Only a fool, or the ultimate insider, would try to predict the outcome of the elaborate passion play–aka “elections”–now being staged in Iran. But clearly the hatred an awful lot of Iranians harbor for the regime is now being played out in the streets of Tehran and, most likely, many other cities across the country. Reporters in Tehran are using very strong language to describe the anti-regime demonstrations:
From the London Times:
It was open insurrection, a rebellion of a sort seldom seen in the 30-year history of the Islamic Republic, an eruption of pent-up rage against the repressive Government of President Ahmadinejad.
“Death to the Government,” chanted the several thousand Iranians packed into a football stadium in Tehran. “Death to dictators,” roared the young men and women, draped in green shirts, ribbons, bandanas and headscarves to signal their support for Mir Hossein Mousavi.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Tens of thousands of demonstrators formed a 12-mile human chain across Iran’s capital city Monday, chanting for change, in scenes reminiscent of the 1979 revolution.
These are accounts of two different demonstrations, one in a football stadium, the other on the main street in downtown Tehran. Both cite demonstrators shouting “Death to the dictator,” “Death to the government of lies,” and other phrases that leave no doubt about their desires: they want an end to the oppressive regime.
Their candidate is the former prime minister, Mir Hossein Mousavi, an architect who designed some of the most oppressive features of the Islamic Republic when the Ayatollah Khomeini was the country’s Supreme Leader, and who has been absent from public life for twenty years. By all accounts he is an uninspiring figure, a boring speaker, and an ineffective debater (he was beaten badly in a televised debate with President Ahmadinezhad the other night). So what can account for the frenzy on his behalf?
For one thing, he is not Ahmadinezhad, for whom there is a lot of hatred. The current circus is taking place against a background of mounting repression, featuring public executions of many young people (some said to be homosexuals), mass arrests, summary closing of the few remaining quasi-independent publications, increased censorship of telephone and internet communications, and a lot of nasty action against young people who do not meet the strict dress code and decorum rules imposed by the theocratic dictatorship.
That so many people would openly defy such a regime is certainly significant, and it may well be that the reporters who see the current demonstrations as revolutionary, or at least insurrectionary, are quite right. I have long said that the Iranian people despise the regime, do not want an Islamic Republic, and wish to be part of the Western world, not part of a fanatical regime whose essence consists in supporting anti-American and anti-Israeli terrorism, denying the Holocaust, and singing praises to martyrdom.
In that way, Mousavi can be viewed as similar to the failed “reformer,” Mohammad Khatami, who was unexpectedly elected president in 1997. I once wrote that Khatami was the empty vessel into which the Iranian people had poured their passionate desire for freedom. Khatami did not reform much of anything, and many Iranians came to view him as a stalking horse for the regime’s hard-liners, luring dissidents into the open so that they could be marginalized, tortured, incarcerated and murdered.
But I think Mousavi is different. And the big difference is his wife. As the Times tells us:
The biggest roar of the afternoon was reserved for the main speaker, Zahra Rahnavard, Mr Mousavi’s wife. “You’re here because you don’t want any more dictatorship,” she declared. “You’re here because you hate fanaticism, because you dream of a free Iran, because you dream of a peaceful relationship with the rest of the world.” The candidate himself was nowhere to be seen…
That Ms Rahnavard has become a central figure in the circus is a big surprise, and perhaps revolutionary in itself. As we all know, women are diminished in the Islamic Republic (as throughout much of the “Islamic world”), to an extent unthinkable in civilized countries. Women are officially worth half a man, have no property rights, have little formal say in the education of their children, have severely limited job opportunities (Khomeini ranted against the shah’s regime in no small part because women were permitted to teach boys) and of course are compelled to cover their bodies, including their hair, lest the sight of them corrupt the otherwise virtuous men. Even Shirin Ebadi, the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, is regularly silenced or put under virtual house arrest when the rulers decide they’ve had enough of her prattle about human rights.
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33 Comments
1. Iran emotionally and ideologically split ahead of presidential elections « The Western Experience:[...] Pajamas Media |
Jun 11, 2009 - 4:10 am 2. Lawrence Kohn:Ledeen’s guarded optimism has merit but I don’t believe that the notion that all candidates are connected to the regime is out of the question. Given that Rahnavard is Mousavi’s wife one is entitled to be suspicious. Khatami, indeed, was a stalking horse for the regime in the late 1990s and he, in fact, was the head of terror operations in the 80s when he was minister of cultural guidance ( see my article in Midstream April 1999 The New Russia and Iranian Moderates). Rafsanjani over the years has played both the extremist and the moderate in the internal dramas of Iranian politics as broadcast to the West. Also, one wonders what role the KGB is playing in Iran at the moment. Under Primakov hundreds of agents were sent to Iran and the KGB itself played a role in the Iranian revolution. As to the Gorbachev example, I think Ledeen is mistaken in saying Soviet Communism ended feebly. All that happened was the Soviet elite, with KGB in charge, transferred authority from the Party to a multiparty system represented by a variety of open communist and formerly communist leaders. There were name changes and some liberalization but Yeltsin carried out most of Soviet Russia’s foreign connections with clients such as Iran, continued to build new nuclear missiles and once his liberal appearance had brought Russia into the G-7 and other western economic institutions, Yeltsin resigned, appointed Putin and now we are back to the Cold War in essence. I hope Michael is correct for surely the benefits he lists would emerge if Iran takes a new turn but it would be quite surprising. By the way, what is happening with the labor unionists at this time, the heart and soul of the Iranian dissident movement?
Jun 11, 2009 - 5:49 am 3. Fragmentarian:It seems as if a firm push would topple this house of cards, yet the president and this administration welcomes and gives diplomatic credance to the Islamic Republic of Iran. I don’t get it.
Jun 11, 2009 - 8:16 am 4. Reza Kahlili:Michael,I hear President Obama had sent somebody to Iran for Roxanna’s freedom, promising the release of Iranians held in Iraq and also that great things to come if Ahmadinejad is gone. The reason is that the West and Israel have mistakenly focused on Ahmadinejad as the main evil and if he is gone, again mistakenly West would sell the idea that Iran has changed and Israel will no longer be able to claim threat from the new administration in Iran. As for the people of Iran, they are using the opportunity to vent their anger against the regime which they hate so much and if Mousavi is not elected, it will provide them an opportunity for likely clashes against the regime. The question is would the mullahs choose to show a different face to buy more time and have the world fooled one more time and give the Israelis more heartburn where they can no longer think about attacking Iran, at least in the near future, or would the mullahs keep Ahmadinejad in place and play tough knowing Obama’s weakness. One thing is for certain and that is the regime will be the same as has been for the past thirty years regardless of this election and the best policy would be to support the aspiration of the Iranian people in ridding themselves from the cancerous tumor “mullahs” forever.
Jun 11, 2009 - 8:58 am 5. David W. Lincoln:One thing comes to mind, Michael. Why not a coalition of Jews and Christians to allow Jews
and Christians, with full rights as Muslims
to live in the area around the tomb of Daniel the Prophet.
Not just within 200 metres of the tomb, but within the immediate vicinity.
Jun 11, 2009 - 9:25 am 6. dan:I think it is reasonable to presume that this is a project to “liberalize” the image of the regime in order to neutralize or greatly reduce the islamist-revolutionary public image of the regime. Ahmadinejad’s work is done; he has now become a liability. His “liberal” successor will underwrite Obama & the West’s decision to countenance the “nuclear energy” development. Anyone who challenges this project will become an aggressor and condemned accordingly. Meanwhile, as under the previous “liberalizers,” the nuclear work will go on.
Possible strategy. A woman allowed to lead the charge? In Iran? With no response from the clergy – that is, with their tacit assent? Doesn’t this seem a little too conveniently consistent with the basic demands of the West – more democracy and women’s rights? And in the context of elections – not as the result of some signal event within Iran – say, the stoning of an adultress? It all seems a little too convenient. Such a thing as this woman’s speeches and the students’ reactions could actualy be the demonstration of the strength of a regime that believes itself sufficiently in control of its basic requirements that it can “allow” such a phenomenon and use it to provide substantial cover for its true ambitions: nuclear armament.
Could also be genuine revolt in Iran as Mr. Ledeen graciously hopes, but personally – given the “allowance” for Mrs. Mouzai or whoever – it seems more like an elaborate show to me. I hope that I am wrong.
Jun 11, 2009 - 9:57 am 7. Nick G.:Well this is good news. But by “supporting freedom in Iran,” what do you mean? I know what you mean, usually: support regime change, support the fall of the mullahs. But now you’re saying Mousavi might win, and he and his wife might be the real deal. So if they won, and if an opium-induced Khamanei is for them, would supporting freedom in Iran then mean reaching out for Mousavi in a Gorbachev manner?
Or would we still in “Let’s find the Walesas and support them” mode?
I think there might be some truth to both of your scenarios, and the mullahs are hedging their bets. It’s almost as if Mousavi’s own personality is meaningless, because should he win or lose, the mullahs will respond accordingly. If he loses, they’ll go after the dissidents, as you noted. And if he wins, they might strong-arm him the way they did Khatami. And they might use Mousavi to “fool” the world into thinking Iran’s turned a corner.
Is it possible that Khamenei might be willing to make that “deal” everyone’s been (wrongly) saying Iran was willing to make in 2003, whereby Iran promises to “be good” in Iraq (too late for that) and Lebanon (see Iraq), and maybe even ease up a little bit on the brutality, if only we turn a blind eye to their nuke program? And then, presto, 2010, 2011, 2012 comes along, they finally get the bomb, and they go back to their old ways?
Jun 11, 2009 - 10:17 am 8. Ira Zad:Dr Ledeen, your description of what Khatami was(and is) is accurate, an ‘empty vessel’ indeed. But I cannot support your conclusion that Moussavi is “different”.
Khatami was(and is) a European elite agent, he and Ay. Beheshti(who was blown up in a bombing some 25 years ago)both studied(read: were indoctrinated) in Hamburg Islamic Institute in Germany. These are mullah microbes cultivated in elitist and pro-Islamist European laboratories pietry dishes.
And they were injected into Iranian peoples’ veins in 1979.
Moussavi is not different at all. Except that he also belongs to the Russians(Tudeh Party ally when he was PM as history testifies) in addition to being a British elite(read Ayatollah Jack Straw and company) operative. His wife is a pig painted as a parrot to be shoved down peoples’ throats when they aspire freedom. She is also a hollow drum, as Hajieh Shirin Ebadi(half bahai half ? anglo-saxon operative) is.
These “Doctors” and characters like Ebadi and Rahnavard are created in mullah intelligence service ‘intellectual factory’ to deceive the masses and divert revolution back within the system itself. I am surprised you do not mention this very important fact.
Moussavi and his wife are the latest ploy by a regime that sees itself dying of a cancer so to add a few more days to its nasty life. Nothing more.
To think that Moussavi and his phony wife are ‘different’ is a delusion at best, and deception at worst…
The only way freedom and secular democracy will return to Iran(I say ‘return’ since Iran had a budding secular democracy in early 50s under Dr. Mossadegh’s PM-ship), is by a genuine mass revolt against the “whole” of the regime, so-called reformist included.
In fact the ‘reformists’ should be the first ones tried for treason since they knowingly fooled people and diverted their revolutionary passion to the toilet bowl, and the end result being that the regime survives albeit with a new(old?) make up.
Is this what you want?
Look, this regime cannot produce democracy from within itself –its core is rotting and as such whatever this dying and ill animal spews out of its gut as “new and different” –Moussavi & wife included– are stinky corpses of 25 years ago recycled for mass consumption and deception.
The only way we can have a genuine revolt in Iran is for Ahmadinejad to be re-elected — Lenin believed in ‘intensification of antagonisms’ within a society to push it to the verge of true revolution fatser(faster please?!)– Nejad will deliver that just fine.
Moussavi & his phony wife will delay revolution, not advance it!
Jun 11, 2009 - 12:10 pm 9. Alireza:Dr. Ledeen, I sense a dizzying feeling in your post!!! You already feel lost and confused.
“There is a further question, on which the future of Iran may well hinge: what will happen after the elections?”
Based on what I’m hearing Mousavi will win with a big margin in the first round. It appears Iranians are voting NOT for Mousavi’s sake but for punishing Ahmadinejad to serving Israel’s interest and damaging Iran for the last 4 years. Iranians vote while still being sick and tired of this regime. They will fight until they have true democratic system in place, and now they are voting for someone less evil and damaging than Ahmadinejad.
Jun 11, 2009 - 12:13 pm 10. Ira Zad:P.S.
Jun 11, 2009 - 12:17 pm 11. Ira Zad:Lawrence Kohn, Reza Kahlili, Dan, and Nick G– I agree with both of you all.
Moussavi, a real Bassiji Falange,
See video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9UTF2lzXNQ&feature
Jun 11, 2009 - 12:27 pm 12. Nick G.:Here’s an article about Mousavi’s wife. http://www.newsweek.com/id/201654
Jun 11, 2009 - 1:33 pm 13. harry:Consider all this as a broken clock which stays stuck at 8:05. When it is actually 12:00 noon it is obvious the clock is wrong or broken. If one continues to observe as time passes it becomes evident the clock is broken. Now you arrive at around 8:05 and observe the same clock. Those with prior experience already know the clock is broken but you have no clue because it shows the correct time. Most of us here already know the Iranian government is broken but new “guests” i.e. Obama believe it’s working. Ledeen’s reports are but a few ticks on a secondless clock and not enough evidence is there to lead us to believe the clock is working. We must wait and see if indeed the clock has suddenly begun to move on its own. I say the clock is broken and will be until they throw it out and get a new one.
Jun 11, 2009 - 3:25 pm 14. winston:excellent analysis as always!
Jun 11, 2009 - 6:15 pm 15. Saahel Manesh:Everytime the Iranian regime senses a gathering storm of rebellion, discontent and revoultion in the country–like now–it resorts to the oldest social control mechanism of all. The way that’s done is that the regime creates its own outlets for “revolution” conducted by its own elements to fool people into believing it’s for real. Invariably people do get fooled –like they did when Khatami was acting out the same scenario as Mousavi is now–and vote for the “reformist”. Khatami and now Mousavi are fake head reformists but in reality ’safety valves’ for the regime’s pressure cooker.
As Ira Zad said, they divert the revolution back into the system itself to be absorbed, contained, and dissapated so it will not endnager the regime.
In this manner, this abominable, medieval, and barbaric regime has stopped at least 1 genuine revolution to topple the regime from happening just before Khatami came in. And it is doing it again now. The forces of revolution are fraudulently pulled into a “head fake” reform and revolution (ie Mousavi & black crow witch wife) to avert the real revolt that will certainly topple the whole regime; i.e., throw away the clock’, as harry alluded to above.
What’s really surprising here is the people in the west who claim to be experts on Iran regime and event also fall into the same trap that the regime has set for Iranians!
:)
Which goes to show that the mullahs are way more sophisticated than all of the western Iran ‘experts’ put together.
Oh, I forgot, this way(by getting Mousavi in), the regime will also disarm Israel so they can never attack Iran regime militarily–at least not anytime soon– and by the time Mousavi leaves office in 4 years, presto! the regime already has the bomb(s)!
Now go yell :Hooray” for the joint KGB/MI5 agent named Mousavi.
Jun 11, 2009 - 7:44 pm 16. Chester:I think Amadinejad will be reappointed.
Jun 11, 2009 - 9:20 pm 17. Chicago Boyz » Blog Archive » Quote of the Day:Of course, whomever is pres. will have to deal with the aftermath of Israel’s attack. That won’t be easy.
[...] Michael Ledeen on the Iranian Elections: But things are different now. The Iranians do not expect any help from the outside world. Bush did not help them, to his shame, and nobody thinks Obama would lift a finger for Iranian dissidents. They’re on their own, just as the Lebanese voters were a few days ago. I think many Lebanese decided that they’d better take a stand against Hezbollah before all hope for freedom was lost. Many Iranians may well reason the same way. If violence breaks out, what will the West do? Probably nothing, except express concern, and call for sweet reasonableness. Good luck with that! What should the West do? Support freedom in Iran. Nothing would so transform the region as a free government, dedicated to good relations with the West. Such a government would end the profligate spending on terrorism and devote the country’s resources to domestic concerns. Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Taliban, and the other jihadis, would be dramatically weakened. Syria’s Bashar Assad would suddenly find himself without his big brother in Tehran. If you want to dream of peace in the Middle East, a free Iran is at the heart of your Utopia. Finally, for those who unaccountably continue to believe that the most important thing in the Middle East is the Arab-Israeli conflict, the best chance is once again a free Iran that worries about Iranians instead of Palestinians. There is no chance of peace so long as Tehran runs the terror movements. But if the terrorists have to raise their own money, find their own weapons, and train their own killers, things might get a lot easier. [...]
Jun 11, 2009 - 10:00 pm 18. David ET:Based on my math, 80% of eligible 46 Million Iranian voters should participate in this Friday’s election for Mousavi to win by 51% . That is unlikely but not impossible. The same math shows me that Ahmadinejad has no chance of winning on the first round either.
Short of large attendance the election can extend to second round and if another miracle for Ahmadinejad doesn’t happen like it did 4 years ago (His votes jumped from 19% to 62% from 1st round to 2nd in 2005!) then Mousavi gaining most of Karoobi votes will win the elections.
As supporters of Mousavi have been accurately chanting, if there are no cheatings Mousavi will win this Friday or next!
Will large majority of eligible Iranian voters participate in election? Will there not be more major cheating?
Time will tell soon!
This is a glimpse of Mousavi’s foreign policy. Much more moderate that Ahmadinejad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlYK2bRv9bg
Jun 11, 2009 - 10:00 pm 19. Alireza:I just read an article by an Iranian reporter (Mitra Farahmand) living in Israel about how little Israeli people, its media and political figures know about Iran.
She also mentions that important Israeli leaders STILL are unable to pronounce Ahmadinejad name and only mention him as “nejad”!!!!!! She also mentions the same lack of in-depth understanding of Iran is among the top media outlets in Israel, where most of their news sources comes from Arabic language outlets like Aljazeera!!!!
Based on the same profile of uninformed news sources, it is said that most of 25000 Iranian Jews will possibly vote for Ahmadinejad, since they ALREADY know about his position!!!
In one instance she mentions that new Foreign Minister was also amazed as to how widespread Iranian youth use Internet!!!! And I mean he is the foreign minister!!!!
In one recent university conference about Iran in Israel one Israeli presenter stated the depth and scope of not knowing about Iran is so deep that we are better off not to cause more confusion for Israelis politicians!!!!!
And in the last part she mentions about a recent Iranian immigrant to Israel that she is confident as soon as Iran situation improves many Iranian Jews plan to go back for visit.
Jun 12, 2009 - 2:33 am 20. Hossein:“Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Taliban, and the other jihadis, would be dramatically weakened”
Jun 12, 2009 - 5:21 am 21. An Israeli indeed:I don’t argue about the others, but Taliban?! are you sure iran helped Taliban?
Alireza, I have some comments please.
1. I never heard any Israeli politician or pundit mention Ahmadinejad as nejud. That kind of makes the whole argument very suspicious. Are you sure about this?
2. The same about our foreighn ministers (Liberman’s) remark. Why would he be amazed and what does it matter how many Iranians use interner or not?
As to the issue, people generaly don’t understand each other in depth and so are nations. That shouldn’t prevent us from deducing logical conclusions about people and their motives and acting on them. For example if I’m (god forbid) about to be raped I’ll better do something about it and not try to understand the rapist inner state.
Jun 12, 2009 - 10:35 am 22. a Duoist:It is the Khomeini doctrines that inspire them which is lethal in Iran, not whoever is President. In a regime noted for its fight against the competing ideology of nationalism, they use nationalism to build wide support for their nuclear program.
Yes, one person can make a difference, but what candidate for President is strong enough to change the entire philosophy of the ‘learned jurisprudent’ which inspires Iranian governance?
Jun 12, 2009 - 11:36 am 23. Brian H:Well, the news at the moment is standoff — both sides claim victory. That could set up a real bloodbath.
Jun 12, 2009 - 3:59 pm 24. Saahel Manesh:Ahmadinejad ahead by 68% of the “vote” at this moment according to both BBC and VOA–
Jun 12, 2009 - 4:59 pm 25. Saahel Manesh:So long anglo-saxon candidate Mousavi
Landslide by Ahmadinejad! –VOA
Now, sit back and enjoy the next 4-years–It’s gonan be a great show!
Jun 12, 2009 - 11:11 pm 26. Brian H:Well, now we know. The cote-counters and the rural voting sheep have swept Ass4ahead back into power. Proving the Iranian electorate is almost as stupid and gullible as the American one was last fall.
Jun 13, 2009 - 10:27 am 27. Dinocrat » Blog Archive » Much ado about nothing:[...] same charade four years ago, though with lower voter turnout. It appears that there is tremendous anger in Iran about the obviously stolen election, not that the Ayatollah cares. (In other cheery news: [...]
Jun 13, 2009 - 12:33 pm 28. Alireza:At this time Dr. Ledeen is laughing and he keeps laughing. He says: I told you so!!! You cannot trust IR. He is not writing right now because he wants to dump as much salt as he can on those who were hoping for some sign of light at the end of Iran tunnel.
This cannot stand. This is the most insulting, the most visible and clear dictatorship this regime could show. I wish so many others and I did not have the “fear”, so we ALL could walk the streets and bring this regime down. I wish “fear” of guns, torture was not part of human senses. I wish we did not know what pain and fear is, so we could rise and stand up to evil forces. It is all about fear and I admit I’m loaded with it. If it was not the fear, Iranians were all out on street.
I cannot imagine and vision this man to stay president of Iran and talk on behalf of Iranians. I don’t know what is going on in Iran right at this moment, but I wish the concept of fear could have stopped working just for 48 hours and that is all is needed to make things right and clear of these darkness worshippers.
Jun 13, 2009 - 1:11 pm 29. Belmont Club » Do no harm:[...] than Ahmadinejad. The vote is bizarrely enough, a referendum on the legitimacy of the regime. Michael Ledeen notes that Ahmadinejad’s opponent, Mir Houssein Mousavi, is no democrat. His qualification [...]
Jun 13, 2009 - 2:45 pm 30. Dan:Tell me when mullahs are being slaughtered in the streets, when they’re running for their lives ahead of mobs intent on ripping them limb from limb. Tell me about the judges who impose the will of the mu8llahs being surreptitiously killed while they’re homeward bound.
Tell me of the lives of those who support the regime ending violently.
I don’t care about the ritual street theater in Iran, or anywhere else throughout islam for that matter.
Street theater is cheap.
Slaughtering the evildoers, slaughtering tyrants, slaughtering those who are dragging them towards a nuclear exchange would be real evidence.
So every city in Iran is seeing unrest. That’s nothing new. If they wanted a new government, then I’d say that it’s long past time to start killing people, in addition to street theater.
The Iranians, willingly or unwillingly, are letting their government move forwards on a genocidal and annihlationist course, {notice I didn’t say “knowingly or unknowingly,” because there’s no doubt anymore about what direction that government is going}. Which means the Iranians are about in the same boat as the Germans circa 1930s. As the Germans let their government move forwards on a policy of global war, so today the Iranians are allowing their government move forwards on a course of untold horrors.
So forgive me if I don’t get all excited about lame street theater, which given Iran’s history over the last 20 years, will likely lead nowhere. The Iranians don’t need our help ripping that regime apart, and going after their tormentors with knives and their bare hands. Within 24 hours every “religious leader” throughout that country could either be dead or under the personal protection of Hezbollah operatives. They could make that regime exist like hunted animals if they wanted to, if they REALLY and TRULY wanted to join the West.
When the choice becomes islam or the West, what we’ve seen time and time again, is that muslims invariably choose islam.
I expect the same this time.
I don’t have any faith in a people who allowed themselves to be governed for decades by religious lunatics. Which means I don’t have any faith in Iranians.
Time’s up.
It’s time for hell to be unleashed on that regime, on their Manhattan Project, on their terror camps, on their intelligence headquarters. It’s time for Iran to be hit like they’ve never been hit before.
Jun 13, 2009 - 11:50 pm 31. Dan:At the start of GW’s tenure, Ledeen’s policy proposals should have been acted on.
As late as 2003 there were still real chances for Ledeen’s policy proposals working, had they been given half a chance by our government.
But now? Too late.
They’re closing in on the bomb. We’ve less than a year to take that Manhattan project down and out.
We don’t have any time for sending in operatives and working to “destabilize” that regime. AND THAT’S ASSUMING our present-day CIA has any such capacity. After the years and years of political correctness, who here thinks that the CIA has the sophistication and the tradecraft to pull off such a thing?
I know I don’t. I’m pretty sure the CIA is a joke.
It’s time for for Professor Ledeen to stop whipping himself into a lather beating and whipping that dead horse into a canter. Street theater isn’t going to cut it.
It’s time for Iran to be thoroughly pounded, and made an example of.
Jun 13, 2009 - 11:56 pm 32. WRW:Dan, you sound a little Jack Bauer-ish, and I like it. Hurrah! I really support and believe in the people’s desire for some sort of freedom in Iran. But history agrees with your statement: “When the choice becomes islam or the West, what we’ve seen time and time again, is that muslims invariably choose islam.” Its like an abused child who won’t run away from the abuser because the familiar, no matter how bad, is often perceived to be more comforting, more safe, than the unknown. The Iranian people need courage to go WAY beyond what you call “street theater” and make some real change that isn’t orchestrated by the mullahs. “Tell me when mullahs are being slaughtered in the streets, when they’re running for their lives ahead of mobs intent on ripping them limb from limb.”
Jun 16, 2009 - 10:33 am 33. Iran « Tarpon’s Swamp:[...] best summary of why is provided by Michael Ledeen at Pajamas media. Search Pajama’s Media for the latest [...]
Jun 21, 2009 - 7:51 am