Everyone in the Rivalry class should read this and be prepared to talk about it in class this week. Also the Russia stuff including the new post. Click on the rivalry topics tab.
Iran reformists want U.S. to tone it down
"This has been a source of frustration to Iran's reformists, who dealt the president's party a blow at the polls in local elections in December but complain that the Bush administration's threatening rhetoric has pulled the rug out from under them."Mr. Ahmadinejad tries to make the international situation worse and worse. And now with the U.N. Security Council resolution, he can say, 'Look, we are in a dangerous position, and nobody can say anything against us, because the enemy is coming into the country.' Exactly like George W. Bush in Washington, D.C. They are helping each other. They need each other, I believe."
If Iranians perceive a foreign threat, he said, "they don't pay attention anymore to differences, and the problem they have between parties and governments doesn't matter anymore."
5 comments:
I understand the position that the Iranian reformists are in. I also understand that it is frustrating to them what we are doing. I support what they are trying to do except as always that process is long and uncertain. What is certain is that Iran is supplying weapons to insurgents. What is also certain is that these weapons are killing American troops. The austrian government sold Iran .50 caliber sniper rifles and now they are in Iraq. They can go through Humvees, concrete walls and certain areas of armor on tanks. So no, I don't think we should tone it down because Iran is clearly perceiving us and the world as a joke. They probably have legitimate reasons to do so... seeing as the American public wants to cut and run from Iraq.
Idle threats are pointless. Something needs to be done.
Iran has allowed for the continuation of funding and provision of munitions to the insurgents for some time now, they continue with their uranium enrichment program and have employed Russia to build a nuclear power plant, also purchasing Tor-M1 air deffense missle systems....Mr. Ahmadinejad recently hosted a gathering for supporters who believe that the holocaust is a myth, which attracted nuts of all kinds....if Mr. Ahmadinejad wants to be taken seriously he might consider the immaturity of his actions...How do you diplomatically deal with someone who deals only in symbols and idealisms?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253125,00.html
Let's reform guys!
Didn't show the rest...
It's very hard to do reform in a society where people mutually like each other. The United States has many reformists who try to change government practices in what not. They are succesful to a point but not any dramatic as would require in Iran.
Think how difficult it must be for those trying to do it in Iran where incidents like the one that just happened in Pakistan are quite common. I read about a man who raped a woman then blamed her for wearing suggestive clothing. The man was whipped 3 times and the woman was stoned to death... all with a nice neighboorhood crowd cheering on. HOw hard do you think reform there really is and can it change dramatically?
One of the points made in this article that I feel everyone overlooks is the situation we're (America) putting ourselves in terms of business and trade. As was stated by a former government official, Iran, due to the advocacy for an embargo on the part of the Bush administration against Iranian businesses, is turning to China for imports. This is because the Chinese are more "flexible", the former official stated. Although the loss of Iranian business may not create a huge boon for the US market, a trend like this is an absolutely terrible idea. The Bush administration has to realize that this is not the 90s anymore, and that the United States will soon no longer be the only true economic determinant and superpower. Hence, old ideas on how to approach problems such as those in Iran have to be put under more scrutiny.
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