POPULAR MIX
“Are they coming? Are the Americans coming?”, is a question I’m being increasingly asked – yet the answers to my family’s anxious questions change with each day. “Can I go back with you to England – in your suitcase?”, asks a distant relative – she’s a big girl, but I tell her what she needs to hear.
The increasingly obsessive reading on Iran’s near future – or lack of – has led to me being an alternative news source among my relatives. 6-months ago I might have entered their homes dressed in a dooms-day A-board, bringing silence to those that dared inquire, yet shortly after I’d abandoned the opinions in favour of history and facts – thinking it better to distinguish words from events.
I’ve abandoned this distinction for now though as it appears that the words are the preparation for damaging events.
Take a few selected moments – possibly true but not essential – frame them in the right way, chuck in some “officials” – whack the blender on [loud whiring noise] and in a remarkably quick time we have a stinky, mucky pulp. These concoctions are tasteless yet easy to digest with many exciting and emotive names – the ’2nd Holocaust’ I’ve heard is a popular mix.
For the everyday folk of Iran the noise is disconcerting and rather familiar, yet although we are not the ones swallowing this stuff, we’re the ones that suffer from it – even before any bomb has landed.
But we don’t recall being asked what power source we’d like and also don’t recall anyone suggesting countries be wiped off maps, but we expect to be held responsible for it. We are simply observers, sitting in the stands, able to root for the home-team – to shout, to comment even, but the games goes on despite us. It’s the Supreme PR Machine playing at home to the Empire’s Noise Engineers, yet worryingly the referee and commentators seem more involved in the game than maybe they should be.
“Two military ships are on their way to the Persian Gulf from the US, – one with anti-missile capability”, I inform my family, leaving out any speculation. They are coming, they are here, we are surrounded – I imagine the game will commence once the supporters appear to be sitting comfortably.
RELATED LINKS – These guys say it better than I:
Lost in Translation – Wiped off the map?
Iran and impending war
Oil business and war
Wikipedia on Campaign Again Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran
Scott Ritter: Sleep walking into disaster in Iran
Stephen Zunes: Analysis – possible attack on Iran
Join the Conversation
Firstly you are an excellent writer. Secondly, this is a scary reality which I think many news sources have actually been avoiding.
DMY-
Keeping writing and talking…
Americans have very little understanding of Iran and NON-monolithic and “trapped” that country is.
The American memory is hostages, high gas prices..”Great Satan” and “Death to America” talk etc. Of course the Iranian president has not done real well in his public relations and improving Iran’s world image.
So folks like you should be educating the West…speaking up and speaking out.
In spite of all the rhetoric you hear…average Joe America is not real interested in going into Sheraz for anything more than maybe finding an abandoned bottle of nice wine…now produced in Australia.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to change the status of this post to ‘e-Zine’ so that it will be read by more people, and also because I think it’s good enough to be considered as such.
Esra – Thank you for your kind words. The plan was to do an essay but things took a different direction for various reason – maybe I’ll get round to it at a later date. I mostly was hoping to correct a few (promoted) perceptions and point out the massive hypocrisies but others do it better, hence the links.
Also, you are welcomed to change the status.
Howie – I’ve always wound it interesting how the generations I meet have differing perspectives of Iran. People of around my age know very little and what they do know is far from the truth. Yet the older generations are much the same but maybe the other way round – presenting nostalgic view of the Pahlavi days.
As for Ahmadinejad’s PR, I rather think his smearing is what people outside of Iran hear. If one fully reads his words, they might find themselves struggling to disagree – or at best surprised that he is more coherent than Bush. Check this out – http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13435.htm
But then again, I hardly disagree with Bush and Blair when they say we should bring freedoms to the people – can I protest – “no, we don’t want freedom!”? Yet if freedom is what Iraq has, I’ll pass.
The thing is, things aren’t ‘lost in translation’ – they are twisted in translation and once that genie is out of the bottle the correction is pointless. I think a large portion of the population fail to realise that where the media is concerned, we – the people – are the product and the corporations are the market. With that in mind, we need to understand that the majority of the media do not have the long term interest of the people in mind.
How this is damaging is that an American’s lack of information or twisted information contributes to large scale death and to a very unstable future for us all – passive silence (very much manufactured) is the ‘all clear’ that is needed. And for those further to the right – your tax money is being used to fund this – you are being looted in your ignorance.
I could go on…
You can protest, “no, I don’t want your brand of freedom” Freedom is not something you can import or export, it comes from the genuine feelings of the people.
At the same time, I rather have 3 meals to eat every a day and to live in security than the “freedom” the Western world gloats about.
DMY-
Maybe I misunderstood you…but what I understood, I most disagree.
I don’t think Ahmedinejad is a moron, nor do I think the Iranian PR corp are morons…on the contrary…I think they are very smart.
If there was one or two “misquotes” I might agree with you…but this guy and that government have consistently said and done such things…I read a long article about what Mahmoud “really” meant by “wiping Israel off the map”…well..he didn’t really say map or “wipe” in Farsi can be defined as such and such depending on how it is read..blah blah blah. These kinds of statements are not one time things and I credit Iran with enough intelligence to clarify what they REALLY want to say…and I think they do.
I live in an area with 10′s of thousands of Iranian ex-pats., including my next door neighbor and my business partner…we discuss this stuff often. They don’t seem to have much confusion over what Ahmenidejad has to say…not at all.
In terms of the good old days of the Shah…many bad things happened and he was cruel. Currently, many bad things are happening and the government is cruel and murderous and horrifically oppressive. Friends that visit Iran tell stories of economic crisis, a young generation of brilliant people who can’t find work, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, smuggling but worse of all, a generally oppressive and oppressed feeling and depression among a good deal of the population…
So me…I believe the president of Iran is bright, articulate and pretty much a puppet for the higher ups. I believe the Iranian governmnent represents a continued betryal of the people who originally fought to put them in power and a government that crushes any opposition.
I don’t understand why you would defend this guy. I say…”throw the bums out”…and I know many an Iranian who would agree with me.
Oh…and I completely disagree with Jina…I don’t think freedom comes from people’s “genuine feelings”…that might be part of it…but it also involves free press, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, freedom to vote, right to a fair trial, and these types of things must be sanctioned by the government the people have put into power. These things were promised to the Iranian people in the late 1970′s and it was a lie.
Howie, it doesn’t take a smart man to push the “censorship” button. It really doesn’t. All it takes is a confident man who thinks he’s got what it takes to lead an entire nation into believing a certain ideology. They’re not leading people into supporting them because they have them convinced. They just made sure that the public is left with a huge lack of resources and with no fair flow of information, and of course some people wouldn’t fight back if they don’t have the right knowledge required to do this properly without risking prison time.
With that said, I should agree that Ahmadinijad’s image has been stepped on by many media sources, Arab ones included, and he’s been misunderstood in many ways. But he’s a funny character who in my opinion hasn’t really proved why he should be trusted. Maybe if this war happens, which most people I’ve spoken with seem to be convinced that it will, we can test his leadership skills through how he’d react.
And before you jump on my back I’m not defending him Howie, I’m just saying that many leaders out there including Bush and Olmert always get their 2nd chances to prove their worth, let’s give this guy a chance too.
Esra’a
I would never jump on your back…how do you know all these idioms etc. You impress me you mere child…
Oh…I looked at Baharin on the map…funny…you guys make Israel and Lebanon look enormous. Iran could swallow you folks in about 10 minutes…and I wouldn’t put it past them.
No…my point about Mahmoud, again, is that this is not just “a misquote” or misinterpretation or poor translation. Again…I think he is a bright man…not a retard..and I think he has made his “point” and has done it over and over and over…Have we already forgotten stuff like the Holocaust denial. ( And I firmly believe that he did not believe his own words).
So the dude is up to crap…and he talks crap and the key word is consistency. We all get misquoted or mistranslated…I would grant him a whoops here and there…but really…
Oh…and your other points…I understand all that…Again…much of Iran got suckered by Khomeni…Left, Right, Communists, Anarchists, Women’s Rights folk because they were furious with the USA and the Shah and closed their eyes..and when they opened their eyes…it was a new nightmare. That history I have studied fairly closely.
Honestly…I think Iran has the best chance in the ME to be the next free (or freeish) country. It also could be turned into an absolute disaster.
In terms of the USA attacking Iran…I doubt it, but this is brinksmanship. As a Baharaini…esp. if you are a Sunni Baharani…you must have very mixed feelings about those USA carriers steaming up the Straits of Tehran. And Iran with hegemony over that area might not be good news for your little island.
And I know you are not defending him. I think your country has as much, if not more, to fear from Iran and his types, than my countries, including Israel.
You do have to make judgements about people and being “non-judemental” is Leftist pscyhobabble horse poo poo.
For you English as a second language types:
You probably have this…or something similiar…but it is very cool:
http://www.m-w.com/
I like the fact it also pronounces the words
Howie – “defending” Ahmadinejad is not the way I’d describe it. Maybe defending Iran from being spoiled possibly as a result of the damaging error placed on the minds of the world.
For arguments sake, let’s say Ahmadinejad does want regime change in Israel – which I understand is what he is repeatedly referring to and not without reason – how then does this differ from the repeated call for regime change in Iran by Bush and his cronies?
What makes it fine for him to repeatedly and explicitly call for regime change in other countries? I might like to question international law on such threats (and indeed action) – yet what makes America hold the moral ground above any other nation?
Need I remind us that Ahmadinejad won with a greater percentage of the vote and with a larger turnout than the current US president and the British prime minister. Just to presuppose your response.
Basically I’d be interested to see any evidence where Iran is a threat to anyone as is described. The IAEA so far haven’t. Anything you may produce I would challenge, and certainly propose that the US will have done worse, multiple times over.
Having said this I believe that Iran is threat, yet not for any reasons exposed. Iran has to a degree an amount of independence and in the absence of US aggression will go further and hopefully develop to be a model state for the region – it will take time, a lot of time. But if we can avoid moments like the US/UK coup circa ’53 then may be able to express our nation’s desires. The threat is here however, dictator after dictator has been imposed on the region to stave off any popular uprising – should the people of the region be in a position to look after themselves – i.e. cut the oil deals outside of the oligarchs… your Hummer will make a nice garden ornament.
So, back to the where we were… Threats like “all options on the table” and the often exposed possibility that the US will nuke Iran seem certainly hypocritical yet oddly ironic. Such language seem to be a self fulfilling prophecy as Iran might just want to preserve itself by taking the North Korea approach. It seems the US might just be trying to beat the possibility of a nuclear stalemate.
Jina,
At the same time, I rather have 3 meals to eat every a day and to live in security than the “freedom†the Western world gloats about.
Then lets move the talk from “Freedom” in Iran, to simple regime change? That would make you happier?
To all those people who seem to be claiming the only problem between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States is Ahmadinejad’s rhetoric, I really have to question how you can find the audacity to call American’s ignorant. Iran is palying teh same game in Iraq right now that they played in Lebanon in the early 1980s. And that game (in Lebanon) got 241 Americans killed. And dozens taken hostage. And airplanes hijacked.
And come to think of it, Iran is getting people killed in Lebanon as we speak.
ddmmyyyy,
If you feel that Iranians are powerless to do anything about their government, I’m sorry about that. But it’s not my fault. And it’s not my country’s fault. And the problems between the US and Iran, are not a result of ignorance and media fabrications. The problems are real.
So, freedom in Iran would be what? Invading their country without the approval of its citizens, killing their leaders, destroying the environment entirely, and keeping them under an occupation for years before a U.S-approved government is introduced?
Is that really your definition of freedom and democracy?
If you do choose to bomb Iran and kill many of its innocent civilians under the header of “freedom,” then yes, it would be your country’s fault and it would be a result of sheer ignorance of how politics should work. Attacking Iran at this point shouldn’t be an option. It poses no direct threat to the U.S, just like Iraq never did. There is no justification. If it’s pressuring Lebanon, then Lebanon will ask for help if and when it wants to. You don’t get to decide anything simply because you have no right to. If you attack Iran – the majority of Middle Easterners will be disgusted, horrified, threatened, and more anti-American than you could ever handle. If you want that – go ahead and support your country’s decision.
Craig – yes great idea, a simple regime change! And while we’re at it – as your respective government seems bent on regime change in Iran – we’d like to return the favour and replace your regime. Oddly enough I feel this would be applauded – by the majority of your own countrymen, who like most of the world are tired of a light-fingered, incompetent clique-boy who hears imaginary voices influencing his foreign policy.
As for Iran’s game playing, I find it odd that after a formal visit by the Iraqi government to Tehran in an effort to seek help, a month later the US Army have been asked to “capture or kill” any Iranians seen in Iraq. Also I might forgive the Iranian desire to seek strategic alliance considering that on all borders your fellow countrymen stand armed and ready.
If we’re noting aviation tragedies from the 80s, I might add the downing of a civilian jet by the US killing 248 civilians.
Again, you mention Iranian influence in Lebanon as if last summer never happened.
To a degree I feel Iranians struggle as many nations do with their respective governments, but this has been made severely worse since ’53 – by the US/UK governments following a successful coup masterminded by Britain and paid for by the US. After the dictator was reimposed upon us the country suffered a huge set-back, that became increasingly worse – made no easier by the damage encouraged by the US backing of Iraq during the war of the 80s, resulting in a stalemate and a million or more dead.
Lastly, problems arrive as a result of the distortions made by the corporate media of the US. Need we look back at Bush’s speech before the occupation of Iraq – has any of those concerns turned out to be true? Opinion polls show that concerns over Iraq by the American people reflected the noise coming from the corporate media – they even believed Sadam was responsible for 9/11… now where did they hear that?
Again, my worry is that this noise is the preparation for further illegal intervention by the US. Should this come about then the opportunity for Iranians to resolve the internal issues will be further set back.
Nevertheless, I am always happy to know of Americans reading from websites like these, we look forward to your future comments.
This is an important point which deserves an article of its own. I’m glad you realize this.
Esra’a,
So, freedom in Iran would be what? Invading their country without the approval of its citizens, killing their leaders, destroying the environment entirely, and keeping them under an occupation for years before a U.S-approved government is introduced?
I think you missed my point? I was suggesting that since the idea of freedom and democracy was so offensive to so many people, maybe it ought to be dropped. There is more than one way to change a regime.
It poses no direct threat to the U.S, just like Iraq never did. There is no justification.
That’s a matter of opinion. One that most Americans do not share. We view nuclear weapons in the hands of the IRI as a direct threat. Furthermore, Iran declared war on the United States in 1979. The US can go to war with Iran at any time,. and be fully justified under international law. There is no statute of limitations on acts of war, Esra’a.
ddmmyyyy,
Again, my worry is that this noise is the preparation for further illegal intervention by the US.
You make a mistake to think Iran is in the same situation re: the US as Iraq was prior to the invasion. Iran has committed many acts of war against the US, and it still is. Iran has Pasdaran officers in Iraq right now (and that’s who we’ve been capturing) training terrorists to attack US troops. Iran is supplying those terrorists with arms, but more importantly, training. If you don’t know these things, perhaps it is you who has been misled by the media.
If you don’t want war with the US, then don’t allow this regime to build nuclear weapons. There are two paths. Dismantling the nuclear program, and war. It looks to me like we are heading for war.
Nevertheless, I am always happy to know of Americans reading from websites like these, we look forward to your future comments.
I’ve been reading Iranian blogs for years. I take it you haven’t, or you probably would have seen me commenting on them. And, I have to say, I’m not really looking forward to reading YOUR opinions in the future. Regime apologists are unfortunately quite common.
David Mohammad Yaghoobi,
For arguments sake, let’s say Ahmadinejad does want regime change in Israel
Regime change in Israel? You think that’s what AJ is talking about? Are you even serious?
Esra’a,
If you attack Iran – the majority of Middle Easterners will be disgusted, horrified, threatened, and more anti-American than you could ever handle.
You act as if this will be something new. I can see the disgust you, yourself, already have for the US, with every word you write. Are you trying to claim that a person such as yourself will loathe America even more if we don’t do as you wish from this point onwards? That’s an empty threat.
As is ddmmyyyy’s threat to change the regime in the US. Iran’s been trying to do that since 1979, and has never stopped. If they could, they would.
Craig? Ah yes, ‘Craig what reads Iranian blogs’, Craig! I often hear you name bounced around the coffee shops of Tehran – “yeah Craig, you know, that guy what reads Iranian blogs – no, no, not Craig the botanical blogger!”. You’ve been doing a service to us “apologists ” for years.
I myself am not an apologist for anyone, again, I simply am concerned that mistranslations and distortions will bring our nations head-to-head and derive no mutual benefit. I might consider that my comments are like that of a barrister, which is not to say I approve of what exists but rather I’m trying to fairly represent a case, especially when the repercussions are so grave. You (and myself also) are not helped by our prejudices and when our sources are narrowed and filled with agenda then we must be careful how we apply our energy – oddly enough in your case, your every critical word seems equally as applicable to you or the US – just maybe you don’t see this.
Similarly, you are arguing that maybe I’m misled by the press when one might ask where your sources derive from. Your tidbits on Iranian influence in Iraq are interesting and should you wish to claim credibility over me then site your sources. Might we inquire as to the largest influencing source in Iraq, those who unilaterally took it upon themselves to sidestep the UN and invite the theatre of “Shock and Awe”, I and many other are dubious about the legal ground for this occupation – such an insult to the Iraqi people after the US supported Sadam for so many years.
Yes I don’t want war between our nations, yet it seems we don’t even have to have nuclear weapons to arrive to this point. The US government is yet to present any evidence to suggest the development of war heads – what do they know that the IAEA don’t? Our supreme leader has also forbidden it calling it against the Islamic way. Iran is a signature to the NNPT and has not at any stage compromised its membership – which is more than can be said for the US and the UK – and I’m not even going to go there with Israel, Pakistan, India and North Korea. That your government is drafting plans to target Iran’s civilian nuclear power sites with low-yeild nuclear bunker busting bombs is strange and somewhat ironic.
Regarding the the reference to regime change in Israel, unless somebody can prove to me otherwise this and the sentiment toward America has been hash, even stupid but is surely far less than what has been returned. Ahmadinejad repeatedly refers to the Zionist occupying forces in Palestine and to there main sponsor, the US. “Wiped from the map” more correctly translated as “the occupying force of Jerusalem vanished from the pages of time” and should not be seen as antisemitic for even Noam Chomsky, Jewish, says much the same. Again, any threatening language is as applicable to the US, if not more so. Oh and by the way, we have many Jewish folk in Iran also – who were not asked to wear yellow arm bands as was published by the corporate press.
Typically your concluding options are what many have come to expect from Americans – no mention of compromise or negotiations. Your utter arrogance in presenting these options is another matter. Peace.
Your biggest problem remains to be the fact that you’re in denial. You think anyone who is critical of the stupidity of the U.S government is hateful towards the U.S. You group people into categories, because you refuse to understand the simple fact that one can criticize a government and feel no hatred towards the country itself or its people. I criticize my government very often, does that mean I hate my people and my country? No. Get your head out of your ass and try to argue with me without resorting to “you’re an Arab, and thus you hate America!”
You say it’s an empty threat because you have already dehumanized certain people in your mind. We don’t matter; and thus neither does our opinion, right? So why do you come to such websites, to spread your hatred, or to actually argue? Because it seems to me that you have no desire to actually listen to what many Middle Easterners have to say, which is a big shame. There are many decent Americans, as well as many Arabs with U.S citizenship, who have conflicting opinions on this site, but no one is as big of a clueless nationalist as you are. That to me, is a threat, but since your opinions stem from no facts I would call it an empty threat, too. You’ll walk around with your empty head in your government’s ass ready to accept and excuse all of its grave errors. Fine. No one would care. We have millions of other Americans who will rally for our cause (that is, rallying against killing innocent civilians for no apparent reason.) But yet you don’t see me dismissing your argument merely because one opinion couldn’t always outnumber the others. You, however, do that all the time.
I pity you. I really do. And I feel bad for your reading comprehension problem, as it seems to be that you don’t ever read beyond our criticism of America. Millions of Americans have blogs dedicated to criticizing their government. I don’t see you blaming them of being anti-American. Or do you annoy them with these rants too? If so, I bet you were laughed at so bad that your only resort was to spam Middle Eastern sites with your hatred and baseless assumptions as well. If you think we’re hateful, please go read the other harsh criticism of America by many other Americans whose commenters will rip you apart like a flock of vultures, and then come and tell me who hates who.
I’ve read your posts in other blogs, by the way. You seem to use the same nucleus of one or 2 ideas and you basically repeat yourself thinking you’re convincing everyone of your ignorant mentality when really, you’re just boring the hell out of us all. Give us some challenge for a change. Don’t just keep whining like a toddler.
I anxiously await an argument, not an insult, although I do expect the latter as it seems to be the only thing you’re willing to offer. Prove me wrong by having some decency and a challenging argument at hand.
While this may be true to a degree, it is true that the role of the media is not simply one of straight reportage. Especially when the stakes are so high.
I am always surprised at how the mainstream media in America (and to a slightly lesser extent in Britain and elsewhere) will allow politicians to present and explain such complex matters in such simplistic and unsearching terms. For instance, Bush’s State of the Union address in which he describes the root of both Shia and Sunni extremism thus – “They want to kill Americans, kill democracy in the Middle East and gain the weapons to kill on an even more horrific scale.”
I wonder how long people will allow their leaders present matters so crudely? I am hoping that technology and access to information will rapidly cause such rhetoric to seem humourously outdated (on both sides of the debate). But it is currently very worrying.