Dog Days: The War Party Never Takes Summer Vacation

Justin Raimondo

In these, the dog days of summer, normal people everywhere are on vacation. They go to a resort: swimming, boating, family photos on the beach – these are the woof and warp of American life. Standing outside – and, in their estimation, above – that life, with its prosaic concerns, the War Party never takes a vacation. They’re always plotting and planning their next move.

Undeterred by the complete failure of the Iraq invasion – described by the late Gen. William E. Odom as the biggest military disaster in the annals of America’s wars – the cultists of the war god are bound and determined to continue their bloody wilding of the Middle East.

The shrill insistence of the campaign to drag us into war with Iran on Israel’s behalf has gone up a few notches, with a Democratic-controlled sanctions-happy Congress joining the chorus, which includes the Republican party (minus Ron Paul).

The US military is staunchly opposed, but President Obama – and/or his more cynical advisers – may welcome the opportunity to change the subject, from unemployment numbers to casualty counts. Remember what Rahm Emanuel said about how every crisis is an opportunity: in the event of war, the oil shock that will pummel the US economy could give him the excuse he needs to not only ram through his energy policy, but also increase government intervention in every sector of the economy.