Thought Vomit #48: Iran
I was going to vomit a lengthy Thwat about having a recent memory of people claiming that Iran was not close to revolt, and that it’s not lead by a brutal theocracy, but as ever, pictures tell a better story than any inarticulate words I can conjure:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html
It’s often easy to forget how lucky we are to be living in an open and democratic society, and these photos mark a stark and telling contrast with our own recent mass gatherings. We were rightly disgusted at the treatment of the G20 crowd, so the events in Tehran should hit home with even more force.
Seeing student dorms with their doors pummelled in, their computer screens smashed and strewn with bullet holes, protestors dead on the streets and the capital on fire, shows how intensely some people crave and need democracy. The liberties we enjoy to share our disgust at our leaders are taken for granted, given that Iranian authorities quickly moved to shut down these means to their citizens.
I have no idea if the rioting will lead to a full scale overthrow of the Supreme Leader, but these events are a pointed reminder of our own often mocked freedoms.
indeed
All the more reason to help and support them now I would say.
you know that if it wasn’t was our post-war leaders – churchill and eisenhower – iran would probably actually be an open and democratic place? we got them in this mess in the first place by nabbing their oil and installing the shah… which we did by seeding riots. hmm.
As per usual though, our practical foreign policies are as cynical as can be, dictatorships that are west-friendly and useful to us are supported wholeheartedly. Those that aren’t though are still being embargoed and suppressed. Luckily though this pattern seems to be loosening somewhat under Obama.
I agree Kjell.
2 words – Saudi Arabia!
Unfortunately Obama needs to do more, a lot more, everybody’s waiting at the station, but the ‘Change’ train is nowhere to be seen.
this is a great read
http://books.google.com/books?id=Wv4B6C-wTG8C&lpg=PA9&ots=zXFwd5OoFR&dq=bbc%20midnight%20code%20shah&pg=PA8
especially considering the role that the bbc had/has