Don't sell that Gold just yet

Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of the Pentagon's New Map and other internationalist non-fiction, gives good insight on his blog about current events. A recent post commented on President Bush's trip to the Israeli Knesset and upon reading and re-reading Bush's words, it occurs to me that Barnett may have a striking point.

Barnett says that "Bush calling Iran the equivalent of Nazi Germany is his way of signaling the White House's pre-approval for any Israeli military strikes on his watch." Now that makes total sense.

The exact words by Bush from that speech are:

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

Aside from violating Godwin's Principle, Bush has clearly targeted Iran, yes Iran with a defense budget of less than 1% of the US', as the latest bogeyman worthy of annihilation. Never mind that analogies to Nazi Germany are completely absurd. When the bombs launch, so will gold, US Treasuries and oil futures.