I haven’t used this space to express my solidarity with the people of Iran in about a month. Apologies.
I remember back in the early 80s many of us wore a Solidarnosc button and then there were the CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) stickers. There doesn’t seem to be the same thing going on right now for the benefit of the people of Iran. And now is when there should be some form of solidarity.
I may be wrong, but it seems like things may have shifted momentarily to a somewhat more positive set of circumstances in Iran. Ahmadinejad picked a First Vice President even the hard-liners don’t like, Rafsanjani seems to be getting into the middle of things which may be keeping Khamenei sort of off balance by injecting some sense into the situation, having stated that many have doubts about the June 12 election results, and, most importantly, the will of the Iranian people has not been beaten. They keep coming back to protest despite threats of the police forces and the Basij.
At the end of Rafsanjani’s speech last Friday, when the traditional chant of “Death to America” is usually called, many chanted “Death to Russia”, according to the New York Times, because Russia accepted the disputed election results.
Recently, Mohsen Rezai, a conservative political candidate warned that the rupture in Iranian society attributed to protests over the election results could lead to the disintegration of Iran.
We Americans need to do as much as we can to support those in Iran at war with their government. We must do everything possible as people to bring peace before the neo-cons can figure out an angle to go to war with Iran. It seems they may be stymied now, but neo-cons don’t need reasons other than those they can invent and tout by lying to the American people.
Thankfully this happened when Bush was out of office because he and his neo-conmen would use this as an opportunity to inflame the situation as a prelude to war.
It seems that this is a perfect opportunity for the youth of Iran and the youth of the U.S. to strengthen ties. We may need to learn their lessons one day, especially when Schwarzenegger and the Legislature keep screwing things up that we have to take back California from the politicians who are ruining it. Schwarzenegger is California’s version of Ayatollah Khamenei, refusing to look at reality. More on that tomorrow.
But back to the larger issues: I see these developments in Iran as an opportunity for Americans to reclaim our country as well, by honoring the anti-tyrannical, anti-oppression efforts of the Iranian people against their leaders. These are well-respected principles in America. It is exactly what our own Revolution was about 233 years ago.
Plus, we can exert our own foreign policy to become friends with the Iranians. American is hated by many throughout the Muslim world because of our country’s support for Israel at the expense of the Palestinians and because of our overthrow of this democracy for oil and this other hypocrisy between what we say and what we do and our--you get the idea.
But, more importantly, we the American people need the Green Revolution to help straighten up Iraq when that starts failing. Because when it does, the neo-cons will pressure Obama to do some stupid things just as they are doing now with Afghanistan.
Here are some websites to become involved. NedaNet, Anonymous Iran, StopAmadi, and Persia.org.
I don’t watch much TV news. The only exception is MSNBC at night after work when I begin writing, but before escaping into the original SNL to regain some balance from the stress of the day.
I don’t understand what happened with MSNBC’s coverage of Iran. It was massive until Michael Jackson died.
Perhaps if Iran’s protestors all wore white sequined gloves or suddenly did the moonwalk they might just be back on.
Ahmadinejad’s choice for vice-president, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, is reported as insisting on serving as VP. This brings American and Iranian people closer to together through the obvious similarity: we also had a vice-president who insisted on serving—Dick Cheney. He was only on the vice-presidential search committee and purposefully found no one so he could be VP.
Let’s hope the new round of demonstrations in Iran yesterday keep widening the cracks the protestors have already begun to make in their oppressive government.
I remember back in the early 80s many of us wore a Solidarnosc button and then there were the CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) stickers. There doesn’t seem to be the same thing going on right now for the benefit of the people of Iran. And now is when there should be some form of solidarity.
I may be wrong, but it seems like things may have shifted momentarily to a somewhat more positive set of circumstances in Iran. Ahmadinejad picked a First Vice President even the hard-liners don’t like, Rafsanjani seems to be getting into the middle of things which may be keeping Khamenei sort of off balance by injecting some sense into the situation, having stated that many have doubts about the June 12 election results, and, most importantly, the will of the Iranian people has not been beaten. They keep coming back to protest despite threats of the police forces and the Basij.
At the end of Rafsanjani’s speech last Friday, when the traditional chant of “Death to America” is usually called, many chanted “Death to Russia”, according to the New York Times, because Russia accepted the disputed election results.
Recently, Mohsen Rezai, a conservative political candidate warned that the rupture in Iranian society attributed to protests over the election results could lead to the disintegration of Iran.
We Americans need to do as much as we can to support those in Iran at war with their government. We must do everything possible as people to bring peace before the neo-cons can figure out an angle to go to war with Iran. It seems they may be stymied now, but neo-cons don’t need reasons other than those they can invent and tout by lying to the American people.
Thankfully this happened when Bush was out of office because he and his neo-conmen would use this as an opportunity to inflame the situation as a prelude to war.
It seems that this is a perfect opportunity for the youth of Iran and the youth of the U.S. to strengthen ties. We may need to learn their lessons one day, especially when Schwarzenegger and the Legislature keep screwing things up that we have to take back California from the politicians who are ruining it. Schwarzenegger is California’s version of Ayatollah Khamenei, refusing to look at reality. More on that tomorrow.
But back to the larger issues: I see these developments in Iran as an opportunity for Americans to reclaim our country as well, by honoring the anti-tyrannical, anti-oppression efforts of the Iranian people against their leaders. These are well-respected principles in America. It is exactly what our own Revolution was about 233 years ago.
Plus, we can exert our own foreign policy to become friends with the Iranians. American is hated by many throughout the Muslim world because of our country’s support for Israel at the expense of the Palestinians and because of our overthrow of this democracy for oil and this other hypocrisy between what we say and what we do and our--you get the idea.
But, more importantly, we the American people need the Green Revolution to help straighten up Iraq when that starts failing. Because when it does, the neo-cons will pressure Obama to do some stupid things just as they are doing now with Afghanistan.
Here are some websites to become involved. NedaNet, Anonymous Iran, StopAmadi, and Persia.org.
I don’t watch much TV news. The only exception is MSNBC at night after work when I begin writing, but before escaping into the original SNL to regain some balance from the stress of the day.
I don’t understand what happened with MSNBC’s coverage of Iran. It was massive until Michael Jackson died.
Perhaps if Iran’s protestors all wore white sequined gloves or suddenly did the moonwalk they might just be back on.
Ahmadinejad’s choice for vice-president, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, is reported as insisting on serving as VP. This brings American and Iranian people closer to together through the obvious similarity: we also had a vice-president who insisted on serving—Dick Cheney. He was only on the vice-presidential search committee and purposefully found no one so he could be VP.
Let’s hope the new round of demonstrations in Iran yesterday keep widening the cracks the protestors have already begun to make in their oppressive government.
