So casino-billionaire Sheldon Adelson ("I really don’t care what happens to Iran, I am for Israel”) has decided to double-up on Newt Gingrich. Hmm. I am not the sort of person to follow the election circus too carefully, but I have to wonder why. Gingrich is not really anywhere near winning the Republican presidential candidacy -- at least not now -- so why donate so much to his campaign?
Adelson is reportedly conceptually amongst those "machers" who wants an attack on Iran, and naturally would tend to support a candidate that sees things his way, but the other more viable Republican candidates aren't particularly dovish on Iran...so I guess Adelson supports Newt for some additional reasons (what's Newt's position on...casinos?)
Or maybe Gingrich is simply functioning as Adelson's parrot, a way for Adelson to point of view promoted in the campaigning. Gingrich the amazing living microphone..
But in any case, my broader point: Grown men have hobbies. Whether fishing or fixing motorcycles or collecting stamps. We do these in our garages or attics or "man caves." But isn't it funny the degree to which the national policies of a country such as the US turns out to be the hobbies or vanity "pet projects" of wealthy individuals? That's how the system works: money, not the "Will of the People" runs this democracy. Apparently, the People's "will" turns out to be a myth - they're just sheep who can be made to believe in "mobile biological weapons labs", "babies thrown from incubators", and other such rubbish...or at least that's one view.
And ultimately the US problem with Iran is a symptom of a pathological and fundamentally dysfunctional system of government where wealth dictates policy. To that, I don't see a solution coming anytime soon*, so I don't see a solution to the current US-Iran standoff coming soon either. Like I said before, even supposing that Obama wanted to reach some sort of deal with Iran, at the very least Iran would require a lifting of sanctions. Who knows where that could lead! The US and Iran may - gasp! - actually start to get along! What would Israel and AIPAC and Adelson say! What American politician would dare stand up in Congress in favor of Obama, and risk AIPAC's ire? Nope. Not gonna happen. The truth is that the US is bound by its own restraints in dealing with Iran.
* unless Iran finds a way to attract elite interests...but if the oil lobbies and the combined interests of US manufacturing etc can't fight off sanctions laws, who can?
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