Believe me, I don't want to belittle the protesters in Iran or intimate, in any way, that they are not risking their lives for the opportunity to influence their government; however, I feel the need to post an opinion on one small technicality that has been glaringly overlooked by the media in their coverage of the protests in Iran.
The elections in Iran are not, in any real sense of the word, democratic. Every candidate on the ballot has been "100% Mullah-approved." Whether it is Mousavi or Ahmedinijad, the candidate has been appointed to run for election. No primaries were run to select these candidates. The general election in Iran simply serves to guarantee that the theocratic rulers of Iran have one of their hand-picked leaders elected with a show of "democracy" for the world press.
I hate to rain on this parade but the Conservative press seeking to fault Obama for not speaking out against the rigged election is just a tad off kilter this time. Firstly, it matters not what Obama has to say about the protests and the election in Iran. His name is "doormat" regardless of what carefully selected words he uses to speak out publicly on Iran or North Korea. Secondly, until the theocracy in Iran is replaced by a representative republic or a democracy of some sort, the results of every election held there will be unsatisfactory to the modern world.
Now that I've bothered to make this point I would like to add that I fully support the people of Iran in their protests. Regardless of the situation, regardless of the outcome, any Iranian risking his/her life to publicly protest and form of repression by the oppressive theocratic government in Iran means that Iranians are willing to fight for their freedom. At some point in the future, should this movement continue, we may see a revolution that overthrows their current oppressive government. There is always something good to be found in that regardless of minor technicalities.
Godspeed to the Iranian people and to the spirit of freedom everywhere!
The elections in Iran are not, in any real sense of the word, democratic. Every candidate on the ballot has been "100% Mullah-approved." Whether it is Mousavi or Ahmedinijad, the candidate has been appointed to run for election. No primaries were run to select these candidates. The general election in Iran simply serves to guarantee that the theocratic rulers of Iran have one of their hand-picked leaders elected with a show of "democracy" for the world press.
I hate to rain on this parade but the Conservative press seeking to fault Obama for not speaking out against the rigged election is just a tad off kilter this time. Firstly, it matters not what Obama has to say about the protests and the election in Iran. His name is "doormat" regardless of what carefully selected words he uses to speak out publicly on Iran or North Korea. Secondly, until the theocracy in Iran is replaced by a representative republic or a democracy of some sort, the results of every election held there will be unsatisfactory to the modern world.
Now that I've bothered to make this point I would like to add that I fully support the people of Iran in their protests. Regardless of the situation, regardless of the outcome, any Iranian risking his/her life to publicly protest and form of repression by the oppressive theocratic government in Iran means that Iranians are willing to fight for their freedom. At some point in the future, should this movement continue, we may see a revolution that overthrows their current oppressive government. There is always something good to be found in that regardless of minor technicalities.
Godspeed to the Iranian people and to the spirit of freedom everywhere!
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