1 post tagged “democracy”

Iran today condemned the US for "intolerable" meddling in internal Iranian affairs and for fostering a groundswell of protest against the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Get Real, "Iran", and Get Real, CNN!!!

I'm tired of news agencies identifying an entire country by the present ruling party.  CNN's headlines should have read "Ahmadinejad's government accuses US of meddling".

"Iran" is no more synonymous with "Ahmadinejad" than the "US" was synonymous with "Bush".  Lazy copy editors lay the blame of both of these caricatures of presidents at the feet of the entire country they hold power in.

Now, Iran, please listen.  And I don't mean "Ahmadinejad".

An open society is a good thing.  For the same reason that families with abusive husbands and fathers and brothers should speak out against their controlling, oppressive, damaging ways.   Keep the call for an open society going!

(Um, Ahmadinejad, before you accuse me of meddling in Iranian affairs, please recall: I live in a free and open society, and I can say pretty much whatever I want, to whomever I want.  Except, of course, about Sarah Palin's daughter.)

The sad truth is that Ahmadinejad almost certainly stole the election; there has never been a same-day call of an election in Iran.  They need a minimum of three days to count ballots.  So everyone already knows that Ahmadinejad made up the results.

But it's not his fault.

He had a great role model.

When Bush sued to stop counting ballots in Florida, he killed Democracy in America.  For a while.

Let's not get too snooty about stolen elections.  We may not see the election results turned over; we might even see something like a bloody crackdown.

Everyone in the US should get a penpal in Iran.  We should inundate Iranian society with good will for those would be receptive.  We should send aid and support to people in that society who love a free society.

Because I recall what it's like to live in a society where the ruling party was in place illegally; with a stolen election; where that party's best interest was put above the best interest of the rest of the country's best interest.

And we see the result.

Despots breed poverty.

Check your bank account, and thank Bush & Co.

Here's to a free and open Iran.