What you need to understand and what the corporate media refuses to tell you is that the Iranian people who are taking to the streets don't want to become like us in the west. They have a democracy, they are one of the few countries in that part of the world that does as a matter of fact. What they want is for their government to be respectful of their democracy and to count the votes in the last election properly. Now, does that sound familiar to anyone? It should because after having two elections stolen by the Republicans that's what some of us on the left wanted. The only thing that is different is that we were too lazy to get off our fat asses and take to the streets like the Iranians are doing. Instead some of us took to the streets to protest the war and to impeach Bush and Cheney. No one in the corporate media called us brave or heroic, they instead called us all sorts of hateful things, like traitors and cowards.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the Iranian people want the same things we want. They don't. They may like the American people but they hate our government and what it's done to them in the past. The fact the our government helped overthrow their government in the 1950's so we could install the Shah as our puppet so we could exploit their oil fields and make their country bulwark against the Soviet Union is drilled into every school child from day one. They are told all about how the Shah and the CIA tortured people who spoke out against the corporations who were sending their oil to the USA, the Shah, and the USA in general. So rightfully they see our government as an aggressor and as something that needs to be kept out, not as something they want meddling in their country.
Just like in the USA not everyone in Iran supports their government 100 percent of the time and just like here some of them try to speak out when they can. And just like here those that speak out are arrested, harassed, and imprisoned on trumped up charges. And some are even killed, just like here. Yes, it's true, this country has killed it's homegrown critics like the Iranian government is doing now.
So don't get all misty eyed and think that Iran is going to wake up tomorrow and clamor to become the USA, they aren't. What some people are clamoring for is for their voices to be heard and their votes to be counted properly. You know, just like the way we did during all that time our votes were tossed out and our voices were ignored during the Bush years. And they way it looks like they're going to be in the Obama administration. The Iranians are fighting against religious extremists, we're fighting against corporate interests, religious extremists, and a do nothing Congress who will sell us out every chance they get.
Hmmmm, maybe we should take to the streets to protest the corporate-ocracy, perhaps it would embolden the dissident Iranians and maybe we could inspire each other to truly change our countries for the better.
2 comments:
I was watching an interview with Reza Aslan on The Daily Show and he thinks there are going to be changes coming out of this revolution. He says it is no longer about the election it is about, as you said, people wanting their government to work. But the key thing he ended with and it fits perfectly with what you said, he said basically the end result of this is either North Korea or China. Either a totally militaristic isolationist country or an insular country with its own policies, but with a bit more openness to Western economic gains. Neither of these options are becoming a Western-style democracy.
And of course, when people (read Republicans) realize that Iran is not going to emulate us and still will hate us for fucking up their country, suddenly these protestors go from having the right to free speech to terrorists.
I think Obama is handling this right (so far). Those protesters over there don't want our "help" and everything that usually means. Enough with the "help" already.
Post a Comment