Death to Dictatorship: U.S. Must Support Revolution in Iran
Iranian dissidents are risking their lives fighting for their future. The silence from the White House is deafening.
Natan Sharansky believes every dictatorship shares certain inherent similarities. In his book The Case for Democracy, the former Soviet dissident explains how there are three groups of people in all totalitarian societies: the true believers, those who support the ideology of the regime; the dissidents, those who actively resist and oppose the regime; and the double-thinkers, those who reject the legitimacy of the regime but are unwilling to openly protest for fear of retribution. “The bulk of the population are double-thinkers,” Sharansky states. “That means people who already have problems, or doubts, or are in deep disagreement with the regime, but are afraid to express it,” the onetime political prisoner clarifies.
That is what now appears to be happening across Iran in response to this blatantly rigged election: the once-intimidated double-thinkers are becoming proactive dissidents. The shadowy clerics who rule Iran brazenly undermined the facade of fair elections and reappointed their puppet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency. Calling the “reelection” of Ahmadinejad a “divine assessment,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei shamelessly ignored his own phony electoral rules and reinstalled his presidential stooge in one of the most palpable and indisputable hijackings of democracy since 1933. In response, the entire nation is rioting and on the precipice of insurrection — even revolution, one could only hope.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets chanting “Death to the dictatorship!” and “We want freedom!” Some accounts have said the number of protesters could be as high as three million. In retaliation, the regime has blocked cell phone service and text messaging, shut down gas stations, and blocked Facebook, YouTube, and other networking websites. Certain television stations and opposition newspapers have been shut down — to which Ahmadinejad coldly replied, “Newspapers come and go. Don’t worry about it.” Foreign journalists have been kicked out of the country. Revolutionary Guard thugs have taken to the streets as well, as have regime-loyalist Basij paramilitaries who are out in full force beating, clubbing, machete-slicing, tear-gassing, shooting, arresting, and killing the protesters. One report said upwards of 100 people were killed in Tehran alone. That number is unconfirmed, however.
Should these protests be nurtured and encouraged to proceed to their logical conclusion, this could turn into the best development to come out of the Middle East in sixty years. Should the protesters and rioters be aided, our greatest adversary could become one of our greatest allies overnight. This is a perfect opportunity to advantageously exploit. But how is the United States responding?
Vice President Biden said, “We’re going to withhold comment.” Secretary of State Clinton said, “The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran.” The State Department has refused to condemn the regime’s brutal crackdown. Press Secretary Gibbs said, “Like the rest of the world, we were impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians. We continue to monitor the entire situation closely, including reports of irregularities.” One unnamed White House official said, “There’s no reason to think the [Iranian] regime is not in control.” Another said, “[The election result] might also cause engagement to proceed more swiftly.”
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Nicholas Guariglia is a foreign policy analyst and columnist who writes on Islam and Middle Eastern geopolitics. He is a contributing editor for Family Security Matters and blogs at WorldThreats.com. He can be reached at nickguar@gmail.com.
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34 Comments
1. Delia:Doh boy would rather skip pebbles on the pond of ripple-less, self-serving, teleprompter safe waters of indecision rather than confront any sort of controversy head-on but ‘voting present’ as president just doesn’t cut it any longer.
Meanwhile, ‘pretty words’ do not serve the world and blinky, buttercup, panty waist prissy prezzydent finds himself without his usual empty rhetoric to fill time with. Shocker.
Jun 17, 2009 - 1:26 am 2. vivo:“Death to Dictatorship: U.S. Must Support Revolution in Iran”
How?
There is no revolution in Iran. They want to count the votes.
Jun 17, 2009 - 2:27 am 3. jb:U.S. condemnation of women-beating, election rigging, theocratic murderers in the Middle East should be done daily, not just on special occasions like a bad election in Iran. There should be no doubts in the world’s mind about America’s stance on the issue of basic human rights.
We have instead, a president who wants to continually apologize for America’s historic stand against murder, rape, and pillage; he wants to make nice with these thugs. He is an embarrassment to the American heritage and to all those who have sacrificed so much for us and the greater part of western Europe to enjoy our collective freedoms.
Michelle Obama said she was proud of America for the first time,,, well, friends and neighbors, for the first time in my life, I’m ashamed of America.
Jun 17, 2009 - 3:56 am 4. David Thomson:Many people of Iranian descent apparently describe themselves as caucasian. Alas, they are bewildered with the overwhelming probability that Barack Obama perceives these same individuals as a bunch of dark skinned people victimized by white Western imperialists. Huh, how can this be? Logic has little do with anything. The politically correct establishment flips out when seeing pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini dressed in a robe and wearing a turban on top of his head. The Obama administration is also feckless and out of its depth. Things, however, get considerably worse when it deals with “non-whites.” It gets totally discombobulated and is rendered impotent and confused.
Jun 17, 2009 - 4:11 am 5. ajacksonian:The political Left sounds like a bunch of Kremlinologists as the Soviet regime was decaying in the late ’80s.
What is a major difference in Iran is that the ‘double-thinkers’ are without jobs: the Nation has a 40% unemployment rate. Thus you can have the spectacle of daily million+ protesters showing up *and* continue on business as usual in a very stagnant economy. One of the main ‘concerns’ is inability to get a job. Or get educated. And even those in the civil service have extreme back-pay issues with teachers getting shafted for months on getting paid. Then throw in the natural gas price extortion scheme run via powers outside either Tehran or the Kremlin, and you have a regime that cannot stand up to the Red Mafia, can’t provide a good business climate, can’t provide fuel… yeah, those ‘concerns’ start to out-weigh the other ones as they ARE basic survival needs.
And a quick note: when you have to demand that your vote BE counted, you have just asked for a revolutionary idea that YOU have say IN government.
Protests like this can go very peacefully (ex. Poland, Philippines, Czechoslovakia, Hungary) or get to a short blood-letting (ex. Romania) or hit the pot (ex. 1917 Revolutions in Russia, Spanish civil war, Lebanon). The former of peaceful mass changes involved very, very little bloodshed to *none*. The regime in Iran has crossed that line, already. Next up is a short, swift end to the regime… here’s hoping for that. I do not wish the last on any society, but the 1917 Revolution where the Army came back and sided with the people, well that is heartening as the Army in Iran is conscript and more professional than the IRGC, terrorists, Baseej… that could go very quickly if the Army stepped in to support a transition of power.
We in the US can support Iran by upholding that we will aid a free and fairly elected government chosen by the people, without any rigging of candidates or the system by the regime, and the election held under international scrutiny… just like the Left always asks for everywhere else before now. Unless you can’t stomach supporting liberty and freedom, of course, then do keep up acting like Kremlinologists in the late 1980’s. They were soon obsoleted by events.
Jun 17, 2009 - 4:19 am 6. noreen:I am sure our fearless leader sypathizes with the dictatorial regime. It says volumes that he does not denounce the dictators and freedom squashers. He better take a good long look. Much more of him destroying our country, out liberies, our economy, our culture, our sovereinty and the streets of DC may look like those of Tehran. Can’t happen soon enough for me
Jun 17, 2009 - 4:33 am 7. Old Soldier:So let a group of thugs retain there dictatorship so we can negotiate with them? Only a Chicago thug would think this is a good idea.
Jun 17, 2009 - 4:39 am 8. Brian Richard Allen:The training-wheels-equipped sinister-Svengali-operated sail-eared simpleton empty-galabia glove-puppet and that other couple of mobbed-up modified-Marxist morons, the intellectually and morally bereft Plugs Biden and Herr Heinous, Hitlery, have all voted “Present” on the 2009 Iranian Revolution.
The United States feral gummint is in the hands of a charismatic ideologue and his extended crime family.
God save Iran’s young men and women.
God save us all!
Brian Richard Allen
Jun 17, 2009 - 5:25 am 9. The Shadow:Los Angeles Califobambicated 90028
And the Far Abroad
No matter who wins in Iran we still have to deal with teh most important question of an Iran with a nuclear bomb. Since Obama cannot control what happens with the election, I think he is wise not to hype the rhetoric. I notice that Richard Luga, the Republican Senator with the most foreign policy experience agrees with him.
Jun 17, 2009 - 6:38 am 10. JED:One of the most underused words in the Obama administration is “freedom.” The domestic agenda of free stuff, taxing the rich, proping the unions, and massive government in our lives takes priority over the world’s best image of America: Freedom. Big government is a conflict to free enterprise, so that the sympathetic nod to the Iranian mullahs is to tsk-tsk the riots and vote “present.”
Jun 17, 2009 - 7:10 am 11. Hotpatch 6:Russia has the oil and air defense contracts in Iran and China has the oil and pipe line contracts. Both are in much greater proximity to Iran with more at stake in the outcome. America has little to lose and much to gain against those three countries by voicing the call to freedom. Obama can afford some more hypocracy by pitching freedom while he is busy at home redistributing the wealth.
Why should we support the so-called “revolution” in Iran? Regardless of the outcome, the Ayatollas and Mullahs will still call the shots and the Iranian people will still be held hostage by their religion. It is kind of like supporting the side that will take longer to kill you after they win. These are not rational, civilized people. If they were, they would have shed Islam long ago.
Jun 17, 2009 - 7:23 am 12. Meryl:“His administration’s jelly-spined non-judgmentalism has devolved into impotent and delusional relativism, and his personal hesitancy to condemn theocracy and tyranny — his tentativeness to actually lead and side with Iran’s democrats and dissidents — is intellectual nonsense and moral confusion of the highest order.”
What a great sentence!!
Very clearly expresses what a wuss POTUS is. And reminds me that nothing expressed in it is a surprise to anyone who has followed his public utterances the last 2 years.
Isn’t it just weird how seldom POTUS and his gang use words like
Jun 17, 2009 - 7:34 am 13. Meryl:continuation of 11– (forgot you can’t “tab in”)…..
words like….
liberty….brave…..freedom of thought….American ideals….individual…
scary…and weird….
Since they’re so smart (in their own opinions) you’d think that someone in their PR machine would remind them that a little flagwaving about freedom is a good thing…guess they just can’t bring themselves to even pretend to love freedom. Even though they can lie like a rug about everything and anything else.
Jun 17, 2009 - 7:38 am 14. Joel:Guariglia is a superb commentator.
Jun 17, 2009 - 8:17 am 15. Hyphenated American:Obama is quiet on Iran. A man has his priorities.
Jun 17, 2009 - 8:21 am 16. X Contra:http://hyphenatedamericans.blogspot.com/2009/06/obama-is-quiet-on-iran.html
I verify those statements from Natan Schcharansky.
A few years ago, a friend of mine told me about his youth in the Netherlands, during WWII. He was active in the resistance, and he told me the same kind of thing that Schcharansky said: In the Netherlands, there was a small fraction of the population who collaborated with the Nazi SS, a small fraction of the population active in the resistance, and the majority of the population who, as my friend put it, were asleep.
It also bugs me that Obama is so weak. Not just in this Iran emergency but ever since he assumed office. He sells America short, always weak. What a waste.
Jun 17, 2009 - 8:31 am 17. Middleman:What do you want him to do? Send tanks? Say that they support the protestors? That’s the quickest way to give an excuse for the Guardian Council to write off the protestors as US and Israeli stooges and to bring in the Revolutionary Guard to really start cracking skulls.
I prefer the Persians over Arabs, I’d like to Iran free from the mullahs because they’d probably would end up being of the our biggest allies in the region (they were the only ones outside the US allowed to use the F-14), but both sides of this Iranian coin are feverishly nationalistic and will want to finish things on their terms.
Jun 17, 2009 - 8:37 am 18. sjc-tx:Maybe ACORN and our state run media should go over to help out… They seem to be pretty good at “manipulating” elections…
Jun 17, 2009 - 8:38 am 19. Paul in MI:I agree with Shadow. What would a strongly worded condemnation from the US achieve in Iran? The important issue for us and the region is Iran’s nuclear program.
Jun 17, 2009 - 9:54 am 20. Free Hat:To the morons on this site, apparently the only effective foreign policy move during a contested election is to drop bombs and send the marines into Tehran with guns blazing to help the revolutionaries.
Could you imagine if China or Russia had tried to directly interfere with our elections? We would have gone rightly ballistic. Why should we think that we have the right to just barge in on another country’s political process? And furthermore, why do we think that getting involved directly with Iran’s election will even have a desired outcome? All it will do is give justification for the ruling theocracy to convince Iranians that America is interfering with their electoral process and hindering Iran’s right to sovereignty.
Iranians hating America instead of their tyrannical rulers = no revolution = no Democracy for Iran.
Jun 17, 2009 - 11:10 am 21. Aaron:So… Obama should voice his support for the dissidents? I find it amusing that the PJM crowd that constantly accuses Obama of spewing empty rhetoric is now criticizing him for not spewing empty rhetoric.
Jun 17, 2009 - 11:39 am 22. dontreadonme:I see the good Obamabots have memorized the MSNBCCNNABCNBCCBS scripts. Good boys, such good-good boys, yes you are, yes you are…here’s a biscuit, you good-good- boy you..
Jun 17, 2009 - 11:48 am 23. JED:Empty rhetoric and narcisstic apologies are what Obama does best. Let him be his best and spin some sky sucking platitudes about what might be right in America. That is better than bullets somewhere. That would be concurrent with the new era of responsibility and transparency.
Jun 17, 2009 - 11:58 am 24. David M. in Europe:The European and world press did have quite an influence in the last election. Where were the gone ballistics?
Iran’s nuclear program is subsidized by the Russians. More seriously,after Am-a Nut Job “won” the election, his first move was to Russia for more conferences. If there is a suspicious character in the crowd, look to Ivan. He has wanted a warm water port for a long time.
Congratulations America for creating/appointing/selecting of the most gutless, useless and coward president in your history. This man is much worse than despicable Jimmy Carter. The problem (as far as Iran is concerned) is Islam and the criminals who rule Iran are products of this cult of barbarity, violence, terror and death.
Jun 17, 2009 - 12:47 pm 25. Roderick Reilly:The other guy, Moussavi (sp?), is also part of the Iranian autocracy, so I’m not sure how this plays out as genuine democracy vs. dictatorship. It seems to be a Lenin vs. Trotsky kind of thing. I frankly don’t have a problem with lots of turmoil over there, if it weakens Iran enough so they are less capable of major mischief-making, and that’s a big IF, since it could cause the opposite to happen.
Jun 17, 2009 - 1:17 pm 26. Dave Surls:“Congratulations America for creating/appointing/selecting of the most gutless, useless and coward president in your history.”
You shouldn’t say that. It might make Jimmy Carter feel like a second-rater.
Jun 17, 2009 - 2:07 pm 27. Cybergeezer:From the reaction of our Campaigner in Chief, and what’s been coming out of the White House, what’s happening in Iran may look like what’s going to happen here in the U.S. after the next presidential election.
Jun 17, 2009 - 2:17 pm 28. Cybergeezer:Ya think Iran will meddle in our elections in 2012?
Jun 17, 2009 - 2:24 pm 29. Reaganite Republican Resistance:Our False Prophet appears to have no idea what a golden opportunity he is passing up… overthrow this evil regime without firing a single shot… get their Armageddon-inspired nuke program off the world stage… and free 30 million people all at one time. But the boy wonder is too stupid to see it… or somehow just doesn’t care?
Jun 17, 2009 - 4:15 pm 30. myth buster:Now watch Russia do something really stupid- come to the Mullahs’ aid. If things get too hot, the Guardian Council will pay Russia to make this go away for them, and Russia, eager to preserve their market, will foolishly oblige. One of these days, Iran is going to drag Russia into a nuclear war, and Russia will fall for it hook, line and sinker.
Jun 17, 2009 - 4:52 pm 31. Chris:Its hard to believe that a person trying to mend bridges is derided for that. What is the administration supposed to do? Make the current iranian government supported by the iraninan public again by interfering? I don’t know whats a Nazi/Communist/Fascist/Socialist supposed to do?
Jun 17, 2009 - 6:17 pm 32. Leatherneck:Get rid of 30 million illegal aliens sucking on the sugar tit, tax money for jail time, lowering the wage in blue coller employment, increased tax payer health care cost, and throwing trash on the back roads because they are to third world.
Then, see if I care what we do about Iran. First things first!
Jun 17, 2009 - 7:22 pm 33. Cybergeezer:Can’t see the U.S. getting involved now, not with this administration; Can’t tax it, regulate it, downsize it, or fire its leaders.
Jun 19, 2009 - 2:26 pm 34. Cybergeezer:The CIA is playing dead since Obama has said he’s in charge.
Jun 19, 2009 - 2:29 pm