So, IF BushCo decided to invade Iran...

[deadparrot]

...what would be the widespread reaction of the American people?

I've been thinking about this a lot, and would like to hear the opinions of other DUers.

Any ground attack would almost certainly require a draft, which, quite frankly, scares a lot of Americans, especially those with teenage or twentysomething children, grandchildren, or loved ones. I've only seen a few polls on the subject of a draft, but IIRC, Americans were highly opposed to it.

Then again, Americans have the uncanny ability to forget all logic and morph into flag-waving, warhawking robots when "patriotism" is at stake. It took well over two years for a sizeable majority of Americans to break out of their Iraq stupor.

So...thoughts?

[H5N1]

1. The reaction will be muted by the media

bush lovers will talk the loudest
and get all the coverage.
Those who stand up against bush will be demonized and
marginalized. Same as the invasion of Iraq.

[deadparrot]

2. But Americans didn't have to worry about a draft at the time of

the invasion of Iraq.

If/When the time comes for a draft, it's not something you can really hide from the people upon whom the draft is imposed. If your kid gets a letter in the mail, the cat's out of the bag, in a matter of speaking.

[H5N1]

6. Americans are so weak/uninformed, and the media is so powerful

They will complain as they line up to die,
but they will line up to die all the same.
The loud little bunch will have their way

[deadparrot]

10. Okay. Thanks for your thoughts.

I don't even know where I stand on the subject. :shrug:

[H5N1]

14. I am scared. Very scared.

I was one of the millions marching aginst war with Iraq.
Nobody listened then, either.

[H5N1]

12. How many said bush would never be permitted to invade Iraq?

How many right here at DU made that statement?
I will bet plenty. Do we never learn?

[deadparrot]

17. I think Americans are pitifully misinformed...

Generally speaking, I think Americans are supportive of military action of an attack is merited (though "merited" can mean a wide range of things, as we've seen with Iraq). I don't doubt that America has a bit more of a bloodlust than other western countries.

However, at the time of Iraq, people were still riding high on the "terra" bandwagon. It was about a year and a half after 9/11, and IIRC, he still had pretty much a blank check to do what he would. Most importantly, there were assurances of "no draft" early on.

Now, we're stuck with a shitty economy, a shitty quagmire, a president who goes on vacation for five weeks at a time, and an approval rating in the low-to-mid 40s, even lower than that on isses like the economy and Iraq.

Will a draft go over now?

[H5N1]

22. When drafted, they will go. That is the law.

Some will shrug, some will complain - but they will still line
up to die. You are an intelligent woman. In your heart of hearts,
do you truly believe this will not happen?

[deadparrot]

24. Honestly? I don't know what I believe anymore.

That's why I asked this question in the first place.

I believed a lot of things in the past that have recently thrown me for a loop.

I never believed I'd see a the peacefully protesting mother of a dead soldier smeared.
I never believed that the man with fewer votes would win the presidency.
I never believed I'd see soldiers, past and present, attacked viciously, simply because they presented a political threat.

There's countless other things that I believed in 2000 that have been thrown for a loop since then. I just don't know anymore. :shrug:

[H5N1]

27. National Guard were called to die: National guard shipped out

Untrained, probably unwilling. But they went without a peep.
And they are not the only soldiers beguiled
by bush. Soldiers who had done their time - called to die
by less than honest means. They were called to die:
they shipped out.

[deadparrot]

28. Undoubtedly, if there is a draft,

most of those summoned will go.

I'm female (and a college student, in about a week and a half). I don't know if this theoretical draft will include me or not. I've been told by my parents that if, by some chance, I am drafted, they'll buy me a plane ticket out of the country. I'm sure some parents, from a wide variety of political viewpoints, will do the same.

But there is an election in November 2006. Parents may warily send their children to war out of a sense of duty, or fear, but I think they'll be thoroughly unhappy about it. And I think that will come back to bite BushCo in the ass next year.

[rzemanfl]

5. As cuckoo bananas says, "fool me once shame on you, duh, uh

mumble, pause...you can't fool me again." It will not be the same as Iraq.

[H5N1]

9. Perhaps, but bush will have his war...

and eventually the fools, when drafted, will line up to fight.

[rzemanfl]

19. Someone will put a bullet in *'s head before that happens. Not a

threat, but an observation, the officers and troops will mutiny

[H5N1]

23. That would have happened long ago were this the case

Until the time when bush's horrible policies
are directly (and horribly so) affecting the lives of every
American, it will be business as usual.

[rzemanfl]

34. The nukes and the "not again" factors are the difference. n/t

[jaxx]

3. No draft and no more war!

Stuff like this http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/612046.html really make my blood boil. Israel wanted Iraq gone too....and has designs on Syria.

But dubya has the media at attention with those faulty big city rumors this week, and the release of the firemen's tapes from 911. When he gets in a corner he shouts TERROR and the straying sheep gather back around to allow him to do more harm. Damn, he should have never gotten back into office.

[rzemanfl]

4. In my opinion they can start one war based on lies, no more,

and I don't think anyone will believe Iran "attacked" us if Bushco tries a stunt like that. Bush doesn't have enough troops and officers loyal to his lying ass to enforce martial law and the police aren't about to do it. A draft won't help him because no one will vote for it before the elections in 2006 and then it takes at least a year to train and equip the cannon fodder.

[Inland]

11. The president gets the benefit of the doubt. One doubt.

Nowadays, the country has an acceptance that we are stuck with a war Bush got us into. Not that it was a good war, not that Bush didn't make a mistake, but that we are in it now.

All that is off if there's another war, particularly if it has the same sort of smell as the runup to the Iraq war.

[H5N1]

15. I think you incorrectly assume the people can stop it

I have seen no evidence that the people can stop anything.
We can stomp in the streets all we want, at the end of the day,
bush owns the government. Looks like he may control the
voting process as well.

[LibertyorDeath]

29. Eyes wide open I see

A belated Welcome to DU

[kenny blankenship]

7. I think-I hope-people would go from disapproval to open opposition

[lala_rawraw]

8. They would drive over to a fast food joint and tune in to...

See what white Christian woman is missing now... then they would put a "support the troops sticker" on their cards and yell at anyone who does not support the war. That about cover it?

[BillZBubb]

13. 60% would fall in line and support "Operation Iranian Liberation"

The sane 40% would protest loudly. The media would show flags waving to patriotic music 24/7. The only talking heads on the tube would be supporters of this "necessary war". They would only differ in how to fight it.

The Busholini regime would use police state tactics to silence dissent.

It would be a disaster for our country. Far worse even than the Iraq debacle.

[Gay Green]

20. Far worse than the Iraq debacle is an understatement

if Iran is attacked China and Russia no doubt would join the fray.

[Solly Mack]

16. People have an incredible capacity to endure uncomfortable

circumstances....since change is infinitely more work and would require more of them than they are willing to give...

they'll adapt as the situation grows worse...because it's easier than fighting against it.

and they'll cling to old defenses to justify their position...

and when all is said and done they'll ask "How did this happen?"

then they'll assign blame and go on with their lives....until the next time - when it all starts over again.

[H5N1]

18. Your summation I believe to be excellent

It is truly that simple.
This is what has brought us to the horrible place we are.

[texanwitch]

21. There would be support until the body bags start to return and there

would be a lot of them.

Iran is not Iraq, it can defend itself. It is a large country with a large population.

Bush could gather enough troops to start a war with Iran but will have no way but the draft to replace them. This is what he wants.

I have been receiving letters all year asking me if I was interested in going back into the military and the letters have gone from being friendly to almost semi-orders.

I have a quick escape plan, I will never be part of Bush's wars.

[H5N1]

25. Once we invade Iran, there may be no pulling out

WWIII might be at your door step.
Iran can missle-up many an oil-field
with conventional weapons.
Other countries may be forced into this
mega rat fuck.

[texanwitch]

26. You said it.

:thumbsup:

[Strelnikov_]

31. I Agree. A Ground Invasion Would Be A Crossing Of The Rubicon

Thing is, we do not have the forces, equipment or manufacturing infrastructure to take on such an undertaking. Even if the manpower were raised through a draft, where would the equipment to outfit them come from? The 'technological' advantage the US forces have requires a lot of high-cost equipment.

That is why I think they are planning the 'air-strike' scenario. Bomb as much as they can, and hope that knocks their nuclear program back for a decade or more. Thing is, Iran will probably take the hit, and emerge at the end in a stronger geopolitical position.

The big question is, does Iran have the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, through which 19% of the worlds petroleum passes daily.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/choke.html#HORMUZ

What happen if a closure of the Strait takes place in conjunction with terrorist attacks on the overland pipeline routes to ports outside the Persian Gulf? Just one way this scenario can escalate from 'limited' air-strikes to economic, then nuclear, Armageddon.

And you think the price of gas is high now?

[Ladyinblack]

30. Hopefully no one will be stupid that stupid

How can we let this man take us into another war. He has proved beyond a doubt that he is a poor and dangerous leader.

What can those of us who believe he should be stopped do to stop this brutal and horrible man.

Over 50% of the victims of war are civilians. Of those the children are the ones hurt the most. The ones most likely to die and be injured. We must stop Bush.

[newyawker99]

33. Hi Ladyinblack!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[LibertyorDeath]

32. The sheep will keep grazing & regurgitating the media fed talking points

"They took our people hostage remember"

"with us against us"

"fight there instead of here"

on and on with this mindless unthinking shit.

The half of America with actual critical thinking skills will be horrified it will confirm beyond any doubt that these fuckers are fascists bent on some insane crusade.

The corporate media will do whatever it takes to remain the propaganda
tool of this group of war criminals.

Wolf Blitzer will cum live on air in the "situation room"

Israel will be in deep deep shit as Iran will throw every last thing it has at them the millisecond they see an attack is underway.

Russia & or China will give Iran a heads up when America positions for attack. They may even join in especially Russia.

It will be a cluster fuck of monumental proportion & where it will lead to? an unmitigated disaster.

Bu*h will go down as the worst leader in all of recorded human history.

Which is just fine with him "How's history going to judge this? -- he kind of shrugs. History, we won't know. We'll all be dead. …" GWB

[KayLaw]

35. They're not stupid

They know the Iraq war is unpopular. Like they said, to get support for all these wars they'd need a second Pearl Harbor, which, miraculously, they got. I think the whole 9/11 may be losing its mobilizing effect, so to get an Iran war . . .

[wli]

36. the world will never know; the US MSM will recite rethug talking points

Of course, the fundies and freeptards will be frothing at the mouth to bomb anything Bushler tells them Cheney wants him to after the "9/11 v2.0: nuclear terrorist attack at the same time as a nuclear terrorism drill of the precise same form as the attack" or similar such nonsense.