Hillary, I'm glad to see you got a good laugh when I confronted you during last week's debate over your vote calling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRG) a terrorist organization. The American public finally got to see your cavalier attitude toward our march to war. Your vote however is no laughing matter.
By labeling the IRG a terrorist organization, the Democratic-controlled congress has impeded our ability to negotiate with a huge portion of the Iranian government. The IRG is a 125,000-person organization with ties to every power base in Iran. The IRG is also admired by a vast potion of the Iranian people for its heroic stand against Saddam Hussein's invasion during the Iran-Iraq War. Mohammad Khatami, the former reformist president of Iran, warned the United States not to label the IRG a terrorist organization because doing so would preclude any diplomatic settlement of our differences.
While I'm sure your vote plays well with the hawks and military contractors who support your campaign, it is the height of irresponsibility. Like with Iraq in 2002, elements in our government have already decided to attack Iran and are now trying to "sell it." Last week, Congress gave the warmongers a big gift. (Note to Congressional Dems: You were elected to stop a war, not start a new one!)
Hillary, war with Iran will have devastating consequences for all Americans.
The Iranians are sure to respond with strikes at Americans at home and abroad. Imagine a dozen 9/11s. Is that something to laugh about?
The Iranian navy will intercept oil shipments through the Persian Gulf that fuel the European economies. Oil prices will skyrocket above $150 and the global economy will fall into a worldwide depression. Will you be amused when millions of Americans lose their jobs?
Will you chuckle when the Shiites in Saudi Arabia and the other oil states rise up and destabilize our allies in the Persian Gulf?
A war with Iran will not be contained. It's easy to imagine a "Guns of August" scenario that draws in Israel, Saudi Arabia and potentially Pakistan, India, Russia, and China. Hillary, a potential Third World War is no crackpot fantasy, and it's no joke.
Based on the questions during Wednesday's presidential debate, I suspect the mainstream media isn't interested in a serious discussion about this impending crisis. Tim Russert's questions had us spending more time on smoking, teenage drinking and Red Sox versus Yankees than on Iran. But this crisis is real and it's time to take it seriously before it's too late.