Iranian democracy
- Thread starter crackerjack
- Start date
scottdisco
rip this joint please
Cracking down - further
A continuing story ... UK in their sights
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/world/middleeast/04iran.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
A continuing story ... UK in their sights
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/world/middleeast/04iran.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
scottdisco
rip this joint please
just watching Auntie's Caroline Hawley discuss our (well the Brits among us) person in Tehran; mentioned that one of the newspapers over there (outrider? ?) is calling for the collar of Mousavi to be felt as a "foreign agent" !
in far better news
here
though of course
how many 10 large has that clown Naiman paid out yet?
in far better news
here
though of course
how many 10 large has that clown Naiman paid out yet?
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padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
yeah I saw that, grim business. & the Revolution takes another step towards becoming a Police State.
clearly foreigners - well, any foreigners still paying attention (& how's that working out, btw?:slanted
- will dismiss them out of hand. what I wonder is, do those in the regime expect any Iranians (besides the regime's diehard supporters) to actually believe these confessions? that they weren't extracted under torture or even plainly fabricated?one thing - looks like reconciliation isn't on the table. hardline the order of the day.
on another note still waiting to see what the fallout will be w/Hamas & Hizballah. as well as Israel.
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
@Scott - yeah I reckon it's as speculated - the regime is seriously weakened. e.g. more desperate, will likely grasp ever more tightly at the reins of power - yunno, the tighter you grasp, more slips thru your fingers kinda thing. not that it's automatically coming down anytime in the short or even the long run. & in the meantime I reckon a more desperate, threatened IRGC is not a good look for stability.
scottdisco
rip this joint please
given some of the thugs used to enforce protests against this farce were Hizbollah, i assume that group has gotten some cash back for the loan of their boys?
good points re regional fall-out, P.
side-point: when Craner and i went to the first Euston Manifesto conference thing at SOAS (we are paranoid crypto-fascist neo-cons, as Luka would remind me), Fred Halliday gave a great account of meeting Hizbollah's number two. toward the end of their four hour long or so chat, the chap got really anti-semitic.
funded and directly ordered from Tehran, of course, he admitted.
relevant from Halliday, as ever
good points re regional fall-out, P.
side-point: when Craner and i went to the first Euston Manifesto conference thing at SOAS (we are paranoid crypto-fascist neo-cons, as Luka would remind me), Fred Halliday gave a great account of meeting Hizbollah's number two. toward the end of their four hour long or so chat, the chap got really anti-semitic.
funded and directly ordered from Tehran, of course, he admitted.
relevant from Halliday, as ever
Continuing fallout ...
Against the election results
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/world/middleeast/05iran.html?_r=1&hp
Against the election results
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/world/middleeast/05iran.html?_r=1&hp
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
is is this actually true or was it just Twitter rumors? I've no idea.
I never doubted it for a second
.Halliday quote is a gem. one thing re: Hizballah - even tho they are obv a proxy of the Iranians, Tehran would not be able to tap into Lebanese Shiite discontent & anger w/o Israel having touched both off w/the occupation. which was, ironically, originally aimed the PLO, a far less persistent/competent/dangerous adversary. f**king Ariel Sharon & his backfiring machinations.
another to keep in mind regionally - Syria. both as Tehran's middleman to Hamas/Hiz & in its own right. how long can the Assads/Alawites stay on top? what does a less stable Iran mean for them?
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
also just spotted via Abu M, regional interest - also relevant in terms of Euro/U.S. interest in rebuilding Iraq as the traditional counterbalance to Iran...
France Hopes to Jump-Start Its Arms Sales With New Iraqi Government
nice one, France.
France Hopes to Jump-Start Its Arms Sales With New Iraqi Government
nice one, France.
From yesterday , from Syria with ?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/world/middleeast/04syria.html?ref=middleeast
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/world/middleeast/04syria.html?ref=middleeast
scottdisco
rip this joint please
heh-heh.
quite.
and sorry P, i was getting HAMAS members in Tehran confused with Hizb members, it's Hamasniks in Iran i've heard about. HAMAS deny it as nonsense, but Iranians have said it is not. who to believe.. ...the Halliday meeting was with Hizb though, i wouldn't get that confused!
jaw-jaw with Syria would be great: damn sight better than what we have now. if settling into some realist-type accomodation with the vile Assad means getting things done, or at least setting a cooler regional tone, than i'm afraid that's what has to be done.
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
Well if I know anything about totalitarian (or at least, severely authoritarian) regimes, it's not whether people believe these confessions that matters: it's more a case of saying to the public at large, and even moreso to opposition leaders or other potential 'troublemakers', "We have the means and the inclination to fuck you up good, so watch out".
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
right but then the question becomes - was Iran a totalitarian regime before (loosely)? is it one now? are we witnessing a transition? hence the bit about the Revolution -> Police State. cos, remember the original '79 revolution was well wrapped up in anti-authoritarian ideals. I guess my point is that despite the religious element (which was not the only or even the dominant element at the beginning) '79 was revolutionary in nature, not reactionary. tho this transition is, of course, not an uncommon one following revolutions.
sure it is a message - but I get the feeling that it is also the regime attempting to save face. even w/o the confessions everyone knows they can still put the hurt on. it goes to some of the points made (by Josef, & others) about legitimacy & the regime's desire to have it - whereas many authoritarian regimes could give a shit if they're viewed as legitimate. witness the tussles between old revolutionaries over the direction of Iran - all appealing to the spirit of '79 to an extent, as the "true" defenders of the revolution, Iran, the people etc.
Internal affairs
Power struggle intensifies ...
In postelection Iran, there is growing unease among many of the nation’s political and clerical elite that the very system of governance they rely on for power and privilege has been stripped of its religious and electoral legitimacy, creating a virtual dictatorship enforced by an emboldened security apparatus, analysts said.
Among the Iranian president’s allies are those who question whether the nation needs elected institutions at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/middleeast/08clerics.html?hp
Power struggle intensifies ...
In postelection Iran, there is growing unease among many of the nation’s political and clerical elite that the very system of governance they rely on for power and privilege has been stripped of its religious and electoral legitimacy, creating a virtual dictatorship enforced by an emboldened security apparatus, analysts said.
Among the Iranian president’s allies are those who question whether the nation needs elected institutions at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/middleeast/08clerics.html?hp
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Turns, twists and shutdowns cont.
Alas, they are in for a beat down, probably happening right now, as reported below
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/middleeast/10iran.html?hp
Alas, they are in for a beat down, probably happening right now, as reported below
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/middleeast/10iran.html?hp