by a science teacher (sorry EDUCATOR)that there is more energy used to make ethanol then it will produce.Just to memtion a few equipment used to plant and harvest the corn plus transporting it to the elevator plus transporting it to the processing plant plus processing it into ethanol plus pumping water used in processing etc. etc.
Carter, you will remember, was turned out of office because gasoline had reached the outlandish price of 75.9 cents a gallon.
Thanks, Republic Party.
Posted by: MonkeyHawk | December 09, 2007 at 09:24
Monkey Carter was voted out of office because home mortages were in the double digits. Inflation was through the roof. He was really the worst prez ever and the last democrat prez I voted for.
Nancy Pelosi knew about “waterboarding” in 2002, and she supported the CIA:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/08/AR2007120801664.html?hpid=topnews
One very compelling reason NOT to bomb Iran:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071209122906.ydxg6hkk&show_article=1
We need to know how strong the protest movement really is.
Does the internal movement for change have any chance of success?
I am thinking that these freedom loving students will be crushed.
We will then be back to the question at hand: can we allow a mad man to have a nuke?
Everyone involved in the ethanol hoax should be arrested and brought up on criminal charges for fraud. Just like the policiticians that brought it to us.
The local media does not have the balls to put this scam on the front page and rail against it like they did for the casino.
Along with farm subsidies the ethanol should all be put out of our misery.
Why would a sane society burn their food stuffs…? All in order to generate a fuel with less heat value than you start with.
This is the epitome of a “gubment” program in its full on sham mode.
This should be like Medicare…the authorities should have the right to go back and force the recoup of the funds all farmers and ethanol promoters have garnered from this over the last 5 years in high grain prices and then fined for the increase in food prices around the world.
But doing the “perp” walk with a few industry hoaxers and farmers in leg chains would suffice to put the kabosh on this nastiness.
mrbillRight on!But you’l never see it as long as BIG business is running this country.