THIS ARTICLE on the upcoming Iranian elections is very optimistic. Here's a clip from it....(emphasis mine):"These "hard-line" attitudes dramatically change, however, as part of a potential deal with the United States. More than 70 percent of Iranians favor providing full access to inspectors and a guarantee not to develop or possess nuclear weapons, in return for outside aid and investment. In another consistent trend over the past two years, 77 percent of Iranians also back normal relations and trade with the United States." (Z: wait...two YEARS? I thought the media's spinning that THE ONE's personality is what's bringing hard liners around?) ....continued article clip:
"Indeed, as part of a deal with the United States, 54 percent of Iranians would endorse the Iranian government ending support for Iraqi militias instead of providing military assistance. Rather than supporting the destruction of the state of Israel, as they do now, as part of a deal with the United States, a majority of Iranians would even favor recognizing the state of Israel."
"Greater democracy, economic progress and good relations with the United States are the ultimate goals for most Iranians." I wish the American media talked about this more. To CNN's credit, Christiane Amanpour did have to admit, this morning as she walked among the streams of anti-hardline marchers, that the Iranians do want to be in better understanding with the United States, but I'm sure I'm not the only American who hasn't read much on any of the above sentiments. Got to rely on the German press, I guess.
Z: I'll be hoping I see some from Iran on my sitemeter as they Google for World Opinion: If I was that lucky (some of you with sitemeters have seen the amazing response from around the world to your blogs, right!?), I'd say this: "We are behind you, Iran, we want you to have a peace loving leader who also wants detente....we know Persians in America who are nothing like your hard liners, we encourage your women, and we urge you to vote against Ahmedinejad."
Speaking of WOMEN, please read THIS ARTICLE from Spiegel Online about the one woman who COULD bring Iran, once a thriving, sophisticated country, back into the 21st century as an American ally. We can only hope.
z
30 comments:
Can't wait to see how this all plays out myself...
Blessings.
The Iranians sound like they have the same problem we do: Their so called leaders are screwing them over...and there's not much they can do about it.
Watching closely. Definitely interesting.
Z, Interesting post. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Now would be a good time for Sam to show up, huh Z?
I think he could add a lot to our knowledge of what's happening in Iran.
I'm afraid though, that there will be no change in the Mullahs who pull the strings there. We sure can hope.
The Iranian people, especially the youth which are a majority there I think, may be ready to advance at least a few centuries.
Pris
You realize this was going on during the Chucklenuts administration and we effectively ignored it.
It was happening during Clinton's administration and then cam Chuckles and "the axis of evil" (what an ad blitz that was, eh? All over the radio). As a result we got Ahmedinijad the Cretin. Nice job by the far right who NOW decide to pay attention.
Spot on, Larry.
And Ducky, WE didn't ignore it. Our idiot politicians on both sides of the isle ignored it.
mr ducky,
If you'll recall your history, we got ALL these nutbags in Iran today thanks to Jimmah Cahtah.
This is history in the making and hope that it will come to pass.
We all need to watch closely and hope things go well.
It's our MEDIA which hasn't paid attention. While living in Paris, we saw Persian kids against the hardcore regimes marching every single night..covereage here? EXTREMELY rare.
I happened to meet Kenneth Timmerman, whose career is watching Iran; when I mentioned this and asked about our own media's neglect, he said "YOU know our media.."
Well...I wasn't really sure what he meant! But, I guess they don't really want us to know there's hope!? WHY?
The generally understood strategy of the Bush admin was to support the people from within, hoping they'd gather enough strength.
I don't think the Bushes ever quite understood the real evil and real suppression of islamist hardliners; in Iran OR Iraq. They're both very nice men who I honestly don't understand true evil. A grave misunderstanding on the part of our CIA in Iran working with students and trying to get them shored up is also to blame; it's like our Arabic speaking intel people, for years, are said to have been taught a 'high Arabic' that the man on the street just doesn't speak. How STUPID is that? Talk about a red flag.
Yes, Pris...I wish SAM was SOMEWHERE we could see! here, or FPM...Last time he disappeared, he said things were getting VERY tough in Ashraf. He'd begun to fear for his life. I SO hope he's okay.
I hope you will all forgive me for not sharing your optimism right now. It's not that i don;t hope that there's cause for any. I really hope they do get rid of the idiot, they call A'jad (which I think stands for something that won't play out well on a family blog, so I will leave it your imagination.)
But the skeptic in me says that there will be a runoff with A'jad and the #2 vote-getter; and the #2 will either mysteriously disappear or will be ruled ineligible to run, due to some late breaking technicality.
Again, I hope I am wrong. Not because I cannot stand to be wrong mind you, but because Mustang will never let me live it down. He will rub my nose in it for the next year or so.
Well Farmer, we can say it started with the coup in the 50's under Eisenhower (they were screwing with our oil). But the history started earlier than that of course.
It's like saying that the problems in Congo started because everyone got scared of COMMIES and we offed Lumumba ... oh wait.
Go Zahra! Let freedom ring! Then hopefully some will trickle this way.
Ducky,
Before President Bush made Iran one of the "axis of evil" trio, Iran's pre-Ahmadinejad "moderates" were content to just support and fund Hezbollah's blowing up the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia and killing 19 US servicemen.
Wow!!! More good news!
Z-when you have a moment -I would appreciate your take on my latest post of a painting I completed in March-I believe it is prophetic--as it was completed before the article of the soldiers' Bibles being burned...
To the subject of Iranian elections...One of my new friends is from Iran- he stated that he missed his country the way it was-free and happy before the Shah (sp) was deposed (by Carter and et.al. BTW)...It is my prayer that he can go back to a Free Iran....
C-CS
Thanks for so many good comments....
Christian Soldier, Persians deserve to have the sophisticated, admirable and peaceful country they once did. I hope that happens for them. And for US. :-)
Personally, I'm not impressed with whoever wins the Iranian "elections" - all candidates are pre-approved and are beholden to the mullahs in Qom.
What flavor of "Death to Israel! Death to America!" tastes better?
Beamish, I think this is a very different thing; this guy's far more modern, far more civilized..at least it's a step in a somewhat better direction.
Thank you - Z- :-) for stopping by and for your comment..C-CS
It'll be a heck of a day when that lunatic in Tehran is kicked out, but then Iran is not a true democracy, the nutjobs always have some influence, no matter the wishes of the people.
I understand that a majority of the Iranian people oppose their government's failed foreign policies of supporting terrorism against the United States and Israel (how many Iranian soldiers attached to Hezbollah rocket launch sites in Lebanon had to die unsung in 2006 for that?), defying international nuclear proliferation treaties with clandestine centrifuge uranium enrichment allegedly for nuclear reactors that really aren't providing electricity to anyone, not to mention domestic fuel prices being among the highest in the world (in a country full of oil but no efficient domestic refining capacity) and responses to devastating earthquakes that make our Hurricane Katrina response look like an elegant ballet.
Yeah, the Iranian people aren't happy with their government
But they're essentially powerless to do anything about it. I think it's silly to believe otherwise.
I hope I'm wrong, but "we'll switch to a more agreeable stance internationally if America pays us" doesn't strike me as a contrite step forward.
Well Farmer, we can say it started with the coup in the 50's under Eisenhower
Well you are the one that wanted to turn this all into a history lesson...
So if the f'n Arabs hadn't sacked Constantinople, they wouldn't be in the positon of thinking they can still sack Europe today.
Since the Iranian president is little more than a front man for a group of clerics I don't know how much difference it will make. The clerics have the guns and the citizenry does not and he who has the guns makes the rules.
The coup under Eisenhower was to restore Iran to Iranian control when it looked like Iran was moving to become a Soviet colony. It had nothing to do with "our oil".
This bought Iran years of sanity until the terrorists too over at the end of the Carter administration.
Ducky's a moron. He only comes to post his crap and has nothing to offer besides lectures.
I have a jewish Iranian friend and he fled Iran on his feet ducky, crossed over the Turkish border in the snow b/c of the Islamic Revolution. As far as I'm concerned it was not under Bush, Duckette.
If I recally correctly, pro-Ahmadinejad soldiers were posted at the polling places. Voila! Ahmadinejad was elected.
He's not going to play fair and square.
Sorry to be so negative.
Pay attention to what Beamish said in a comment here:
all candidates are pre-approved and are beholden to the mullahs in Qom.
Frogburger,
You may recall France and the United States fighting Iranian-supported Hezbollah terrorists in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon in the 1980s - before Bush.
Ducky probably thinks Iran was placed on the US State Department list of terrorism sponsors out of spite.
No, I've paid attention to the people following Moussavi, or whatever the heck the new guy's name is and they're PRO America, ANTI Iranian nukes, and different.
If they lose to Ahmedinejad this time (and it'll probably be to Iranians version of ACORN), they'll gather forces again.
At least this is a START.
Ahmadinejad won in a "landslide," as I expected.
Whether this is the will of the Iranian people or the product of voter supression similar to situations that occur in the United States when black citizens fear to going to the polls in election districts policed by Democrat-controlled local law enforcement remains to be seen.
Post a Comment