News Flash! The Old Man Agrees with Obama
The Tools that tyrants dread…the internet, cell phones and a communication network out of their control…are facilitating political upheaval in Iran. And I agree with President Obama’s response.
The United States should not give to the military theocracy in Iran the foil that this massive protest of highly centralized government control of Iranian life is really instigated by, and supported by the United States and its’ operatives. As I’ve discussed with the Grad Student many times over the years, the most important tool for a despot is a great enemy from which the people need protection, and towards whom their frustrations and anger can be directed. It helps greatly if that enemy has things “the people” do not…e.g. wealth, status, strength, etc. It helps even more if that common enemy is seen as elitist and telling “the people” what choices they ought to make.
So, notwithstanding my very different views from our president on foreign policy, capitalism and government control, I agree with President Obama’s public stance that the U.S. should not be seen as “meddling” in Iranian politics. I even agree with the president stating that “there is not much difference between Mousavi and Ahmahdinijad”. Whether there is or isn’t, that statement gives a clear message to the world that the United States “doesn’t have a dog in this fight”…i.e. the fight between Mousavi and Ahmadinijad. This makes it clear that the U.S. is not trying to get a more favorable leader (or a puppet) into power in Iran. (And, I don’t believe the rumor that President Obama’s first private response to the rioting was “gosh, I just had dinner scheduled with my new friend A-Jad, I hope he doesn’t get overthrown.”)
But, kidding aside, President Obama is right about his stance, and he will, I believe, as the nascent uprising in Iran progresses, gradually increase his support for the people of Iran (not Mousavi) and against repression. I, further, think the Congress is wrong to make a public statement with and official resolution that appears counter to President Obama’s policy stance. Disagreeing with him is fine, but not an official, voted position that is not helpful.
I cannot resist, however, pointing out to the Grad Student, that some predicted that democracy and capitalism (helped by the internet and cell phones) once planted in a major Arab country in the middle east, would spread…and that, with its’ educated people, Iran was the next most likely place that a form of democracy, spurred by capitalism and free enterprise, would grow. (As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t doubt that several countries in the Middle East might be more capitalistic, have more of a free enterprise system than the U.S. in ten years.)
The Old Man
