I was reading about Iran because mass protest fascinates me, as an American. The only thing we protest in my country is Oprah, when KFC cannot honor her free chicken coupons. What is happening in Iran probably has nothing to do with Oprah. She must feel relieved. Me? I’m envious as hell. Why can’t my country have the balls to take a baton to the face like everyone else? This is so unfair.
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The Iranian election riots are attributed to the landslide victory in favor of Mahmoud Ahmanutjob over of the other guy, Mir-Hossein Obama. Iranians have taken to the streets to suffer beatings and death to protest what they believe is a stolen election.
In 2000, George Dubya Bush was ahead of Al Gore in the presidential election by only a whisper-thin rip-off count, and Americans let it go. Not even a landslide (like in Iran), and we just walked it off like some kind of cramp. This means that Americans are less than chumps – underchumps, actually. Anyone who gave a crap in 2000 (pebble sized) kept waiting for the system to right itself, oblivious to the fact that the system was up on blocks in someone’s backyard. Iranians are not waiting for new tires – they are driving on rims.
Americans who read the news about Iran are supportive, according to Twitter. I peeked at Twitter because all of the news stations keep mentioning how important Twitter is to the Iranian riots. ”Please don’t perform system maintenance tonight, Twitter – we need to have a 24-hour news IV, straight from Iran to our thirsty veins!” Twitter is the one-sentence voice from the front lines in real time. No Twitterectomy will help you now – the Pandora’s box is open.
Did you know that Hugo Chavez congratulated Ahmanutjob? Well, of course he did. It was a heartfelt exchange between two incompetent boobs with a yen for election thievery. I wish Dubya would chime in. Surely he must have something mangled to say about respecting the outcomes of elections?
A Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran
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20 comments:
Psst - shame on us. Support Iran! Pass it on...
There are so many thoughts comming to me after reading this... I'll try to get a short version during luch.
cu,
LV
Is Mir Hossein Mousavi really that much different than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Free Iranian elections is an oxymoron as you can see. Their state is run by clerics who control the goverment and dictate Islamic law. It doesn't matter who wins by popular vote. Isn't the opposition guy in jail now?? Maybe he'll just disapear like so many others...
Mousavi's probably the best shot anyone's going to have at getting a moderate in power. Sure, he was vetted by the religious leadership: anyone up for election has to be before they can be put on the ballot. But it doesn't matter if you or I do or don't think it matters who's at the top: in Iran there's hundreds of thousands of people, minimum, who are right now putting their lives on the line to say that it DOES matter, and that means a lot more to me than any sort of cynical "meeeeh it doesn't matter who wins" bullshit.
That pissed me off enough here in this country the past twelve years, here in America, where people can barely be bothered to put down their playstations to vote. To see that kind of flabby response to what's going on in Tehran is a little gross.
Excuse me James. Here I thought you were Ralph the ahole. Do you really think that ANYTHING the Iranians including protesting, riots, dying do will change the present regime? Naive aren't we???
p.s. I don't have a Playstation either.
Here's a great article posted at Jon Taplin's Blog.
http://jontaplin.com/2009/06/15/great-perspective-on-iran-today/
Nice article! Thanks anony tu.
My thoughts go in another direction: imho, people engage in an election if they have the feeling a change is possible and it does make a difference.
In Iran's case, there's a big difference if the people's choice is respected or not.
But democracy is a funny thing. If you have the feeling it is granted, you just don't practice it, like the past EU elections...
LV
MJ,
my comment on the monday blog was meant totally ironic.
10 or 20 years ago the high tec protests were not there. Nevertheless in Tiananmen (20 years ago, 11 before the US election 2000) ppl were able to get organized.
LV
One thing that should have a big effect on the United States about the protests in Tehran is that it pretty much blows the freeper bullshit about Muslim extremism in Iran to hell and back. In Giordano's article that I linked above...
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/iran-question-illegitimacy-bigger-electoral-fraud
...this stands out, I think:
" The yearnings by those in the streets of Iran today precede and supercede the concerns about yesterday's election results. They are seizing the moment of the election, but this is not really about the election. This is about a much deeper and wider discontent with the theocratic-political system they have lived under for 30 years."
The neocon zionists have had Iran in the crosshairs for two decades and they came very close to getting what they want in this decade, to bomb the fuck out of Iran, invade, and occupy it. Their propaganda has been that Iran is an irrevocably extremist and, hence, a danger to the world. Had Iraq gone smoothly the way they had expected it to do, they definitely WOULD have gone to Iran. As it was, getting bogged down in Iraq simply made them run out of time. But they'll be back! In fact, they haven't gone away. Anybody seen Dick Cheney or Bill Kristol lately? Me too. Why are we not throat raping those motherfuckers as we speak? I love my unicorn president, but I gotta tell you something: This reaching across the aisle bullshit ain't working. Throat rape! Throat rape! Throat rape!
And I'll bet you a pot of International Chili Society Supreme Court chili that Glenn Beck will be telling the freepers that the protests in Iran are the direct result of the American teabagging parties, and the freepers will believe it. That is, if he hasn't already told them. Anybody know?
LV, gotcha and np! Thanks for the message and I really appreciate your comments.
Anony - I've been wondering the same thing about the right wing pundits and tea-baggers. A natural extension of their misguided philosophy would be to align themselves with free speech, in much the same way that ignorant homophobe Carrie Prejean tried to defend her bigoted POV. As you aptly noted, there is every reason for Dick Cheney to suddenly shut up because he never wanted Iran to be perceived as a place where (mostly) reasonable, peaceful people live. Ring wingers bank on xenophobia and fear of others, not diplomacy and tolerance.
I, too, am sick of the fakey partisanship being promoted by the Obama administration. There is nothing wrong with pointing out the failed attempts at proper governance by conservative Republicans. If they are wrong, say they are wrong. Don't spare their feelings when they are being stupid! It only legitimizes their lies and gives them permission to continue distorting the truth. I did not volunteer my time and energy to have our president backpedal over his campiagn promises. I think Obama is a very smart, capable, responsible leader but I totally disagree with the way he is eager to placate idiots on the other side of the aisle.
Mojo, I agree with you. (I always agree with you.) ((That's why you should marry me -- and my wife.)) I do, however, still love my unicorn man. If nothing else comes of this presidency, there is one thing that's already been accomplished: The droolers all said, if you'll remember, "Yea, Obama has a lot of support from whites in public. But when those whites get alone in the voting booths, will they really be able to pull that lever for him?" Obviously, they thought not. I don't know how it was in your part of the country, but down here, the cons were walking around dazed on Nov. 9. Seriously!
I was born and raised in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. When I was a kid, had you told me that in my lifetime I would see a black man elected president, I would have thought you were crazy. That, in spite of the fact that every schoolboy in the 1950's was constantly pumped to believe that, in America, ANYBODY can become president. That simply didn't include people of color.
So, I love my unicorn. But I wish he'd put his ass-kicking shoes on and punish some assholes. I really do.
My sister, who is infinitely wiser and much more politically accute than me, tells me, however, that Obama is setting the table for some pretty dramatic effects to come. She's explained to me how, through his appointments in particular, he is undermine the holy fuck out of the neocons. She says, "He's playing chess, not football." I'm not smart enough to get it. So, I said to her, "Okay, I believe you. But will there be ass-kicking?" She says, "There will be total annihilation." That's good enough for me. But, for the sake of heathens like myself, Mr. President, PLEASE, just give us a sign! Joe Lieberman! Can't you at least make Joe Lieberman wear a collar and a butt plug and change his name to Joe Dirtyslut??
PS -- My sister is not "acute". She's astute. I get those two mixed up. She is a cute sister, though.
Anony said: "I don't know how it was in your part of the country, but down here, the cons were walking around dazed on Nov. 9. Seriously!"
Um. Well, we had a big party in Grant Park. Does that count? he he hee...
OK - more laundry. BRB!
I have to agree with the lovely Anony Tu and his very astute sister. We had our revolution on Nov 4th. We asked that our goverment change from politics as usual good ol' boy right wing bull shyte. Obama is doing what we asked of him. He's changing the face of America. He's changing the way we do everything. But that all takes time. As we change, it's fun to watch Fox news and laugh!!! =)
O/T - Do you think that if Pappy McCain was elected we'd be in the streets now protesting like Iranian opposition???
Oh yea, the Grant Park thing. I've been to Grant Park! Did you make oogly faces in the Bean?
Speedy, if Paps and Palin (especially, Palin) had made it, none of us would be marching in the streets of America. Because, by now, we all would have moved elsewhere. I swear!
As an Iranian I really enjoyed reading ur post (Iran, I Ran So Far Away). Thank u so much. By the way if u r interested this is my blog.
www.shahin121uk.blogspot.com
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