Opinion
The revolution fizzles
Meir Litvak
Published: 24.06.09, 18:17
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13 Talkbacks for this article
1. Attak on Iran nuclear facility
Mo   (06.24.09)
Dear Meir Litvak, Its an interesting comparison that you have made, but I cant not help but wonder what are your views about Israel attacking nuclear facilities in Iran considering that the 12 june coup was designed to give hardliners more power which they hope to use. further more I think the events that we are witnessing are part carefully planned to stop the regime whats we could call erosion and getting rid of all the rusty parts so to speak by bringing back fundamentalism even if it means sacrficing their thin veil of legitimacy.
2. Iran Revolution All Media and CIA Hype
World Citizen ,   the world   (06.24.09)
The level of rebellion in Iran was never there no matter how much money the intelligence agencies in the US and UK threw at it. The "mass protests" shown on the television were the creations of the intelligence agencies, main stream media and neo-cons groups in the US, UK and Israel. They are trying everything they can to convince the people of the US and UK that they should invade Iran and that the Iranians will throw flowers at the feet of the invaders. Hopefully the American and British people are not stupid enough to fall for that trick again. It is not like it hasn't happened before. Besides the fiasco in Iraq these sort of things go way back. In 1953 the American CIA led a coup to overthrow the democratically elected president of Iran. The US then imposed on the Iranian people a new ruler (the Shah) friendly to US interests. Those interests including supplying Israel with petroleum from 1954 to 1979. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979 the Americans passed a law that if Israel couldn't obtain an oil supply source, the Americans would use oil they set aside for national emergencies to supply Israel. The law is still on the books. Now things are getting very bad economically for the US. They can't guarantee their own supply of oil much less Israel's. Israel needs a new Iranian Shah! Hence all the talk of a rebellion against the legally and majority elected Iranian president.
3. Shots can be heard around the world
Gideon Reader   (06.24.09)
The perfect raison d'etre for the political enshrinement; the guarentee of a citizenry to "keep and bear arms", a la as the 2nd Ammendment to the Constitution of the United States. An unarmed man is a subject. An armed man is a citizen. Even a single shot .22lr can make a major difference against any tyranical oppressive government.
4. Resistence is futile
Brent ,   Lawrence US   (06.24.09)
I am not surprised that the Iranian protests have failed. I thought that would be the outcome from the beginning. Why? Two reasons. 1. Unlike western governments or even the much hated former Shah, this government, like that of Communist China, is perfectly willing to be utterly ruthless. The theocrats do not care what happens and are willing to pile up an unlimited number of bodies to achieve their objective. Furthermore, they have the full cooperation of the Revolutionary Guard and the "civilian militias". The so-called regular army won't even whisper. 2. The second reason it was doomed to failure is that the bulk of the Iranian population wants a heavy handed Islamic society. You have to understand the protestors represent a minority of Iranian citizens. The protesters are predominantly middle to upper class with educations. Of course they want change. But, the folks living outside the large cities like Tehran are more concerned with the purity of Islamic life and so do not support the protestors position. It Tianamen Square all over again.
5. Red herring?
shmulke ,   w coast, USA   (06.24.09)
Perhaps this whole "civil unrest" thing is yet another diversionary tactic by the power-mad Iranian mullahs. They don't mind sacrificing a few of their more intractable and therefore expendable citizens to take the world's attention off their ongoing march towards manufacturing nuclear weapons. They're hoping to make a lot of progress towards this goal while the world wrings its hands about Iran's treatment of the 'protestors'.
6. #2 "World Citizen"
shmulke ,   w coast, USA   (06.24.09)
I just wonder which "world" you're talking about. It's sure not the planet Earth.
7. Author either ignorant of history or a liar
Jeb   (06.24.09)
The Shah was far more brutal than the government. This movement was nothing more than a propaganda revolution. This article is a manifestation of such.
8. No "virtual" revolution
Meir ,   USA, USA   (06.25.09)
I see the Iran-regime propaganda effort is up in force. This was no "virtual" revolution, nor was this funded by intelligence agencies, no matter how much lunatic and craven men wish it were the case. It is the case, however, that you need a critical mass of the population against the regime in order to topple it. It's not enough to have 50, or even 60%. You need to be in the 80's... such overwhelming numbers that the army changes sides. Iran is close, but not there quite yet. Next time, the Ayatollah's fall.
9. To number 2
Allan ,   London, England   (06.25.09)
it is good to see that the Iranians are using every excuse in the book to deflect the blame, yes, its the Americans, The british, the europeans, the jews, the bah'ai's and just about everyone else. Except for the theocratic mullahs who control Iran by using the Republican guard and Basij to beat and shoot their own people and are so afraid that they close down the networks and shut the country down instead. Yes, i wonder what Allah would have to say about the "great islamic" revolution shooting their own people...
10. sadly, #2 is right about how commited the iran people are to
watka naidoo ,   tel aviv, israel   (06.25.09)
Hard as it is to agree in any way with a Jew-hating misanthropist like him, it's been a case of wishful thinking on the part of Western liberal media like the BBC. The opponents to the mullahs are disorganized and lack a clear leader. Only when they have their own version of Gdansk's Lech Walesa will anything positive emerge.
11. Watching it Fizzle? Morally bankrupt observations
Gideon Reader   (06.25.09)
No. The reveloution did not "fizzle". The lack of moral rectitude and weak personal character of the (choke) American President "fizzled". The "Greatest Teleprompter Reader evah"; could have used his high flown rhetoric to get UK/Germany/France/Italy and many of the UN, along with all fo the NATO nations to supply one loud and protesting voice to support those people in the streets seeking simple human rights. The tern best suiting this":Fizzler in Chief" is EPIC FAIL.
12. Hypocrisy of Zionists is comical
Tarik ,   Boston, MA USA   (06.25.09)
Zionists are now claiming to support the protestors in Iran, somehow forgetting to mention that it was Israel who supported the brutal Shah regime from 1953 to 1979 in the first place. Israel even trained the SAVAK secret police which terrorized Iranians for years. The US has apologized for its role in overthrowing democratic movements in Iran. Will Israel apologize as well. Now all of a sudden Zionists are expressing sympathy for protesters in Iran who are attacked with tear gas and live ammunition. There is another group of people right across the Green Line from you who are also being attacked with tear gas and live ammunition: non-violent Palestinian protesters are attacked and killed almost every week in the West Bank, but somehow this has failed to rouse the sympathy of Zionists.
13. Now tell me you typed that foolishness with a straight......
Cameron ,   USA   (06.25.09)
face, World Citizen. No wonder I lost any liking or respect I used to have for the Left.
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