If we turned on the news today and found out we were now bombing Iran

[Proud Liberal Dem]

How would you react, assuming that Iran has NOT done anything that could be LEGITIMATELY considered an "act of war" (i.e. Iran's military directly attacks our troops in Iraq or our aircraft carriers or launches a strike on Israel)?

How do you think the American public would react? Do you think that the general public would be supportive of this "war," too, shout down critics, fall in line behind "our President"?

How do you think Congress would react? Would they fall in line behind Bush (such as post-9/11) to support the bombing and whatever else he decides to do regarding Iran (or Iraq for that matter), vote new "emergency powers" for Bush?

What does everybody think, given that at least a bombing campaign on Iran seems likely (if not inevitable)? Would this be a repeat of Iraq (2003) or something else entirely?

[Jacobin]

1. The majority in congress know this is coming and they won't do

anything about it. Some will genuinely want to do something to cut off funding, but the majority will let it happen and stay on the fence to be able to whine about it when it turns into a giant clusterfuck.


Congresscritters: Useless pawns for the corpratacracy.

[itsmesgd]

2. I would go to the grocery store and stock up like a hurricane were heading for home

I would make a stop by the gun store for some ammo. I would then pack my truck and trailer and get ready to set out for the hills. I've been prepping for this coming war, so all I really need to do is pack the truck and bug out. I hope and pray that I'm just a paranoid nutjob.

[kineneb]

7. a second, to part of your plan

but we won't have to go anywhere, being already in "the hills". There are some advantages to living in a county with a population of 65,000 in 1329 sq. mi. Biggest place around has maybe 14,000 people. I can drive 5 miles and be in the middle of nowhere. Also, all roads in and out of area are only two lanes.

And people think all of California is urban... ha.

[itsmesgd]

10. I live at the end of the runway of largest Army Airfield in the southeast

If I dont get out quick, I'm not going to be able to get out. I have some "crazy Carolina relatives" with land and animals. That's where I'm a headin'

[shadowknows69]

15. And you'd invite your good friend Shadow and his family along?

Once again I have a dog that would be a great hunter. I'm funny too and the world will need laughter.

[itsmesgd]

16. sure thing

[BluePatriot]

19. I'd at the very least call in sick the next day

and quietly head to the grocery store/camping store while everyone around me fiddles. At the very least I will have stocked up for a few weeks, right? I feel my parents were stupid for selling Grandma's remote, run-down-but-livable 5 acre farm....but we still have relatives with a ranch in a relatively isolated spot so my plan's to head there if TSHTF.

[liberal N proud]

3. I sat in my living room last night watching the NBC evening news

I could only stand to watch the first few minutes but I was fuming.
As the rhetoric was all Iran, all I could think about was how much this sounded like 2003 and the push up to Iraq. My thoughts soon turned to just how doomed we are as a nation if this monster is allowed to carry out his agenda.

[AndyA]

4. What scares me is how many warnings are being ignored this time?

Is there a smoking gun? Is Condi ignoring reports that so and so is determined to attack us by ____________________ (fill in the blank).

I'm hearing some of the same things out of the WH that I heard prior to the war in Iraq. People don't seem to be as gullible this time, but if something else happens here in the states (the MIHOP/LIHOP theory) would people be readily willing to have our military go after Iran?

[itsmesgd]

6. please expand on MIHOP?LIHOP theories

what do they/you suppose might happen here. I have no guess, but nothing would surprise me. I know that it would need to be bigger and scarier than two large buildings being hit with commercial airliners, so I'm guessing nuclear, biological, chemical. I had a very scary thought. Something could happen in/near DC and then Congress would be sent away for "security concerns" and the shrub would not be checked or kept from starting a war.

(Agent Mike should be here any moment now with a black van to pick me up)

[gordianot]

11. Agent Mike is probably going to be caught in the same mess as the rest of us.

Remember these are the same idiots who have messed up everything they have ever attempted. I doubt they have the ability to take care of their own or anyone else.

[havocmom]

14. Hoping years of monitoring DU and other sites has educated some of the Agent Mikes out there

There are good guys in spook-town too ;)

[itsmesgd]

17. everybody has to work somewhere./ We all came from somewhere didn't we?

Plus I know many people who have become entrenched in the government who are not shrub fans, but are USA fans and constitutional supporters.

[havocmom]

18. Even Republicans in Federal Service are pissed as hell

They see, close up, the damage being done to the nation they love and serve. I hear some of them are being pretty blunt with Joe Taxpayer about why things aren't working.

There's a gov employee site that is mose enlightening ;)

[gordianot]

23. Best wishes to Agent Mike.

We are all in this together and most of us, including most Agent Mike's do not have access to an undisclosed location. We all learned about the same U.S. Constitution in High School.

[AndyA]

21. I can't even imagine what the next thing might be.

The only saving grace at this point is they know more people are suspect, and that they're being watched.

Sometimes I just can't believe that this is all happening. I feel I must be having a nightmare, and that we really don't have a drunk, cocaine snorting, AWOL, insider trading idiot in the White House.

Or a mean, vicious, evil man like Cheney as VP.

Or the complacent Rice.

I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and discover that Al Gore is in his second term, things are going well, and I was just having a Pam Ewing moment.

But then reality hits me, and I know it's all just wishful thinking.

[blues90]

26. I just don't see people in the public who seem awake

There are many who have this hate for the people in the middle east and this is in southern calif . So perhaps the bloggers are awake but I can't say I feel to confident about the mass population .

[Homer12]

5. The way I see it.

While the Dems are to busy worrying over procedure about a non-binding Iraq resolution, Bush will just bomb anyway, Lets say a bait and switch.

Bush has 60 days to bomb Iran, without congressional approval or a declaration of war.

The dems and country won't go for it, unless Iran massively retaliates againt US intrests (safe to say they will). If their attaks have some devestating affects, Bush might get the approval to widen his war. I don't think they would give him war powers without a declaration of war, but the democratic congress would now have to take some control of the situation.

This way Bush protects himself and insulates himself from bad public opinion by diverting attention to the demsl; thus getting the neo-con vision he watns (i.e. bring all those into the conflict by making it more deadly and widen the intrests of those whonm opposed Iraq).

We in the real world are fucked, becuase we'll be the ones drafted to kill for Bush, to pay for his dictatorship, etc...

[Just-plain-Kathy]

8. If we woke up and found we bombed Iran...there would be a quiet outrage.

Vietnam was a learning tool for BushCo, as long as there’s no draft. These wars could go on forever.

Personally, the thought of a draft scares the hell out of me, I have a lot of friends and family who are draft age.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. "assuming that Iran has NOT done anything"

The problem is, Bushetals have been ratcheting up things to point the finger at Iran for several months now. Bush will be bombing with a justification of "protecting the troops and Americans in Iraq". At this point, the only chance for that NOT to happen would have to go beyond removal of Bush/Cheney (though that might stall it for a time).

As far as how 'the American people' would react is going to depend on how well informed they are. Frankly, I don't trust the Fourth Estate to bring anything more the the WH spin to the people.

[helderheid]

12. Kucinich said impeachment if we go after Iran.

[havocmom]

24. Not really much of a disincentive for bush.

He is not happy in his work and impeaching/convicting him would probably be to his liking. He has never finished anything he started. He has never even tried.

And we would still be stuck in a bush/cheney war or two.

War crimes trials - that's the deal breaker for a coward like bush. Show him around the Hague then ask if he has any suggestions about surges and new ventures in warfare.

[Rex]

13. I'd really start to wonder if America will ever be a democracy again.

Oh...and I would curse a lot and get a hold of some friends to find out if it is the start of WWIII or not.

[partylessinOhio]

20. I feel you may be right there, our democracy is dead.

Impeachment is the only way to stop this train wreck and there is absolutely no indication that it will happen.

Bush has invaded one country with ease, so he will do it again and again once he declares elections as unnecessary and sets himself up as a dictator.

We are screwed. Amerika is just a bunch of sleeping sheep. I wish I had a truck to pack and could leave for the border.


Tony Snow's press conference just ended with all the reporters laughing hysterically. What a sickening display they present when we have such dire conditions ahead!

Now C-Span is playing their interview with Bush - he is presenting as completely nuts! Check him out.

[treestar]

22. Massive demonstrations spontaneously breaking out

Nobody is going to believe the Iran Agression story at first blush, either. It'll be suspect as a false flag operation from the start.

[AlienGirl]

25. There would be a pogrom. I'm preparing like for a hurricane.

If there is a war on Iran, bet your bippy it's going to get blamed on the Jews. Massive random attacks. I'm getting ready as I can to "shelter in place."

Tucker

[mainer]

27. I'm a pessimist. The public would rally behind Bush.

Americans love a good spectacle. Remember how many of them were cheering and enjoying our march into Baghdad? For them, a war in Iran would be like bread and circuses -- something to keep them amused and make them feel good about being the most powerful nation on earth. I am so disillusioned by my fellow Americans these days that I just have no faith in their sharing my outrage.

[populistdriven]

28. I would purchase and deploy a case of:

[goodhue]

29. kick