Oh, Shiite!

Last year, Bush invoked a sophomoric vision of a Sunni based restoration of the Caliphate under the leadership of Al Qaeda as the new boogieman justifying our bloated military industrial complex and neo-colonial foriegn policy. In reponse, I wrote an article about the much more tangible threat posed by a newly energized Shiite pan-nationalism, unified by opposition to the United States. Now it seems everyone is jumping on the boat and talking about the rise of a new Shia power in the Middle East.

Chris Matthews, who is a fairly reliable weathervane of Conventional Wisdom, made dire editorial sounds on his show regarding the effect of the Iraq war on the Shia: matthewsiraq.320.240.mov (video/quicktime Object).

Last night, Vali Nasr was on the Daily Show with his new book, "The Shia Revival," all about how American policy is galvanizing a resurgence of pan-national Shia collaboration and power.

Everything is coming up Shia.

Let me just say this: Told you so…