A New Day In Iran

[bfp]

This is a great article. Here are some clips from the article, but it's a great read for sure:

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“You have come from America?” the officer asked. “Do you know Car . . . uh . . . Carson City?”

Carson City? In Nevada?

He crinkled his eyebrows. The word “Nevada” seemed unfamiliar to him. “Near Los Angeles,” he said.

It’s a common reference point. The city hosts the largest Iranian diaspora in the world, and homes across Iran tune in to Persian-language broadcasts from “Tehrangeles” despite regular government efforts to jam the satellite signals. The policeman said his cousin lives in Carson City. Then, after inspecting my press pass, he handed it back to me and ripped up the traffic ticket. “Welcome to Iran,” he beamed. “We love America.”

Perhaps the most striking thing about anti-Americanism in Iran today is how little of it actually exists. After the September 11 attacks, a large, spontaneous candlelight vigil took place in Tehran, where the thousands gathered shouted “Down with terrorists.” Nearly three-fourths of the Iranians polled in a 2002 survey said they would like their government to restore dialogue with the United States. (The pollsters— one a 1970s firebrand and participant in the hostage-taking who now advocates reform—were arrested and convicted in January 2003 of “making propaganda against the Islamic regime,” and they remain imprisoned.) Though hard-line officials urge “Death to America” during Friday prayers, most Iranians seem to ignore the propaganda. “The paradox of Iran is that it just might be the most pro-American—or, perhaps, least anti-American—populace in the Muslim world,” says Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst in Tehran for the International Crisis Group, an advocacy organization for conflict resolution based in Brussels.

Finally, the gates flew open and we stampeded into the stadium, clutching Hossein’s young sons by the hands. At halftime, the chairman of the German football federation presented a check to the mayor of Bam, a city in southeastern Iran devastated by an earthquake that killed 30,000 people in 2003. “That will help the mayor pay for his new Benz,” one man near me joked.

Throughout the game, which Germany won, 2-0, large loudspeakers blasted government-approved techno music. The mostly young men filling the 100,000 seats swayed to the beat. A small group near us banged on drums. The music stopped, and an announcer recited from the Koran, but most people continued chatting with one another, appearing to ignore the verses. When the music came back on, the crowd cheered.

[Vosh]

Revolution is acoming. ::Crosses Fingers::

[Xodiac]

Throughout the game, which Germany won, 2-0, large loudspeakers blasted government-approved techno music. The

WTF is Government-approved Techno music?

[Satchel]

Probably stuff that doesn't come from Israel

[Krash]

My bet that Iran will become the first truely democratic muslim state looks safer every day

Originally Posted by Krash

My bet that Iran will become the first truely democratic muslim state looks safer every day

well - I could care less if your bet wins or not - I think its got some serious competition from Iraq....I hope its a close race and they both cross the finish line soon.... and followed by many others shortly thereafter

[Vosh]

How long do you think Iraq will take? Don't you think it's a little upsetting that if Iran does go the way of democracy, it might finish the same time as Iraq even with the U.S. working so hard to help Iraq out? Just curious.

Originally Posted by Vosh

How long do you think Iraq will take? Don't you think it's a little upsetting that if Iran does go the way of democracy, it might finish the same time as Iraq even with the U.S. working so hard to help Iraq out? Just curious.

A democratic revolution in Iran, imo, would not have created one in Iraq. Saddam was too much in control.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

well - I could care less if your bet wins or not - I think its got some serious competition from Iraq....I hope its a close race and they both cross the finish line soon.... and followed by many others shortly thereafter

imo Iraq is decades away from a representative and self sustaining democracy.

Iran is ALOT closer.

[DJPePe]

Ironic thing is that Iran WAS a democracy until the U.S. came in and overthrew Mossadegh in '53, bringing the shah of Iran in power.

Originally Posted by Krash

imo Iraq is decades away from a representative and self sustaining democracy.

Iran is ALOT closer.

Yes, I know that's your opinion. But, Iraq is much closer today than they were yesterday or 5 years ago. That is a good thing.

[zerojunkie]

Originally Posted by DJPePe

Ironic thing is that Iran WAS a democracy until the U.S. came in and overthrew Mossadegh in '53, bringing the shah of Iran in power.

Ironic if you ignore his socialist reforms and cozy relationship with the Tudeh, Iran's communist party. Who in turn had close ties with the USSR...all this set to a backdrop of Russia's recent ('51) acquisition of the atomic bomb. A little historical context can be a bitch, can't it?

Originally Posted by zerojunkie

Ironic if you ignore his socialist reforms and cozy relationship with the Tudeh, Iran's communist party. Who in turn had close ties with the USSR...all this set to a backdrop of Russia's recent ('51) acquisition of the atomic bomb. A little historical context can be a bitch, can't it?

The Soviet Union was never a threat though - that was an invention of the American right used to enact totalitarian measures and suppotr a massive military build up and to justify the bullying of nations around the world.....

[bfp]

Originally Posted by xiannaix

Yes, I know that's your opinion. But, Iraq is much closer today than they were yesterday or 5 years ago. That is a good thing.

quoted from Jim Robbins, journalist/political analyst:

Looks like the top leadership posts in the new Iraqi government will be divided between representatives of the Unified Iraq Coalition and Kurdish Alliance, with Ibrahim al-Ja'fari, leader of the Shia al-Dawa party, as Prime Minister and Kurdisj leader Jalal Talibani as President. The insurgents have been hoping to bring these tow groups into open civil war (witness yesterday's bombing of a Shia mosque in Kurdish Mosul) but the pro-democracy Iraqi's are more sensible than the terorrists or many western analysts have given them credit for.


Moving along....

[Vosh]

Originally Posted by zerojunkie

Ironic if you ignore his socialist reforms and cozy relationship with the Tudeh, Iran's communist party. Who in turn had close ties with the USSR...all this set to a backdrop of Russia's recent ('51) acquisition of the atomic bomb. A little historical context can be a bitch, can't it?

Yea, so putting a a country into a track of fucking itself over is a GREAT idea. You can put put historical context in the trash on this one, cause it still screwed Iran and wasn't all that needed.