5 Comments

Good question . . . I don’t know. Remember, we’ve been down this path before and we all know what happened.

What does Michael Ledeen have to say about all this?

Thanks for asking. I’ve posted some on NRO’s Corner, and wrote a recent article at NRO proper. The basic points are pretty obvious, and they emerge clearly from the excellent work Pajamas is doing:

First, the population is very restive, and the mullahs are nervous, very nervous. A confident regime doesn’t bomb Blochistan or send their paramilitary goons in force onto college campuses (notice that on one campus in Tehran 3,000 out of the 4,000 total student body was demonstrating against the regime).

Second, it is altogether possible that this is a truly revolutionary situation. We cannot know that, although we can certainly say that Iran today fulfills every element of revolutionary circumstances, from economic misery to hatred of the leaders to a clear vision of a free Iran that cuts across the entire population, including senior ayatollahs, big swaths of the military, workers’ organizations, etc. etc.

Third, and most important of all, revolution is not an independent variable, the outcome depends on millions of decisions, ranging from people in Iran to people in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin and Jerusalem. I believe that vigorous support for the Iranian people would result in the downfall of the mullahcracy, which is why I keep pushing for our leaders to do just that.

I’ve tried to figure out what’s going on with these protests; hard to do. But here’s my take (”The whole world isn’t watching: rioting in Iran”), including a discussion of the relative lack of media coverage.

Boy – talk about this being handed to W on a silver platter -

There will be no discussions w/Iran at this time.
To do so at this point in time would send the impression that the USA is legitimizing Iran’s “leaders.”

As we all know, massive unrest is occurring now.

The “leadership” has bombed ______, beaten the students at various universities, massive street demonstrations are taking place in ______, ______, ____….

Khameini is dying of cancer, Admannutjob was glowing green at the UN, they’re importing 40% of their gas, there’s no economic activity to speak of….for all those facts above and other information, and since I have more brush to clean out at the ranch, my dance card’s full.

Oh, by the way – what about our economy, eh? ….

Michael,

Could you elaborate on “…vigorous support for the Iranian people …”?

What form would support from Washington take? What are the odds that it would backfire in the old “American meddling in others affairs” sort of way amongst all the usual suspects around the world?

Also, where are all the old lefties that were so enamoured of “people’s rebellions” back in the ’60s? This seems to me to be tailor made for the Dims to get out in front on a security type issue. What better than supporting the oppressed and rising population of a Theocratic dictatorship?

I’m so confused……