World War III

This is what Newt Gingrich said the Republicans should start talking about in order to win the November elections. They're supposed to say that the war on terror is really World War III.

It seems that the Republicans in the White House are determined to have a very obvious World War III in progress by November. The U.S. has done nothing effective to stop the carnage in Lebanon. Despite knowing that only a diplomatic solution will make Israel safe, the Israelis are widening their war.

Now the most important Shia cleric in Iraq is warning of grave consequences for the U.S. if
it continues to support this violence. Iraq's Prime Minister has already voiced opposition to Israel's warmaking. Although Lebanon has largely knocked Iraq off the radar screen, the violence there is getting worse, if that's even possible. More Americans are being killed, with no end in sight.

If the U.S. didn't already have the image of trying to wipe out Muslims in the Middle East, it does now. But is this failure to stop Israel a sign of White House weakness, or policy?

Some believe this is U.S. strategy for making war on Syria. Some believe it is U.S. stragegy for making nuclear war on Iran, which has just refused to stop its nuclear power activities.

What's the justice of the current fighting? Israel obviously has the right to defend itself, but its methods of doing so are questionable to say the least. As for the Us v. Them crap, let's be honest at least: we see Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons and supplying missiles to Hizbollah. The Muslim world, and increasingly the Arab world, see the U.S. bristling with nuclear weapons which it is considering using against Iran, and supplying missiles and weapons technology to Israel. Parading your hypocrisy before the world is not likely to earn respect.

What is the effect of the current fighting? Nothing good, and if the Bushites really want it, World War III is indeed within their grasp. But I wouldn't count on it winning them votes in November.