Comments on: More Iran stuff

By: farang

farang — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:15:04 +0000

“That’s why I’d like to see the opposition at least force an election do-over with international monitors on hand. It’d be even better if they brought down the entire gubmint, of course.”

Yet where were all these blogging handwringers crying for “fair elections” when Bush stole two here?

Think we *might* be better of not throwing stones near our own glass house?

No, you’re correct, everything is peachy fine here, let’s worry about Iranians we otherwise never give one hoot about.

See what $400 million will buy ya these days in P.R.?

By: actor212

actor212 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:45:49 +0000

Please be considerate enough to leave anything valuable that you own out on the curb so we can smash it when we get done with your cars.

Dibs on the crystal vase!

By: Lawnguylander

Lawnguylander — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:32:41 +0000

Not everything is about America. This is one of those rare things. And here we have another wanker bemoaning the lack of riots here. Feck’s sake. Ok, you can has riots but first we have to get lucky enough for things to get a lot worse. And when we do have riots let’s have them on the streets where AlanSmithee and jurassicpork live. Please be considerate enough to leave anything valuable that you own out on the curb so we can smash it when we get done with your cars.

By: actor212

actor212 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:44:16 +0000

The administration says the Iranian elections “aren’t about us.”

I disagree. In Iran, it really is about us.

Pork, the administration may even agree with you, but they. Can. Not. Say. It.

Did you want World War III? Didn’t you learn the lessons of the Bush administration? We have to shut up and let this thing unfold until we can either mediate or have to step in.

By: jurassicpork

jurassicpork — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:31:22 +0000

The administration says the Iranian elections "aren't about us." I disagree. In Iran, it really is about us. You can see it on Juan Cole's site, Nico Pitney's space on the Huff Po or Andrew Sullivan's blog, the latter two live-blogging the post election riots that are no longer riots but a full-blown revolution. They just haven't said it yet. I have. Looking at the level of political involvement of these brave kids in Iran makes me wonder... what the hell happened to us and why didn't we do this 8 years ago?

By: Xecky Gilchrist

Xecky Gilchrist — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:54:31 +0000

Alas, it just shows where the American heart truly lies, other than above massive reserves of visceral fat.

Well put – I LOLed. And shook like a bowlful of jelly.

By: actor212

actor212 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:00:25 +0000

Apparently, the Lakers win deserves a riot, whereas a stolen election or two… not so much.

Actually, I think it speaks to how remarkable the American election system is and just how much faith we place in it.

Let’s face facts: while Bush likely stole the Presidency and may even have stolen his re-selection, the simple fact is, he ran a race close enough against a sitting incumbent Vice President that he was in a position to steal it.

That simply should not have happened. Period.

So Americans didn’t revolt because we knew in our hearts that something close to half of us voted for this shmuck, and that he had four years to prove, well, something to at least half of us. He couldn’t steal a third term, and life goes on.

By: justme

justme — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:50:54 +0000

I have friends who live in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, and Smithee has a point: those folks will riot if the weather’s bad.

Alas, it just shows where the American heart truly lies, other than above massive reserves of visceral fat. Apparently, the Lakers win deserves a riot, whereas a stolen election or two… not so much. Besides, how ever would we get to Wal-Mart if everybody was in the streets clogging traffic?

By: actor212

actor212 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:07:13 +0000

Lawnguy,

I have friends who live in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, and Smithee has a point: those folks will riot if the weather’s bad.

Perhaps we should emulate them, so that nothing will ever get done by anyone.

By: Lawnguylander

Lawnguylander — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:57:55 +0000

It takes a real wanker like AlanSmithee to draw an equivalence between the situation Iranians in 2009 are facing to that of Americans in 2000. Some people need to get out in the world, do some traveling to places where life is a lot tougher rather than spend their time posting stupid US-centric comments on blogs.

By: actor212

actor212 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:54:35 +0000

When elections are stolen in the US, people send money to DNC front groups and complain on blogs.

Presumably you fall into the latter group, Alan.

By: JM

JM — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:46:33 +0000

Am I the only one hoping the students will hang the basij from trees?

OK I’ll be quiet.

By: Dragon-King Wangchuck

Dragon-King Wangchuck — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:06 +0000

Apologies Clem and other sufferers of bipolar II for the crass and ignorant poke. I should have used "roller coaster" but I thought I was being really clever with that. Anyways, let's take a look back at what pedestrian said:

No, but it will establish popular will as a source of power that is potentially even stronger than the clerics and military. That may lead other politicians to challenge establishment thinking. It still looks very unlikely that Ahmadinejad will be forced out, but if he is, it will prove that Khameini is not actually the supreme authority.

By: PS

PS — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:59:02 +0000

If they start mowing people down, …. People just aren’t going to stand for that.

Uh, unfortunate choice of words?

By: AlanSmithee

AlanSmithee — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:55:45 +0000

So? So compare and contrast. When elections are stolen in Iran, people riot in the streets. When elections are stolen in the US, people send money to DNC front groups and complain on blogs.

By: Brad

Brad — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:52:31 +0000

Every once in a while I have to stop being cynical. What these people have done is astounding. Right now, there are reports of militias firing on the protesters. If they start mowing people down, I think that’s the end of their government. People just aren’t going to stand for that.

By: PS

PS — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:50:45 +0000

Brad, I come here for grins (almost always lurking silently) but I always thought you were more than merely snarky, and the last couple of days you’ve proved it. Thanks.

Not that there is anything wrong with snark; why, some of best friends …

By: Clem

Clem — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:47:03 +0000

DKW,

As a recently diagnosed and medicated (January 2008) BPSD II sufferer, I must say that I don’t know exactly what you mean. Sounds bad, though.

Fight the power,
Clem

By: Brad

Brad — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:43:58 +0000

Dudes — yep, they’ve got hundreds of thousands of people in Tehran rallying today. This despite the fact that the gov’t sent out early-morning propaganda saying the rally had been canceled, that the guards were authorized to use deadly force.

The courage is off-the-charts incredible.

By: Dragon-King Wangchuck

Dragon-King Wangchuck — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:41:23 +0000

I’m feeling kinda bad about all the Sully links, but I gotta hand it to him, he’s really paying attention to what’s going on.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/the-state-switches.html

Press TV is now reporting on “hundreds of thousands” in today’s rally from Enqelab Square to Azadi Square…

Just to bring home the significance of the previous item, Press TV is state-owned media…

This is the illegal rally, where police were told to shoot if necessary.

Daily Dish appears to be spotty right now, but if you can get to that link, hit the next post too, there’s a photo that’s… well it’s certainly something.