For those of you unfamiliar with the nefarious history of United States politics, allow me to reintroduce the Iran-Contra Affair. During the final year of President Jimmy Carter (a Democrat) first term in office, the United States embassy in Iran was taken over by Neo-Conservative Islamist who now run the Iranian government. Beginning on November 4, 1979 and ending on January 20, 1981. The hostages were released the day President Ronald Reagan (a patriarch of Neo-Conservative Republican's) was sworn into office.
On first thought, some might say the presence of a staunch conservative would make sense in handling foreign policy. President Reagen ran against former President Gerald Ford, beating him in the 1976 Republican primary criticizing Ford for not being militaristic enough. A cruel dose of historic irony, it was an old school conservative (one might refer to him as a moderate) President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who warned of the great threat to American democracy with the growing presence of the U.S. Military Industrial Complex. This thought held much sway during the Reagen presidency, until the Iran-Contra scandal was uncovered. Essentially, the Reagan administration committed an act of treason by selling an immense amount of arms to the very same Iranian government which had invaded the U.S Embassy in 1979. This seditious act was brought before the American public and the U.S. congress. In the end, scape goats were blamed and the Reagen administration was merely rebuked. The language of the conviction only stated that members of the Executive Staff facilitated the trade of arms for hostages and later cash, through Israel and onto Iran.
During the Reagan administration, the Executive branch assisted both Iraq and Iran with weapons and training during the Iran-Iraq war which ran from 1980-1989. President George H.W. Bush (Vice President at the time) was credited with handling the entire special operations training of the Iraq army, the same army he would send U.S. troops to fight during his administration and the same army which would take thousands of U.S. troops lives during the second War in Iraq. President George W. Bush would finish what his father was unable to start, only after he ignored dozens of C.I.A. warnings that Al-Qaeda was preparing a large scale attack on U.S. soil. Remember, Bush the Second accused Saddam of assisting Al-Qaeda, as rational for the Second Iraq War.
This is a very relevant point in history because it shows how conservative's throughout the world will conspire to overthrow Democracy, even in the United States of America. We now see the Arab and Muslim world filled with anger as a Neo-Conservative video circulates, which was meant to insight rage by slandering the Patriarch of the Muslim faith. This is the world we live in, when the Republican presidential candidates can refer to our current President as being weak on foreign policy; at the same time he can count on full support from the U.S. Christian Right, which is becoming evident that they are responsible for the financing and promotion of the volatile video.
As Romney continues his bid for President, never forget that he runs with the same pack of Neo-Conservative which consistently undermine U.S. Foreign policy and in turn attempt to stymie the U.S. Democratic process at home. We must change the way the world views the United States, not by declaring Russia our biggest enemy and Iran out greatest threat, as Romney loves to do. Rather we must continue to follow the wisdom of our beloved President Barack Obama in his attempt to build the Middle Class at home and through out the world in promoting Health Care, Education and most importantly Peace.
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