For the US even to get to a place where it could be "spun" that we are acting alone would be a catastrophe.

Just because "the US is a Nazi regime" is utter crap does not stop miliions upon millions of people around this earth from believing it, and from lapping it up when it is further fed to them by the likes of Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan, and for that matter, the BBC, exploiting every opportunity to spread that meme.

"Communism will work after we slaughter all it's opponents" was idiotic.... and people bought and acted on it. "The Jews deserve to die en mass" was idiotic, and people bought and acted on it. And both times nearly destroyed civilization.

If the US does not get OTHER countries front and center, and prominently so, bad bad things could result. And it is damn sure time for those other countries to step up to the frikkin' plate.

Andrew;

I must disagree, primarily because as your example illustrate, it is impossible to be at a place where it will not be spun that the USA was acting unilaterally. The facts are irrelevant, witness the WMD in Iraq controversy. That was spun as President Bush acting alone, despite all of the supporting rhetoric that predated the invasion. This will be no different, regardless of what is said or done by any other nation.

Andrew: I just don't see any other solution than the US acting alone, even if other nations are rhetorically supportive. The only two nations that might be willing to participate militarilly are Israel and Iraq, and we'd be better off with both of them out of the picture.

Anti-Americanism is anti-americanism and the facts are not acknowledged. Until the time comes, we must protect our citizens first and foremost, including our anti-americans. If the world will not pre-empt but only react after a strike, then let it be somewhere else.

Wretchard has a great post at the Belmont Club today about the situation in Europe today, comparing it with the Phoney War period of September 1939-May 1940. Comments are also good.

Sorry, I'm not smart enough to set up a link.

There is no harm in having political and moral support, even from former members of the axis of weasels. Tnere is great harm, however, in politically driven "coalition warfare."

There are formulae for military success, the "Principles of War," which we ignore only at our peril. The semi-educated prate of "civilian control," and quote their single line of Clausewitz as justification for thinking two plus two equals five, if the Party says so.

Thus, "Unity of Command" is twisted into "Unity of Effort;" "Mass" and "Offensive" are deformed into "Restraint," and the confusion and disaster of Mogadishu is written large, very large.

The error is the familiar one of scale. Small wars docrine--the hearts and minds business--is allowed to subsume how real wars are fought.

Taking down a major regional power is not "Small Wars" or "Military Operations Other Than War." It is war. Wars are won by fast, sharp, focused action, action without permission slips.

Now as to the "peace movement." Very little of their motivation has to do with foreign affairs. They are motivated first by the memory, sometimes personal, sometimes corporate, of the shame of Vietnam cowardice and slacking, and further by Oedipal rage against all of Western civilization.

The so called "peace movement" is in fact just a front for all of the "unreconstructed" Marxists who continue to try to destroy this country from within. They still don't understand that the communist system had a 70 year experimental run and was an utter failure. Because most of the leaders of Europe still hold a soft spot in their hearts for Marx and Lenin, don't expect much from most of Western Europe if the USA takes unilateral military action against Iran. It is somewhat reassuring to hear Merkel say what she did about Iran viz a viz Israel and the Jews. Recall that she grew up in East Germany and saw the worthlessness of communism up close.
The USA will continue to be villified for taking action and will be villified if she does not.

Saw a political cartoon recently in which Ahmadinejad says: "The Holocaust never happened...but we're working on it!"

Here's a link to the blog post that jdkelly mentioned.

But part of what I say is not just "cover" for us, but forcing many or our allies... or "allies".... to get out in front and fight.

The future of the West is at stake here, and we are a family whose Big Daddy has been perfectly content to let his 35-year-old children sleep in the room they grew up in and eat Mom's meals day in and day out, apperently forever.

Ya think these 35-year-olds are gonna be stand up players Dad gets sick or the house burns down or the family goes broke? And in the end, is that as much Dad's fault as it is the kids?

Simply put, Europe, scary as it sounds, needs to tell the world they are willing to go to war for the preservation of Western Civilization, and be believed. That will NOT happen if it is the US doing all the heavy lifting here.... AGAIN!

It will not happen, and it cannot happen, unless Dad forces it to. And he must.

We can hold North America alone. We can NOT hold together the West alone, especially given the number of Westerners who are not just refusing to help, but actively and forthrightly aiding the totalitarian enemy, and smug about doing so.

Decisions, actions, and the lack thereof have consequences.

The rubber has now hit the road. No more bulls***. It is time to decide, and the US can NOT, under any circumstances, sheild any ally or "ally", from those consequences.

Andrew: Who among our allies is able to do what?

David, I think we all might be surprised at what they collectively would be ABLE to do, but the real question is their will to commit.

Perhaps one thing they could do would be to stay out of our way, cheerlead and hold our coats, as required.

One other consideration is they may well become fully engaged in maintaining order at home. The German Army spared Paris. Will their immigrants?

DC - Very few, and very little.

THAT is the problem. And THAT is the death of the West as we know it, as we are not enough to hold up the entire edifice. We simply are not, and as long as we try alone, millions of Westerners and Third Worlders will call us Nazis, and tens of millions will swallow that whole and act on it, and sign up with Ahmadinejad and Chavez et al.

So our ostensible allies must be FORCED to do whatever they can, publicly and prominently, if "the West" is to be saved.

As to capabilities, you might be surprised at what people or nations can do when the cold blade is really and truly at their throat. If the blade is there and they STILL can't or won't act, maybe Darwin is right, and their doom is pre-destined. Their call. And the US needs to know one way or another to act accordingly.

"The WILL is everything...... the will to act."

Wow. Genicis and I are posting the same thing at the same moment.

Tells ya something right there.

I still have a hard time seeing the impotence of Europe as anything but a feature, rather than a bug.

I actually am impressed that she said that. That will not be ignored, the sleeper will find those word being injected into his dreams.
"It is now safe to voice my concerns."

Hope the sleeper wakes soon.
God help the muslims if he does.

Forget military help or action - when the announcement is made that Iran is now under attack, simply get Angela Merkel, Tony Blair, and yes, Chirac (or whomever is running the show) to announce their support immediately afterwards. And Kofi Annan, too.

Syria will probably get it first (especially after allowing the Danish Embassy to be attacked today), but that is all I would want from the "allies" - an announcement that they support our action, all the way. They can help with logistics, food, medicine, fuel, whatever. But get on TV and say the right things as strongly as possible.

Bush gave them their chance to work it out diplomatically. They owe him no less. That way, Israel is in the shadows, and Iraq can watch the flyovers. And if the rest of the Muslim world goes nuts, then give the Saudis a very private warning about certain parts of their territory. Tell them to get the word out to every mosque and madrassa and minaret - the Americans are doing the right thing.

Jim: That's a nice example of where we are. Allowing a foreign country's embassy to get torched is a causus belli, but what's Denmark going to do about it?

David,

Denmark is a founding member of NATO. What's that about an attack on one is an attack on all? And I hear there's a NATO member or two who have some serious military assets quite close to Syria these days...

Ha, good point. Remember Denmark!