Israel has never defaulted on a loan from the US. Not once. Legislation was passed long ago which provided for the US to cover any loan payment from Israel if it approached default. Therefore it was impossible to default.

The US has paid for most of the settlements and the wall in the occupied territories. Before the wars in the Middle East, most US foreign aid went to Israel.

We all want Israel to survive and thrive. I don’t think we want to have Americans die so that Israel can continue as a rogue nation, bombing, strafing Palestinians over what are minor provocations. A 25 to 1 kill ratio between Palestinians and Israelis is exactly what was the ratio between Native Americans and the settlers and Army.

I think the Israelis are terrified the Iranians will get the bomb. They will do anything to stop it, and I can’t really say I blame them. But I think what’s happening now is they are deliberately trying to provoke the Iranians into doing something stupid, so some of the other players I mentioned above (but mostly us) will have to step in and solve their problem for them.

Obama wants nothing to happen until after the election, especially now that it looks like sanctions are starting to work. But the Israelis may not want to wait. Our good friends and allies in the mideast are perfectly capable of dragging us into a war they need but we don’t want. We’re being played for chumps. Maybe we should just tell the Israelis they are on their own from now on. We have given them too much in the past for them to be dumping a ticking bomb like this in our laps.

Meanwhile, you hear the Republicans (except Paul) beating on the war drums…the Israelis know exactly what they’re doing. They are taking advantage of our domestic politics to force their ally into moving prematurely. Obama can’t do anything without being accused of “selling out our friends”. Why didn’t I see this before? They’re just like the exile Cubans in Miami, they’re perfectly willing to drag their most loyal ally and friend into a war so they can get their way.

The United States has been waging a low-key undeclared war on Iran for a long time. Killing scientists and the unmanned overflights are acts of war.

That European anti-missile system is only to prevent an Iranian counterstrike after the US and Israel attack Iran. In order to get UN approval, or regional approval, for a first strike there has to be some assurance the Iranians can’t get them back. Hence, the system.

The continuing occupation of Afghanistan as well as the bases in the Iraqi desert are there to support an invasion of Iran. I believe there are plans for war just waiting for a Republican in the White House. We’ll be able to tell when we get reports similar to unplugging incubators.

All at once the Republicans will become concerned again with women’s rights, freedom throughout the area, democracy, regime change. Who can argue with any of those? The drums aren’t beating loudly enough so far.

The deal-breaker will be if Iran has a credible nuclear device or dirty bombs. We’ll all be safer if they do.