Comments on: Tightrope Walking in Tehran (and Washington, D.C.) http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/ Firedoglake weblog Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:51:22 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: MarkH http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1920119 MarkH Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:46:21 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1920119 <p>Translated from an Iranian blog-post and posted on WashingtonMonthly.com</p> <blockquote><p> I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to have very narrow eyebrows. Yes, maybe I will go to the salon before I go tomorrow! There are a few great movie scenes that I also have to see. I should drop by the library, too. It’s worth to read the poems of Forough and Shamloo again. All family pictures have to be reviewed, too. I have to call my friends as well to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves which I told my family who should receive them. I’m two units away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that. My mind is very chaotic. I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mongols but did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children… </p></blockquote> <p>When a government leaves it’s citizenry in this state, then something isn’t quite right.</p> Translated from an Iranian blog-post and posted on WashingtonMonthly.com

I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to have very narrow eyebrows. Yes, maybe I will go to the salon before I go tomorrow! There are a few great movie scenes that I also have to see. I should drop by the library, too. It’s worth to read the poems of Forough and Shamloo again. All family pictures have to be reviewed, too. I have to call my friends as well to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves which I told my family who should receive them. I’m two units away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that. My mind is very chaotic. I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mongols but did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children…

When a government leaves it’s citizenry in this state, then something isn’t quite right.

]]> By: KayInMaine http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919951 KayInMaine Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:45:44 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919951 <p>The young people of Iran want a better future for themselves. I’m sure some are willing to die so others can. It’s going to be a wild ride from here on out, but I am sooooo supporting these Iranians! They give me hope and courage.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZbvi6Tj6E" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZbvi6Tj6E</a></p> The young people of Iran want a better future for themselves. I’m sure some are willing to die so others can. It’s going to be a wild ride from here on out, but I am sooooo supporting these Iranians! They give me hope and courage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZbvi6Tj6E

]]> By: ART45 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919950 ART45 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:32:46 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919950 <p>Pray for peace.</p> <p>Be calm for peace.</p> <p>Hold your hands for peace.</p> <p>Blood will run in the streets. But be calm.</p> <p>You want peace. Pray for change.</p> <p>Cough.</p> Pray for peace.

Be calm for peace.

Hold your hands for peace.

Blood will run in the streets. But be calm.

You want peace. Pray for change.

Cough.

]]> By: RonD http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919949 RonD Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:31:28 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919949 <p>I think there will be a crackdown, for the simple fact that the protesters have committed the ultimate crime: they have embarrassed the regime in front of the world. What normally happens then is what always happens when people without guns stand up to people with them. Non-violent protest only seems to work when the authority cares what people think of them (see India).<br /><em>“Whatever happens,<br /> we have got,<br /> the Maxim gun,<br /> and they have not”<br /> - Hilaire Belloc</em></p> I think there will be a crackdown, for the simple fact that the protesters have committed the ultimate crime: they have embarrassed the regime in front of the world. What normally happens then is what always happens when people without guns stand up to people with them. Non-violent protest only seems to work when the authority cares what people think of them (see India).
“Whatever happens,
we have got,
the Maxim gun,
and they have not”
- Hilaire Belloc

]]> By: der1 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919948 der1 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:26:19 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919948 <p>Right, we need to tell the Ayatollah that democracy is messy, we’re still working it out 230 years on:</p> <p>Monday Sept. 1, 2008 19:28 EDT<br /> Scenes from St. Paul — Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman arrested</p> <p>Following up on this weekend’s extreme raids on various homes, at least 250 people were arrested here today in St. Paul, Minnesota. Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 — with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas cannisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.<br /><a href="http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/01/protests/" rel="nofollow">http://www.salon.com/opinion/g...../protests/</a></p> <p>*and that wasn’t about a “stolen” election.</p> <p>Freedom!</p> Right, we need to tell the Ayatollah that democracy is messy, we’re still working it out 230 years on:

Monday Sept. 1, 2008 19:28 EDT
Scenes from St. Paul — Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman arrested

Following up on this weekend’s extreme raids on various homes, at least 250 people were arrested here today in St. Paul, Minnesota. Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 — with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas cannisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/g…../protests/

*and that wasn’t about a “stolen” election.

Freedom!

]]> By: SouthernDragon http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919947 SouthernDragon Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:25:21 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919947 <p>My understanding is that it’s some of the paramilitaries doing the violence. If the demonstrations continue and it looks as if the tide will turn their way the military may stand down and not interfere. In a situation like this anything can happen.</p> My understanding is that it’s some of the paramilitaries doing the violence. If the demonstrations continue and it looks as if the tide will turn their way the military may stand down and not interfere. In a situation like this anything can happen.

]]> By: hackworth1 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919946 hackworth1 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:17:52 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919946 <p>I agree with Raven. To add, the Iranian army will soon be cracking (more) heads.</p> I agree with Raven. To add, the Iranian army will soon be cracking (more) heads.

]]> By: hackworth1 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919945 hackworth1 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:15:42 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919945 <p>With no sense of irony, The Ayatollah recommends that Iranians stop not protesting and address their problems at the voting booth (presumably he means next election).</p> With no sense of irony, The Ayatollah recommends that Iranians stop not protesting and address their problems at the voting booth (presumably he means next election).

]]> By: bonkers http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919944 bonkers Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:52:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919944 <p>Obama=Bush!!11!1</p> Obama=Bush!!11!1

]]> By: SouthernDragon http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919943 SouthernDragon Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:51:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/06/19/tightrope-walking-in-tehran-and-washington-dc/#comment-1919943 <p>Thanks, Swopa. We may be witnessing the beginning of a relatively peaceful revolution. Would it have been possible without the high tech comms we have today? Rhetorical question.</p> Thanks, Swopa. We may be witnessing the beginning of a relatively peaceful revolution. Would it have been possible without the high tech comms we have today? Rhetorical question.

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