The USA Takes the Gold! (In Threat Inflation)
W.J. Astore
Did you know an Iranian “fleet” is approaching American shores? I’m talking about a destroyer and a supply ship. Sound the alarm! General quarters!
Juan Cole at Informed Comment has an amusing story on our media’s latest manifestation of what he terms Iranian “Derangement Syndrome.” Two years ago, I wrote about our amazing capacity for threat inflation when it comes to Iran.
This is nothing new, of course. Threat inflation is a perennial theme in American history. Non-existent bomber gaps. Missile gaps. A vast overestimation of the Soviet threat even as the Soviet Union was beginning to collapse. All employed to sustain high “defense” spending for the military-industrial-Congressional complex.
Let’s face it: Citing the deployment of an Iranian “fleet” as a potential threat to the USA is like citing the Jamaican bobsled team as a threat to win all the gold medals at the Winter Olympics.
Once again, America is the odds-on favorite to win the gold medal in our favorite Olympian event of threat inflation. USA! USA!
The Contrary Perspective 
And the winner of the Gold in the Threat Escalation category , with his usual candor, told the assembled sycophants that he was honored by the well paid judges for recognizing his achievement. He is quoted as saying ” I did this for my country to forever keep harm from our shores. Today it is just a destroyer in our beloved Atlantic but tomorrow it could be an an Iranian cruise ship loaded with polo shirted Iranians.”
Just a note: I believe Professor Cole calls his blog Informed Comment, not “consent.”
Furthermore, Professor Cole’s cheer-leading and DFH-punching in support of President Obama’s “humanitarian” bombing of Libya — which destroyed that nation’s government and ushered in a predictable downward spiral into tribal chaos and violence — somewhat detracts from his credibility as a critic of others reacting hysterically to inflated threats. To each his own hysteria, I guess.
Thank you for the correction, which I’ve made in the original. And thank you for all your thoughtful comments at this site.