End of The Great Satan Narrative: Why An American-Iranian Truce Is Not So Far-Fetched

"It’s not the fear of Iranian nuclear weapons that makes the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff so reluctant to get involved in a war with Iran. Those weapons don’t exist, and the whole justification for the war would be to make sure that they never do.

The problem is that there’s nothing the U.S. can do to Iran, short of nuking the place, that would really force Tehran to kneel and beg for mercy. It can bomb Iran’s nuclear sites and military installations to its heart’s content, but everything it destroys can be rebuilt in a few years. And there is no way that the United States could actually invade Iran." - Gwynne Dyer, "No Way Can US Win A Non-Nuclear War With Iran," August 19, 2010. 

Is this the age of violent revolutions, prolonged wars, and military coups?

Or is this the age of peaceful change, global cooperation, and mutual respect between countries?

War in the nuclear era is the height of folly. It is illogical and stupid. Peace is the only sensible way forward.

An American-Iranian peace deal will improve the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, calm regional tensions, transform Muslim attitudes about America, and restore credibility to American power in the region.

Such a transformative deal is on the horizon, but nothing is certain yet. Thierry Meyssan writes in his article, "The Sore Losers of the Syrian Crisis," that the United States is no longer interested in removing Bashar al-Assad from power and has drawn up a peace plan with Russia, which will be materialized after the election. An attack on Iran also appears to be off the table. Meyssan says:

At the same time, the New York Times revealed that direct negotiations between Washington and Iran are slated to restart even as the United States continues its attack on Iranian monetary values. It is becoming clear that, after 33 years of containment, Washington is acknowledging that Teheran is an established regional power, all the while continuing to sabotage its economy.

This new situation comes at the expense of Saudi Arabia, France, Israel, Qatar and Turkey all of whom had placed their bets on regime change in Damascus. This diverse coalition is now suffering divisions between those demanding a consolation prize and those trying to sabotage outright the process underway.

Hillary Mann Leverett, a former National Security Council official, is the most passionate and consistent public advocate of an American-Iranian rapprochement. She spoke at the Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference in Washington on October 26, presenting the case that America has gotten the Islamic Republic of Iran all wrong because American thinking is guided by mythology instead of reality. Here is an excerpt from her talk:

"for over 30 years, we in the United States—and particularly here in Washington—have put forward a series of myths about the Islamic Republic of Iran: that it’s irrational, illegitimate, and vulnerable. And in so doing, we have consistently misled the American public and our allies about what policies will work” to deal with the Islamic Republic."

Helping to end Washington's anti-Iranian propaganda is only half the battle. The Ayatollahs in Iran must also end their anti-American propaganda and stop labeling the United States the Great Satan. Both sides must play nice and learn to cooperate with each other.

Leaders in Iran, America, and Israel have to stop walking on the old path of extremism and war. For the sake of peace and co-existence among nations, they must create a new path. The moderates must rise and make themselves heard.  

The project of rebranding America's international role as reality reasserts itself in the Middle East will be a long one. U.S. leaders have to re-earn the trust of the American people and the international community. Due to the global political awakening, they can't use fear-mongering tactics to get their way with the American people and the world, as they have for decades.

History cannot be stopped in its tracks. The 9/11 myth and war on terror consensus have reached the end of the ideological line. The global war on terror was always a bankrupt war, intellectually, morally, politically, and legally. And the war has bankrupted the United States, which was the real and original purpose.

An American-Israeli attack on Iran will achieve nothing but further destroy the American economy and America's image. It must be prevented. Instead of getting worried about non-existent nuclear weapons in Iran, America must look inward and worry about collapsing infrastructure, rampant financial corruption, economic collapse, citizen distrust, and political discontent. Going to war with Iran will not solve these problems, but exacerbate them.