Posted on 01/24/2004 8:48:59 AM PST by William McKinley
When I first started reading your posts I thought you might have discovered something new and important. If you had found proof of some kind of insidious conspiracy I would be would be ever so thankful.I always try to be helpful. And you are more than welcome to try and be dismissive of me and my concerns. It is always an option.
But pardon me if I pull the string on some of my concerns. Even if I am a bit of a moral absolutist, in as far as I grasp how devastating far-left governments are to the people under them. I hate theocracies, and I hate repressive regimes. I also hate leftist regimes, and do not see them as being measurable better than theocracies.
I was on board with your efforts when it seemed to me that those behind the scenes (such as the person, Aryo Pirouznia, who set up the SMCCDI website were people who were supportive of Reza Pahlavi. And I fully appreciate the need to find support (and resources) whereever possible. But there is a rule of thumb, which is that any organization which is not expressly right wing eventually becomes or is taken over by left wing interests (if they weren't that way from the start).
And despite your dismissive attitude towards me, that is a legitimate concern especially when I am seeing joint declarations (hosted on the SMCCDI website) and joint initiatives (hosted on the TRP website) and photo galleries of meetings (when none are made of similar meetings with non-leftist groups). How deep is the involvement? Obviously, Nicole Sadighi -- a spokeswoman of the SMCCDI-- is deeply involved ("Nicole Sadighi is also a member of our Transnational Radical Party"-- Stefania Lepanna).
DoctorZIn, I came with questions and concerns, and you are cementing my concerns with your lack of concern over these matters.
George Washington
If the main goal has always been to further democracy while defeating the terrorists, in line with the Bush administration's goal... wouldn't it also be true that when it comes time to rebuild a nation after its revolution, the US would be there to help? Prior to the uprising of the Islamic republic, didn't the US and Iran enjoy many years of common goals and mutual agreement? Won't it be possible to return to such cooperation, in peace?
I think of socialist Europe, and realize that the EU is not reaching out with open arms to the Iranian people, but instead props up the regime. In the war in Iraq, we have support from former Eastern Bloc nations that recognize the dangers of communism, Poland chief among them. In the aftermath of revolution in Iran, wouldn't those that recognize the evils of communism rally around the Iranian people as they begin to form their government?
In gathering support for freedom in Iran, the people are desperate for resources. If we do not stand up to help them, and show them the power of a republican form of government, then we have failed. Leaving them to the leftists is not an answer. Railing against the evils of socialism will not show the people the danger. Their movement is so young and so weak, why dash their hopes before they have even begun to fight?
The media and leftist movements in America appear to ignore Iran. If a socialist agenda could gather strength, wouldn't we hear more about it in the press? Why is it that the regime's greatest ally, the socialists in Europe, cannot keep the puppets in power? They cannot protect them from themselves.
This is all much ado about nothing, unless revolution comes. And with the boot of the mullahs on the necks of the people, I do not see revolution on the horizon. And that is the tragedy, not the concern over the specter of socialism in the future.
I am equally convinced, some are radical leftist. Sadaghi's involvement is enough to make that apparent.
Understanding how much sway each faction has is important. One of the reasons that Iran is in the mess it is now is that in the late 70s, groups bought into change without having a true understanding of who would be empowered by the change.
Perhaps some think a crapshoot is a good idea-- hey, let's roll the dice. It can't end up worse than we have now, can it? Get rid of the theocracy, and let's take our chances.
My answer is, it most certainly can end up worse than we have now. You see, a far left regime would be just as tragic for the Iranian people, but would be harder to remove because instead of being the focus of the left-controlled humanitarian groups like Amnesty International, they would get only cursory attention from those groups. They would have the support of far-left groups worldwide, they would have apologetics in the United States media preventing any groundswell of support.
In other words, pretty much there is one shot here once the regime is deposed for the Iranian people for several decades. If the far left, such as those of the same mindset as the TRP, win the day, the opportunity for freedom for the Iranian people will be gone for an entire generation.
Unfortunatley, that is not the case.
The TRP is not involved out of the goodness of their hearts. They aren't just voicing some support because they give a damn about the people of Iran. They are doing so because they believe it advances their strategic and political interests. They obviously feel that they will be well positioned when the revolution comes.
The cavalier attitude being shown to me regarding their influence is not comforting.
And yes, you are correct that the history of revolutions shows that they most often succeed at toppling the regime when all opposition groups unite. But the history of revolutions also shows that more times than not, the people do not end up in any better of a situation, and the history of revolutions in modern times shows that quite often, it is because the far left grabs power.
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