Why Chuck Hagel Will Be a Great Secretary of 'Defense'

Former Senator Chuck Hagel will bring a fresh and necessary perspective to the office of Secretary of Defense for which he was confirmed today.  Contrary to recent sound bites in especially the conservative Establishment, where he was grilled by AIPAC-owned Senators, this video shows the real Chuck Hagel taking his Senate Foreign Relations colleagues to task during the Iraq "surge" policy being implemented by the Bush administration.  As a republican he dared to challenge directly the typical politically-correct (but superficial) propaganda that criticized any dissent from Bush foreign policy, which ironically was continued under Obama.  Democrats could compare him to the late Sen. Robert Byrd who led dissent about Iraq among democrats when it was politically-incorrect too.

Watch this and see for yourself.  This is what courage and virtue looks like in the politically-charged mudslinging of Washington and Congress.  Hagel is unafraid and very much concerned about the deployment of the men and women in the military who have no voice or advocate normally to defend their lives and interests when the passion to start or expand wars begins.  He chastises his Senate colleagues with authority and demands they consider what is really at stake and whether the comprehensive strategy is even sound during a time where propaganda and personal attacks are tossed about to intimidate and force a false patriotic "unity" behind a flawed but popular war policy that others are too afraid to challenge.

If this does not demonstrate his sound judgment and soberness of mind when making war decisions versus the neoconservative and AIPAC-funded political attacks against his nomination for Secretary of Defense recently then I am speechless.  This decorated veteran and astute Senator and statesman is fully qualified and greatly needed to check and restrain the hasty and easily influenced U.S. foreign policy that we have witnessed for over a decade now.  Neither will he be a lap dog republican for Obama, but will likely restrain any more actions of this President to rush into further Middle East involvement (e.g. Libya, regime change, nation building) without sober objections, especially if they involve U.S. troops.

It is supposed to be a Department of Defense, not a Department of Offense, after all.  Four courageous and thoughtful republicans supported his nomination, from the South and Midwest, including Tea Party favorite Sen. Rand Paul (see link above), who also advocates (along with Sen. Joe Manchin) auditing the Pentagon to uncover its mysterious wasting and loss of billions of dollars (see previous posts), which has been no small contributor to the fiscal debt problem.

More 'Economic Sanctions' or War With Iran? Sen. Rand Paul Calls Out Congress

What's driving up gas prices, everyone asks?  The very real 'fear premium' (a fear of potentially restricted supply due to regional tensions) on oil that investors/speculators include in trading in the oil market.  It is therefore impossible to divorce Foreign Policy from America's Economy and National Debt.  (This was acknowledged briefly by the oil expert interviewed last week by Hoppy Kercheval on Talkline).  Yet seldom do politicians, or talk radio hosts, address such things together.

More economic sanctions on Iran is a clever way of walking (by the lobbyists' manipulation) the U.S. toward war and drives up the 'fear premium' about supply in the oil trading markets.  Limited Government (Tea Party) type people like Sen. Rand Paul understand how aggressive foreign policy in the Middle East not only endangers a casual, unconstitutional attitude toward war (particularly undeclared wars by the Executive Branch, by both Bush and Obama) but also has economic consequences for all Americans. In other words, there will and is already economic "blow-back" on Americans of economic sanctions on Iran!  Ironic, isn't it?

Remember, it was sanctions on Iraq that began that war.  Sanctions are economic warfare and an economic precursor to it.  AIPAC (the Israeli lobby, the most powerful in Washington) as well as Israeli PM Netanyahu, and a lot of false religious propaganda (i.e. Christian Zionism theology, prophecy) used to support the secular (not Biblical) state of Israel, is pushing American foreign policy with Iran.  The majority of Americans by far now know that Iraq was (at least) a "mistake" and want us out of Afghanistan now and out of the "nation building" (read "regime change") business altogether.  Yet under Obama we have proceeded, without Congressional approval or declarations of war, to use military campaigns in Libya for regime change while Syria and Iran are now entering the cross-hairs (and have been since the neoconservatives in the Bush administration used 9/11 as their pretense).

Tell Senators Rockefeller and Manchin, as well as Reps. Capito, Rahall, and McKinley to listen to you instead of AIPAC.  Economic sanctions on Iran are directly, already, increasing our gas prices and the price of all consumer goods will soon follow by consequence.  After all, do AIPAC and Israel care about the U.S. economic consequences of higher oil and gas prices from increased Middle East tension and wars?  No, not one bit.  And the elite in Washington that vote for sanctions do not feel the economic consequences like you and I do.  So make Congress listen to you instead.  Or, do nothing but don't complain about high gas prices or when groceries and consumer goods go up again as they did already during the Iraq campaign. When will everyone wake up to this!  Why not tell them what you think now instead of complaining about even higher gas and grocery prices later?

Listen to Sen. Rand Paul's objection on the floor (video below) and read about his reasonably offered amendment to the Sanctions bill which was intended to be a wake up call to Congress to think about the careless path they are being pushed into and complying too readily with.  What an excellent and persuasive speech!

War With Iran? Sen. Rand Paul Calls the Question

Netanyahu and AIPAC Do Not Represent The Jews on Iran--Neither Do Romney and Santorum

Below is an article about what you will not hear on network mainstream news, or local talk radio, who pretend there is an absolute necessity of "stopping Iran from obtaining a [alleged] nuclear weapon", as if there is no dissent among Jews or Israel.  And what Americans think should be more influential to Congress and the President than AIPAC's heavy-handed lobby and the other propaganda arms to influence U.S. foreign policy (which will surely effect both gas prices and the entire economy, as well as global stability).

And in case you missed it, the former head of Mossad was interviewed on 60 Minutes, after he called a pre-emptive strike on Iran "stupid"!  Video here. 

A preemptive attack on Iran? US Jews are deeply divided.

The AIPAC conference in Washington elicited one hawkish pronouncement after another from US leaders. But American Jews are deeply split over how to deal with Iran's nuclear aspirations.

By Ron Scherer, Staff writer / March 8, 2012

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Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in Washington, Tuesday, March 6.

Charles Dharapak/AP