Double or nothing...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the neocons are compulsive gamblers. They backed the war in Iraq, and now they're ready to go double or nothing on Iran.

Dan Froomkin documents the latest:

Via Andrew Sullivan, I find Dan Friedman writing for the American Thinker: "All the damaging consequences of all the blunders the President has committed to date in Iraq are reversible in 48- to 72-hours - the time it will take to destroy Iran's fragile nuclear supply chain from the air. And since the job gets done using mostly stand-off weapons and stealth bombers, not one American soldier, sailor or airman need suffer as much as a bruised foot." [WaPo]

HT: Digby.

Comments

[The J Train]

They were being even more open about it back when they were playing up the surge, with talk of "doubling down". I wanted to scream every time they said it, because you don't double down when things are going badly--you double down when the odds are way in your favor. Raising the stakes when you're getting your ass handed to you is called [i]chasing your losses[/i].

They're compulsive gamblers, but they're the kind of gamblers who think they really, truly have figured out a way to beat roulette. They're the casino's dream.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Good analogy.

[Squidink]

"We are conducting military operations inside Iran right now."
-- Colonel Sam Gardiner (clicky)

[Bruce]

Well this should go well.

[Anacher Forester]

It's really easy to double down when it's not your money or for that matter your blood. Compounding the problem is their proven pathological lack of self-control.

Bush is crazy desperate enough to believe that only a "bold" play like this can salvage his legacy. What's the worst that can possibly happen? Judgment Day? Georgie's OK with that even if the rest of us aren't. I bet Cheney even calls him late at night hissing "Do it!" into the phone before quickly hanging up.

My money's on an attack just before a key Democratic Primary or two. It's just their style.

Look out Tehran, here we come.

AF

[Julian Elson]

It's known as a Martingale betting strategy. It didn't work 200 years ago. It still doesn't.

[Lesley]

This is crazy. Once again they are not thinking of the aftermath, the casualties, the displacement, the sectarian violence...good grief! This is just intolerable. George Bush needs to be put out to pasture already. He's already inflicted enough damage on the world. No more!

[Trystero]

It's time for a reprise of Billmon's "flucht nach vorne" post.

[rob helpy-chalk]

Who is Dan Friedman and why should I be worried that he thinks something stupid? Do enough other people think this stupid thing to license Bush to do it?

[norbizness]

Shouldn't 'The American Thinker' be de-certified under the International Conventions for Blog-Naming?

[Autumn Harvest]

All the damaging consequences of all the blunders the President has committed to date in Iraq are reversible in 48- to 72-hours. . .

Attacking Iran will bring thousands of dead American soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, back to life?

Rob, Dan Friedman is a minor neocon. But he's part of a larger neocon crowd (likely including Cheney) that's been pushing for a war with Iran for the last 6-12 months.

[Dunc]

Autumn harvest: exactly what I thought. The only logical conclusion is that Froomkin does not regard huge piles of corpses as "damaging consequences".

[mudkitty]

Well, LB, "compulsive gamblers" that's certainly one way of putting it...but in my opinion, you're being entirely too generous.

[Minnesotachuck]

Iraq is a tragic fiasco because these goons are unable to even identify, let alone analyze and plan for, downside risks. Nothing has changed.

[ChrisR]

Call your senators (202-224-3121)and ask them to vote no on Senate amendment 3017, the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran.

[Squidink]

I've said it before, on this site even, Bush could eat a baby on the White House lawn and get away with it.

I'd have to give away free iPhones to get Americans to storm the gates. Or, I'd have to promise free iPhones, then not give 'em up. Would that piss enough people off?

How about an XBOX 360 recall? You have to march through the White House to have your console fixed?

[mudkitty]

Free IPHONES? How 'bout a free IPhone with a vibrator function? That would work.

[Squidink]

How about a free Halo 3 Legendary Edition?

Here you go, mudkitty: iBrate turns your iPhone into a vibrator. Yummy!

[mudkitty]

Needs refining. Perhaps an attachment?

[Margalis]

"And since the job gets done using mostly stand-off weapons and stealth bombers, not one American soldier, sailor or airman need suffer as much as a bruised foot."

Just like they would welcome us with open arms and shower us with flowers. Best-case-scenario planning for the win.

[SanderO]

If you are a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

These people are ideologues who enjoy exercising power. Since there us no god to save us... we are left with rational thinking and that is something that these guys can't do.

We're screwed.

[Booker T]

Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and John Edwards all supported the Iraq war. Are they the neocons you're referring to?

[Sachem]

"childrens do learn", but not delusional messianic dry drunks.

[Sachem]

"childrens do learn", but not delusional messianic dry drunks.

[Tybalt]

The Republicans are gambling with the house's money. Of course they're going to be insanely aggressive.