Iranian election fun

[name change request]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090612/..._iran_election
Iran's Ahmadinejad, rival both claim election win

oh boy!

[deepness]

think it was rigged, or at the very least manipulated by the powers that be in that region.

sux, i had really hoped (but not expected) mousavi would win.

[johnny861]

Not surprising and not that it matters much anyway, they are not the supreme leader anyway...

[name change request]

Originally Posted by johnny861

Not surprising and not that it matters much anyway, they are not the supreme leader anyway...

they might as well be. i understand what you mean by stating they are not the supreme leader but when they can sway the decisions made as much as they can then it's pretty much the same thing.

[DJPePe]

It was rigged. Mousavi should have won!

[name change request]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090613/..._iran_election

now the violence starts

[johnny861]

Originally Posted by joel

they might as well be. i understand what you mean by stating they are not the supreme leader but when they can sway the decisions made as much as they can then it's pretty much the same thing.

if they are truly swaying the decisions of the ruling ayatollahs, then so be it. I doubt that is the case.

[zerojunkie]

Interesting...although neither one is going to give up an indigenous nuclear fuel cycle. Obama's lack of experience in foreign matters will be greatly aided if Ahmacrazyguy isn't in power. Btw, just read that one of Iran's ayatollah's has declared Ahmadjenadad's government illegitimate.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.co...-dissents.html

Edit: nevermind, he's not on the Iranian Guardian Council...here's to more psychobabble about the destruction of Israel.

[zymote]

So my sister and her boyfriend were in town for the weekend. He's an intelligence analyst for a major NGO, is an expert on the middle east, and spends quite a bit of time in the region. According to what he said, pretty much everybody in the know was well aware that the election was completely rigged. Apparently, there were reports from inside Iran that a lot of ballots were machine folded - the ruling party had been mass manufacturing fake ballots to stuff the boxes with.

What will become of it is anybody's guess, but IIRC, the last time the students there were this riled up was in 1979. Either way, I don't think it'll be too much of a change with regards to foreign relations (except for all that Holocaust nonsense). What would be important, however, is having the Iranian economy shift to embrace free markets. Their financial system is completely in the shitter, due to the fact that they derive 85% of their income from oil and have eschewed importing things like autos, in favor of producing them domestically at an astronomical expense. Having an Iran that's not going broke and scared shitless of the 150,000 US troops they've got on either side of them will go a long way towards dissipating nuclear tensions. Remember, they've got a shitload of oil, and our reasons for invading Iraq must really make them wet the bed at night.

[FarangBa]

Originally Posted by zymote

So my sister and her boyfriend were in town for the weekend. He's an intelligence analyst for a major NGO, is an expert on the middle east, and spends quite a bit of time in the region. According to what he said, pretty much everybody in the know was well aware that the election was completely rigged. Apparently, there were reports from inside Iran that a lot of ballots were machine folded - the ruling party had been mass manufacturing fake ballots to stuff the boxes with.

What will become of it is anybody's guess, but IIRC, the last time the students there were this riled up was in 1979. Either way, I don't think it'll be too much of a change with regards to foreign relations (except for all that Holocaust nonsense). What would be important, however, is having the Iranian economy shift to embrace free markets. Their financial system is completely in the shitter, due to the fact that they derive 85% of their income from oil and have eschewed importing things like autos, in favor of producing them domestically at an astronomical expense. Having an Iran that's not going broke and scared shitless of the 150,000 US troops they've got on either side of them will go a long way towards dissipating nuclear tensions. Remember, they've got a shitload of oil, and our reasons for invading Iraq must really make them wet the bed at night.

We've got them surrounded... Word

[DJPePe]

Originally Posted by zymote

So my sister and her boyfriend were in town for the weekend. He's an intelligence analyst for a major NGO, is an expert on the middle east, and spends quite a bit of time in the region. According to what he said, pretty much everybody in the know was well aware that the election was completely rigged. Apparently, there were reports from inside Iran that a lot of ballots were machine folded - the ruling party had been mass manufacturing fake ballots to stuff the boxes with.

What will become of it is anybody's guess, but IIRC, the last time the students there were this riled up was in 1979. Either way, I don't think it'll be too much of a change with regards to foreign relations (except for all that Holocaust nonsense). What would be important, however, is having the Iranian economy shift to embrace free markets. Their financial system is completely in the shitter, due to the fact that they derive 85% of their income from oil and have eschewed importing things like autos, in favor of producing them domestically at an astronomical expense. Having an Iran that's not going broke and scared shitless of the 150,000 US troops they've got on either side of them will go a long way towards dissipating nuclear tensions. Remember, they've got a shitload of oil, and our reasons for invading Iraq must really make them wet the bed at night.

What about 10 years ago? Would you say these protests are worse than the unrest in July 1999?

[name change request]

i wouldn't use the word "worse" but they are about equal as the ones in 1999

let's just hope that they produce better results than the ones in 1999... which didn't produce much really

[xtramedium]

It was definatley rigged. The people of that country do not want that guy as their pres.

I kinda feel sorry for the civilians of that country. The majority of them want the western ways of life. It's the older ppl that are the islamic extremists.

[xtramedium]

Originally Posted by joel

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090613/..._iran_election

now the violence starts

just watched the video...... looks like dictatorship to me.

[zerojunkie]

Wow, seems like something big is happening.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.co...to-a-halt.html

A reader writes:
I finally got through and spoke with my family in Tehran. My cousin, who studies at the University, had the following report:

"Life has come to a halt. There were at least 2-3M in the streets today. I've never seen such anger. We are not going let this go. They've closed all the universities (during final exams) and have started a purge. Many of our professors are missing and student organizers are moving constantly to avoid detainment. The police is just watching and the army has declared neutrality. The violence is 100% caused by the BASIJ and thugs who are roaming the streets. They seem to be targeting girls, swinging with clubs and chains. Its disgusting but we are protected by numbers. Get the word out-- the more of us stand together, the safer each individual will be. The reports of the university attacks yesterday are true. We don't know how many were hurt or killed."

Wonder if it's just a pipe dream to hope they don't stop at the president but dismantle the entire theocracy.