This Iran thing is bugging me

The real left-wing media (which I listen to quite faithfully, by the way, and which should not be confused with what the right-wingers call "left-wing media") has been warning of an impending attack on Iran for some time now. Frankly, I didn't give it much credence, mostly because the whole thing seemed so ridiculous that it's hard to take seriously. I watched President Bush's speech two nights ago, and last night I reached a tipping point.

Too many things are happening together at the same time, and I'm starting to get worried that something really ugly might happen: war with Iran.
- Bush ordered the raids against Iranians in Iraq, treading on or near diplomatic boundaries
- This occurred nearly coincidentally with his speech about sending another 20,000 troops to Iraq
- Bush threatened Iran in his speech.
- Bush has deployed a Carrier Group off Iran's coast
- We do not have diplomatic relations with Iran - we don't talk to them, really
- Bush's Iraq plans (adding 20,000 troops to Iraq) won't help the situation in Iraq.

This is not a rational action.

- With Saddam Hussein dead, there is no 'obvious' enemy: Forget al-Qaeda
- Is Iran a substitute Saddam Hussein?
- The Congress has very little power to stop the President in these matters
- It struck me that Bush looked scared during his speech, like he was afraid of what he was about to do.
- Very few people, 'experts' and constituents alike, support the President's 20,000 troop proposal.
- Bush doesn't care what we, or the experts, think. He's single-minded and blinkered in his own decision making.

I think President Bush is not behaving rationally. Maybe he never has.

I am afraid he is trying to push us into a war with Iran. This would result in a lot of death. Both our guys and their guys. And it's not going to accomplish a damn thing, except cement Bush's presidency as the most shameful in the history of the United States.

I've been thinking about what to do, and I'm falling back on my old standards. I've sent a letter to the White House. I am going to be contacting my representatives. I'm going to be talking to my friends; even people I don't know that well. Heck, I'm sending out a mass-email... I don't normally do that. I want to spread the idea that war with Iran is completely wrong and unacceptable. My hope is that if enough people speak out, even Bush will listen.I urge you all to write the President, your Representatives, and Senators to speak out against military action with Iran.

The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/House of Representative: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Here's some of the articles I've read recently that got me so worried:Excerpt from New York Times Article: Rice
Says Bush Authorized Iranians’ Arrest in Iraq http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/world/middleeast/13strategy.html

What do Iraq vets think of the 20,000 troops: a real on-the-ground perspective: http://www.iava.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2339&Itemid=116

More military opinions on the 20,000 troop concept: http://www.iava.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2336&Itemid=116

Finally, I wasn't all that hot on the idea of impeachment, as I didn't think it would do much good, but I think it is coming close to the time to play that card. I think we may have a mad dog in the White House. If nothing else, impeachment will so distract him that he won't have time to go to war with Iran and we can get someone else in there in 2008.

This is nuts.
It has to stop.

Pete