Iran Is A Threat?

If you have dipped a toe into the news stream you would have seen some of what James Wolcott describes in his post about rightwing media attempts to OD on testosterone over Iran.

Hollywood at its B picture worst [or best, if you like that sort of thing] never portrayed a “primitive tribe” in a longer or louder war drum sequence than is currently on display stage right. I don’t know if it’s the pleated chinos, tasseled loafers, or bowties that make it such a howl, but someone needs to drop by a poultry processing plant to get them some bones and feathers to add some “authenticity” to their war dance. I realize that they have a shortage of “technical consultants” since Jack Abramoff got busted, but make the effort.

Fubar at looks at Iran and the PR Battle, and the results aren’t pretty. While the US corporate media has been blocking Iranian efforts, the rest of the world is looking at an entirely different Iran. Pointing out bad reporting in the US media, Iran is able to spin away some of its worst features. American distortions are so clumsy, that the nasty truth about some Iranian practices is being classified as American propaganda.

The thing that is being ignored in all of this uproar is the meaning of the proxy war that just took place. If you are an American military commander you have to be really worried about the results of the Israeli-Hezbollah clash.

The Israelis, more than any other proxy, have first line American weapons. Hezbollah does not have the best weapons that are available to Iran. Hezbollah didn’t contest Israeli air supremacy, but Iran has an air force and air defense missile systems. Hezbollah had a couple of anti-ship missiles; Iran has many more as well as ships and submarines. Hezbollah had to import its weapons; Iran manufactures much of its weaponry.

Hezbollah didn’t lose.