For the past hour and a half, I have been arguing with the TV (yes, I frequently argue with inanimate objects). Not just my usual ranting, however; no, this time we were debating politics. Particularly Iranian politics. Honestly, I have ben horrified at recent occurences. People are DYING out there! And for what? The current regime is just that- a regime. An empire. A totalitarian government trying to excessively control their people. And guess what kind of government they replaced way back when? (AKA the 70s) Yes, you guessed it- a regime. Back then, the revolution promised change. They said that an Islamic government would bring peace. Now, if we were basing our opinions off the true, Islamic beliefs of justice and nonviolence, this theory would have worked. Theocracies have sort of worked well in the past (cue shot of Vatican City). However, those governments didn’t have legions of available militants, and an inclination to terrorize. And so Iran became corrupt- strict rules and radical ideas led to hatred and a need-to-succeed attitude among officials. Their aggressive tactics scared the rest of the world, and the US did what they always do when they are afraid of another country- they ignored them. Pretended they didn’t exist. Avoided communication, and averted their eyes whenever Iran flexed it’s new muscles. Iran was a volatile new superpower, and it’s government’s thirst for power seemed unquenchable.
This year, however things started to change. The election turned out the largest amount of voters iran had yet seen, and it was common knowledge that the popular candidate was not Akmadenijad, but his opponent- Mousavi. So, when Mousavi didn’t win, suspicions were raised. Had the government weighed the election? It’s hard to prove, but Iranians certainly seem to think so. Thousands have protested in the streets, risking lives and liberty, all for the sake of justice. I believe this proves that Iranians are good people, despite what their government would have us believe. It seems to me all they want is a little fairness for once. But they are certainly getting a hell of a lot more then they bargained for. Although political change is slow in coming, change on the social spectrum has taken a giant leap in Iranian culture, and i think it fair to say that the Iranians needed no outside help to bring this about. No, I believe that it is the resilience of the people to thrive- to maintain traditional customs while assimilating modern capabilities- that keeps them going like the energizer bunny. Sure, the struggle is not even close to being over. Actually, a revolution of sorts seems nearly inevitable at this point. With half the world wearing green and the other half placing bets on how long the rebels will last in a full-out coup, everyone seems to watching the crisis unfold with bated breath. Sadly, waiting is not such an easy thing to do for the rest of us- especially the US. We seem torn in two directions- do we outright show support for a particular side, or do we stand back and let Iran collapse in on itself? On one hand, no one wants another Iraq or Afghanistan, but on the other hand, can we really ignore our consciences? A revolution is a revolution, and while it is painful to watch, it must be done in some cases. If violence can be avoided, I pray to God it will be, but Iranians seem to have no qualms in standing up for their rights. In conclusion, there is really only one thing left for me to say: March on, strong people. The world is watching, and now you must set the stage.
