Iran imploding
dasvidana
Grand Junction CO Posts: 1,349
Am horrified by what I see on the news and in the blogosphere. If any PJ fans have family or friends living in Iran, I sincerely hope they are safe.
It's nice to be nice to the nice.
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It's evolution -- and revolution -- baby.
for the least they could possibly do
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/1 ... 15189.html
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
People that still think they have the power to change the world amuse.
I love that there are crickets chirping at the White House. I hope we stay out of this. WAY out of this. Let these people figure out their own government, it's the only way to do it. Besides, if Iran really is a nation of TURRRRRRORISTS, and keeping TURRRRRORISTS in disarray is the best way to keep them from attacking us, then the job is being done for us, and we can't be blamed for what's happening over there. Unless the CIA is somehow involved in some of this...
hard to say ... this is how the US first overthrew the Iranian gov't ... what is interesting is that prior to the election - all the polls had the incumbant winning by a large margin ...
agreed.
i know it's a novel concept in our country, but i think it would serve us best, and the rest of the world...if we would learn to mind our own business and stay out of other countries' affairs unless absolutely necessary. and given just how RARE it truly is, or should be, for our involvement to be absolutely necessary, we should keep out of it 99.98% of the time. this situation definitely fits within the criteria of staying the fuck out.
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
Despite attempts to shield the increasing brutality through an international media blackout, the world is witnessing the Iranian people heroically and courageously defying the authority and ruthlessness of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic system.
Iranians are expanding their nonviolent demonstrations and expressing legitimate demands for freedom and human rights, despite violent and indiscriminate suppression attempts by the mullah regime’s Basij militia and thugs.
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What's The Big Story? Find out at dallasnews.com/opinion
Blog: Opinion
The decision of Khamenei to personally address the protests at Friday’s prayer event and to violently attempt to quell the latest demonstrations speaks volumes about the seriousness of the threat of the civil disobedience.
The overwhelming majority of Iranians do not support the mullah regime, and they realize the government has retained power through the use of sheer brute force. Iranians have long been aware that their elections are a sham to serve a two-fold purpose of legitimatizing the Islamic Republic system and showcasing a make-believe democracy for the outside world.
As the world is witnessing, there is a tech-savvy, vibrant Iranian freedom movement challenging the mullahs that predates the recent presidential election. This is much more than a spontaneous uprising. Since the contested June 12 election, the mullah leadership is ever more divided and the foundation of the system is severely fractured. The continuation of the current state of affairs has broadened the internal rift within its various political elites.
The Iranian people are aware that Mir Hossein Mousavi has been part of the Islamic Republic power structure and thus is not a viable long-term leader of the reform movement. However, they also realize that Mousavi is a useful figure to temporarily rally around because the leadership initially was hesitant to try to crush the massive protests perceived to be organized by one of their own handpicked presidential candidates and former prime minister.
Going forward, the genuine leadership of Iran will emerge from the figurative brothers and sisters of Neda, the heroic young lady who appears to have been brutally murdered by the regime’s thugs Saturday.
Meanwhile, at the opportune time, the freedom movement will bring increasingly massive numbers of Iranians into the streets in a sustained fashion to overwhelm the security forces. Some of these forces may well refuse to suppress the demonstrators. The scale of the protests also will expand to include strikes in the bazaar, petroleum and mass transit sectors, and further challenge the theocratic system.
An obvious next objective could be the open call for regime change to create a free and secular government and perhaps a United Nations-monitored referendum on the Islamic Republic system.
Today Iran is at a historical juncture, the outcome of which will have significant long-term effects on the Persian Gulf and beyond. Success for this freedom movement would certainly become a powerful stabilizing force.
The unpleasant alternative would likely be more lost decades of totalitarian rule, human rights abuses, regional threats and the continued export of international terrorism, potentially abetted with nuclear weapons.
It is vital for the international community and all freedom-loving people to support the home-grown movement in Iran through means that do not undermine its independence.
The ruling mullahs must understand that they will ultimately be held accountable for their brutal attempts to forcibly destroy the nonviolent civil disobedience and the aspirations of the Iranian people to be governed by a free and just system.
Darab Ganji is a political economist and guest lecturer at SMU’s John Tower Center for Political Studies; he is a board member of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations and lived in Iran for 14 years before the 1979 revolution. Robert Jordan was U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2001-03), is Diplomat in Residence and an adjunct professor at SMU’s John Tower Center for Political Studies and is a senior partner at Baker Botts LLP.
he's defending them right now...happy?
So... what is YOUR suggestion? Meddle in Iranian Elections? Who are WE to speak of Democracy when we went through the same thing in 2000? Did you think back then that Iran should have done something to remedy our election? Who put us in charge of everything?
Hail, Hail!!!
It is hard to say...though this isn't how we did it the first time. The first time we arrested the leader that the Iranian people actually elected and then eventually installed a different leader.
Exactly, it's really none of our fucking business. Last time I checked, Iran was it's own country.
actually it didn't work the first time ... the first approach was paying people to riot in the streets and essentially causing shit ... then attempt a coup ...
a few things are certain, given history. the US IS involved, in some way. whether strictly financial or directly instigating the protests- or influencing government policy, its guaranteed the US is involved in the situation in Iran.
so let me get this straight. the leader of Iran was a tyrant, and now the people got really pissed off, and they're letting him know it?
and through this, they hope to establish a real form of government, not some George Orwell - 1984 regime?
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"If I wanted you to understand, I would have explained it better"
Johan Cruijff
What happened was an unfair election, in which it looks like votes weren't even counted, before Ahmedinajad was declared the winner. People are protesting this, want a fair proper election, and riot police and the current government is attempting to quell protests with violence and murder, and terror, but people are staying strong.
R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
R.i.p. Black Tail (cat) - Sept. 20, 2008
no, the president of Iran is pretty much just a spokesperson, they don't have much real power
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
Actually there is no proof to what she said and the letter that was circulated which the protesters used as proof turned out to be fake. In fact the most conclusive poll that was conducted before the elections gave Ahmadinejad a 2-1 advantage. Even the most unbiased reporting (who support the protesters, i.e. Robert Fisk) agree that Ahmadinejad is the likely winner they just beefed up his win margin to make it more conclusive. This is why the protesters have switched tack in their protests and start calling for regime change.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Exactly. The hypocrisy is fucking breathtaking.
Also, try telling Latin Americans how concerned you are about democracy and about removing brutal regimes and they will laugh in your faces.