Iran doing good again

[cytg111]

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/20/middleeast/iran-rouhani-election/

Baby steps of course but this just melts my heart... you can smell the essense of hope in the air. 2/3rds is the same landslide as France/Macron.

 

[DarthKyrie]

President Rouhani is very popular with the younger people in Iran which is why he won re-election. I think he really wants to be like Mosaddeq.

 

[Commodus]

I wouldn't call it a sudden liberalization, but it does shoot down the myth that Muslim culture invariably leads to extremism. As with anywhere else, sometimes the more moderate camp prevails.

Of course, the big challenge is the Revolutionary Guard's sword of Damocles. Even if Rouhani was all-in on a stereotypical liberal democracy, he'd have to deal with the fanatics trying to hold everyone back. Short of a popular uprising so vast that the Guard didn't dare touch it, Rouhani would likely have to invoke the regular military... and I don't know that he'd get their help.

 

[alien42]

it would great to see Iran can get back to the good old days of modernism and freedom within our lifetime...

https://9gag.com/gag/aWOpX3K/iran-in-the-60s-and-70s

 

[ivwshane]

it would great to see Iran can get back to the good old days of modernism and freedom within our lifetime...

https://9gag.com/gag/aWOpX3K/iran-in-the-60s-and-70s

More than likely they will revert and elect a hardliner next time around if the conflict between the US and Iran and Syria continue to escalate.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/18/world/us-syria-airstrikes/

 

[trenchfoot]

More than likely they will revert and elect a hardliner next time around if the conflict between the US and Iran and Syria continue to escalate.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/18/world/us-syria-airstrikes/

Sustaining the conflict in the Middle East is about the best way to either keep the price of a barrel of oil from dropping and/or to artificially increase the price as high as it can go.

When looking at the situation from that point of view, and with the thought in mind that the Trump/Tillerson relationship is an arranged marriage cooked up by Big Oil, it seems to me that an escalation is somewhat of a foregone conclusion, especially so if Trump won't be able to get the sanctions on Russia lifted. The Saudi's also have a vested interest in keeping things in their backyard in turmoil and their known sponsorship of terrorists speaks directly to that. Every oil producer on this what used to be good earth are all OK with this I'm sure.

It all boils down to maximizing profits on a non-renewable resource, and the bigly moneyed interests are doing their damned best effort to that end.

 

[Sonikku]

it would great to see Iran can get back to the good old days of modernism and freedom within our lifetime...

https://9gag.com/gag/aWOpX3K/iran-in-the-60s-and-70s

Ah, the good old days. Before America ruined democracy in Iran over oil. It's been pure gravy for Republicans. Setting off the destabilization of the region has paid numerous dividends in rationalizing ever great military budgets for contractors lining their super pacs.

 

[alcoholbob]

I wouldn't call it a sudden liberalization, but it does shoot down the myth that Muslim culture invariably leads to extremism. As with anywhere else, sometimes the more moderate camp prevails.

Of course, the big challenge is the Revolutionary Guard's sword of Damocles. Even if Rouhani was all-in on a stereotypical liberal democracy, he'd have to deal with the fanatics trying to hold everyone back. Short of a popular uprising so vast that the Guard didn't dare touch it, Rouhani would likely have to invoke the regular military... and I don't know that he'd get their help.

Most Iranians also identify as Persians and consider themselves culturally distinct from Arabs. They were never part of the Ottoman Empire after all.

 

[xthetenth]

I wouldn't call it a sudden liberalization, but it does shoot down the myth that Muslim culture invariably leads to extremism. As with anywhere else, sometimes the more moderate camp prevails.

Of course, the big challenge is the Revolutionary Guard's sword of Damocles. Even if Rouhani was all-in on a stereotypical liberal democracy, he'd have to deal with the fanatics trying to hold everyone back. Short of a popular uprising so vast that the Guard didn't dare touch it, Rouhani would likely have to invoke the regular military... and I don't know that he'd get their help.

It's fun how people point to Iran as being an example of how Islam inevitably leads to theocratic hellholes, when a ton of the reasons the hardliners were able to take power has to do with the vagaries of the Iran-Iraq war and the relative success of their militias in a situation where the military was untrustworthy as a remnant of the former regime that none of the other factions had any real claim to. Without that war to let the theocratic elements solidify power, it's a lot more likely that Iran looks different today.

EDIT: Looked at my sources more, I characterized the relationship between the Iranian military and the power structures incorrectly. A lot of it was pressure on President Bani-Sadr to counterattack the Iraqis with an ill-prepared military. The resulting failures were used by the Islamists to consolidate power, force Bani-Sadr to flee to France, and purge many of the communists (yes they were a faction in the revolution)

 

[Sinsear]

Big deal. They elected a guy with no power.

 

[FIVR]

Iran is a great country, and a great inheritor of an ancient civilization, language and culture. If the foot of the richest nation on earth with 7 times its population wasn't perpetually on its throat, it might have actually contributed a lot to the world over the last 40 or so years.


If China eventually decides to partner with Iran, India and Korea and cut trade to the US, it could bring about a form of economic sanction on the US, and perhaps they believe they might bring us under their control "peacefully". Little do they know, the United States of America is actually an extremely aggressive and irrational nation that will use force to enforce its hegemonic needs and goals.

 

[theeedude]

Meanwhile Trump is at a dictatorship attacking Iranian democracy.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

The Iranian people clearly want to be moderate, at least by Iranian standards. From what I've read, many of the votes were to ensure that the hardline candidate didn't take power. However, the Iranians are a bit disillusioned by Rouhani because he really hasn't made any real changes or kept promises. Until the hardline clerics and Revolutionary Guard are removed from control there's not much that will change.

https://www.scribd.com/article/3489...As-Rouhani-Wins-Second-Term-As-Iran-President

"Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen."

 

[Jhhnn]

The Iranian people clearly want to be moderate, at least by Iranian standards. From what I've read, many of the votes were to ensure that the hardline candidate didn't take power. However, the Iranians are a bit disillusioned by Rouhani because he really hasn't made any real changes or kept promises. Until the hardline clerics and Revolutionary Guard are removed from control there's not much that will change.

https://www.scribd.com/article/3489...As-Rouhani-Wins-Second-Term-As-Iran-President

"Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen."

At least they had the sense not to elect their own version of Trump.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

At least they had the sense not to elect their own version of Trump.

This time. Remember when you cheered on Imadinnerjacket? You loved Iran's version of Trump back in the day, Jhhnn.

 

[Jhhnn]

This time. Remember when you cheered on Imadinnerjacket? You loved Iran's version of Trump back in the day, Jhhnn.

Quote me.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Quote me.

No need. Any posters in here that have the least bit of integrity know what I am talking about. You'll deny it all day long and regardless of what I quote you'll come up with some wormy response regarding what you said. So, no, I will pass on your request. Thanks anyway.

 

[ivwshane]

No need. Any posters in here that have the least bit of integrity know what I am talking about. You'll deny it all day long and regardless of what I quote you'll come up with some wormy response regarding what you said. So, no, I will pass on your request. Thanks anyway.

No, I have no idea what you are talking about. Go ahead and s quote him.

 

[woolfe9998]

No, I have no idea what you are talking about. Go ahead and s quote him.

The search function allows you to run someone's name and a key word. So Jhhnn and "ahmadinejad" or "Iran." I won't characterize his past statements on that topic. Anyone interested can check.

 

[Meghan54]

No need. Any posters in here that have the least bit of integrity know what I am talking about. You'll deny it all day long and regardless of what I quote you'll come up with some wormy response regarding what you said. So, no, I will pass on your request. Thanks anyway.

So, what you're really saying is it is you without a shred of integrity. You'll make baseless claims (lies, actually), yet when challenged to prove said claims, you retreat like a scared kitten back into its hidey hole. Gotcha.

 

[ivwshane]

The search function allows you to run someone's name and a key word. So Jhhnn and "ahmadinejad" or "Iran." I won't characterize his past statements on that topic. Anyone interested can check.

I looked and I couldn't find it.

 

[K1052]

Meanwhile Trump is at a dictatorship attacking Iranian democracy.

The irony of the administration complaining about a state that is arguably more free in several important ways than the one you're presently standing in should not be lost on people.

I saw a quote from our Commerce secretary that he thought it was remarkable he didn't see a single protester in Riyadh. These people don't have a clue.

 

[Jhhnn]

The irony of the administration complaining about a state that is arguably more free in several important ways than the one you're presently standing in should not be lost on people.

I saw a quote from our Commerce secretary that he thought it was remarkable he didn't see a single protester in Riyadh. These people don't have a clue.

You're right about the cluelessness, but they like the view from the top down. The Saudi Monarchy is all about law & order & their divine right to determine what that is. To stand against that is blasphemy. Anybody foolish enough to to stand against the Will of God gets the *Chop!*

Meanwhile, Rouhani makes some interesting points-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...2ddb_story.html?tid=hybrid_collaborative_3_na

And this-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...b29f-f40ffced2ddb_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

So, what you're really saying is it is you without a shred of integrity. You'll make baseless claims (lies, actually), yet when challenged to prove said claims, you retreat like a scared kitten back into its hidey hole. Gotcha.

Baseless claims? Jhhnn is the same d-bag that accused me in another thread of defending conservatives. I have made it more than clear that I despise Trump. Where was your, or any other lefty in here, concerns about integrity regarding that accusation?

So ah heck off with your bs. Don't talk your talk to me when you don't walk the walk.

 

[Roflmouth]

I wouldn't call it a sudden liberalization, but it does shoot down the myth that Muslim culture invariably leads to extremism. As with anywhere else, sometimes the more moderate camp prevails.

So they'll let you make a slightly longer last message before cutting your head off. What moderation