An Iranian-American on the Situation in Iran

[JoltinJoe]

Iranian Youth Making History

This article is written by an Iranian-American I know from my college days. Behzad was a graduate economics student at Fordham and my TA for my introductory macroeconomics class when I was a freshman. He helped me understand what my economics professor was teaching me. But more importantly, he was the first person I actually came to know who grew up in a foreign country much different than mine, so the lessons that he taught me about the common humanity shared by people everywhere lasted a lifetime. I met Behzad at the height of the Iranian hostage crisis, and he helped me understand that the vast majority of Iranians harbored no dislike for Americans, and that they in fact envied our freedoms and had been disappointed in the past that America had not stood by the Iranian people's desire to be free.

Ten years ago, the Iranian government brutally repressed a student uprising in Iran. Will today's young reformers share the same fate? It is important to remember that there are people in the world today, like the Iranian people, who share the hope of enjoying freedoms we take for granted, and all-too-often their hopes are dashed. Our government has an historic chance to make amends for its past mistakes in Iran if we can take the lead on the world stage in standing up for the Iranian students today.

[D1B]

Yeah, we'll do that Joe.

On more important business, check out Mango in the Lockerroom. He need's your help.

[UNI88]

Nice article and the book looks interesting.

A couple of thoughts.
- The Iranian people are a fascinating lot. IMO, they have more in common with Americans than any other major people in the Middle East. We might need to play hardball with the Iranian administration and clerics but we need to demonstrate respect for the people, the culture and the nation.
- When it comes to the Middle East, we need our Presidents to get past their desire to create a legacy by fixing everything during their administration and focus more on building toward a long-term solution. The problems are not going to be fixed in a single election or in 4 or even 8 years. We need to lay the foundation now and understand that the next person or beyond might get the credit.

[JoltinJoe]

Yeah, we'll do that Joe.

On more important business, check out Mango in the Lockerroom. He need's your help.

Maybe we will. President Obama, I think, seems uniquely situated to show our best face to the Arab and Persian people. There is a nascent democracy in Iran just seeking a chance to stand on its own.

Who's Mango?

[JoltinJoe]

Nice article and the book looks interesting.

A couple of thoughts.
- The Iranian people are a fascinating lot. IMO, they have more in common with Americans than any other major people in the Middle East. We might need to play hardball with the Iranian administration and clerics but we need to demonstrate respect for the people, the culture and the nation.
- When it comes to the Middle East, we need our Presidents to get past their desire to create a legacy by fixing everything during their administration and focus more on building toward a long-term solution. The problems are not going to be fixed in a single election or in 4 or even 8 years. We need to lay the foundation now and understand that the next person or beyond might get the credit.

His book is remarkable. It tells the story of actual Arab and Persian people seeking to migrate to the West, and the extreme risks they take in order to realize their distant hope of making it to the United States as they move along a modern-day underground railroad through various cities throughout the world. Most of the people fail, are discovered, and are eventually deported to their home country, their hopes never realized.

[D1B]

Yeah, we'll do that Joe.

On more important business, check out Mango in the Lockerroom. He need's your help.

Maybe we will. President Obama, I think, seems uniquelt situated to show our best face to the Arab and Persian people. There is a nascent democracy in Iran just seeking a chance to stand on its own.

Who's Mango?

I hope so too. Thanks god Obama is president right now.

Can you imagine the response to this from McDumbfuck!!! I Remember that cocksucker singing "Bomb Iran " at some conk fundraiser. What a dumbass.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I've been following Iran for a lot of years (dated a Persian girl the summer i lived in Madison... YIKES was she hot)

what's been happening there is compelling... but it affirms what she told me in '03, "if Bush would stop giving the reactionaries something to rally people against, they would bring down the Ayatollah's in no time"

this is why i think Obama has been staying out of the way and doing little things to support (like keeping twitter online) while not positioning ourselves as someone "controlling" this movement.

[OL FU]

Yeah, we'll do that Joe.

On more important business, check out Mango in the Lockerroom. He need's your help.

Maybe we will. President Obama, I think, seems uniquely situated to show our best face to the Arab and Persian people. There is a nascent democracy in Iran just seeking a chance to stand on its own.

Who's Mango?

As one who didn't support Obama, I have been most pleased with his foreign policy/defense stances. He has certainly made some mistakes but they seem like small ones to me. I can live with the small ones since they rarely kill thousands of people.

Hopefully the Iranians will democratically govern themselves in the not to distant future.

[Appaholic]

I've been following Iran for a lot of years (dated a Persian girl the summer i lived in Madison... YIKES was she hot)

They are very hot......

[Rob Iola]

Maybe we will. President Obama, I think, seems uniquely situated to show our best face to the Arab and Persian people. There is a nascent democracy in Iran just seeking a chance to stand on its own.

Who's Mango?

As one who didn't support Obama, I have been most pleased with his foreign policy/defense stances. He has certainly made some mistakes but they seem like small ones to me. I can live with the small ones since they rarely kill thousands of people.

Hopefully the Iranians will democratically govern themselves in the not to distant future.

I'm no Obama fan either - but that's due to his spending trillions he doesn't have. On foreign policy he's done a really nice job lowering the temperature and encouraging dialog, all while ratcheting up the pressure on the Taliban in Pakistan (props to him for green-lighting the drone bombings, as necessary).

Interesting that the focus on Obama's (and, surprisingly, Pelosi's) foreign policy involvement has rendered Hillary's SOS role as pretty redundant/ignored...

[Cap'n Cat]

As one who didn't support Obama, I have been most pleased with his foreign policy/defense stances. He has certainly made some mistakes but they seem like small ones to me. I can live with the small ones since they rarely kill thousands of people.

Hopefully the Iranians will democratically govern themselves in the not to distant future.

I'm no Obama fan either - but that's due to his spending trillions he doesn't have. On foreign policy he's done a really nice job lowering the temperature and encouraging dialog, all while ratcheting up the pressure on the Taliban in Pakistan (props to him for green-lighting the drone bombings, as necessary).

Interesting that the focus on Obama's (and, surprisingly, Pelosi's) foreign policy involvement has rendered Hillary's SOS role as pretty redundant/ignored...

I don't think that's the case, Rob. The meat-and-potatoes, day to day stuff is a crucial part of diplomacy.

*********************




Why do people always kneejerk to the negative?

[OL FU]

I'm no Obama fan either - but that's due to his spending trillions he doesn't have. On foreign policy he's done a really nice job lowering the temperature and encouraging dialog, all while ratcheting up the pressure on the Taliban in Pakistan (props to him for green-lighting the drone bombings, as necessary).

Interesting that the focus on Obama's (and, surprisingly, Pelosi's) foreign policy involvement has rendered Hillary's SOS role as pretty redundant/ignored...

I don't think that's the case, Rob. The meat-and-potatoes, day to day stuff is a crucial part of diplomacy.

*********************




Why do people always kneejerk to the negative?

Probably the same reason you do when the shoe is on the other foot.

If you really think about it, you don't hear much from that many people in the administration other than Obama. For two reasons, I think. One, he is very visible much more so than any other president I remember and two, he is a probably the best at giving his view of the story.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

As one who didn't support Obama, I have been most pleased with his foreign policy/defense stances. He has certainly made some mistakes but they seem like small ones to me. I can live with the small ones since they rarely kill thousands of people.

Hopefully the Iranians will democratically govern themselves in the not to distant future.

I'm no Obama fan either - but that's due to his spending trillions he doesn't have. On foreign policy he's done a really nice job lowering the temperature and encouraging dialog, all while ratcheting up the pressure on the Taliban in Pakistan (props to him for green-lighting the drone bombings, as necessary).

Interesting that the focus on Obama's (and, surprisingly, Pelosi's) foreign policy involvement has rendered Hillary's SOS role as pretty redundant/ignored...

eh... clinton was big in getting saberi released, and i honestly think she and obama are pretty good at working together, her largely out of the public eye (not entirely) and then when she needs a heavy bat, she calls on POTUS... which is how it's supposed to work

[Rob Iola]

I'm no Obama fan either - but that's due to his spending trillions he doesn't have. On foreign policy he's done a really nice job lowering the temperature and encouraging dialog, all while ratcheting up the pressure on the Taliban in Pakistan (props to him for green-lighting the drone bombings, as necessary).

Interesting that the focus on Obama's (and, surprisingly, Pelosi's) foreign policy involvement has rendered Hillary's SOS role as pretty redundant/ignored...

I don't think that's the case, Rob. The meat-and-potatoes, day to day stuff is a crucial part of diplomacy.

*********************




Why do people always kneejerk to the negative?

And here I thought I was being the good bipartisan conk paying a compliment to Obama...

OK, so ignore the Hillary mention - Obama's doing a good job (making speeches)...

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I don't think that's the case, Rob. The meat-and-potatoes, day to day stuff is a crucial part of diplomacy.

*********************




Why do people always kneejerk to the negative?

And here I thought I was being the good bipartisan conk paying a compliment to Obama...

OK, so ignore the Hillary mention - Obama's doing a good job (making speeches)...

i think mccain proved recently that he's not presidential material with his "obama needs to..." speech.

[OL FU]

And here I thought I was being the good bipartisan conk paying a compliment to Obama...

OK, so ignore the Hillary mention - Obama's doing a good job (making speeches)...

i think mccain proved recently that he's not presidential material with his "obama needs to..." speech.

McCain recently made a speech

I thought he retired

[TwinTownBisonFan]

i think mccain proved recently that he's not presidential material with his "obama needs to..." speech.

McCain recently made a speech

I thought he retired

if mccain gives a speech, and nobody gives a shit... did he make a sound?

[Cap'n Cat]

I don't think that's the case, Rob. The meat-and-potatoes, day to day stuff is a crucial part of diplomacy.

*********************




Why do people always kneejerk to the negative?

Probably the same reason you do when the shoe is on the other foot.

If you really think about it, you don't hear much from that many people in the administration other than Obama. For two reasons, I think. One, he is very visible much more so than any other president I remember and two, he is a probably the best at giving his view of the story.

How would you like a shoe right up your ass, wiseguy?

[OL FU]

Probably the same reason you do when the shoe is on the other foot.

If you really think about it, you don't hear much from that many people in the administration other than Obama. For two reasons, I think. One, he is very visible much more so than any other president I remember and two, he is a probably the best at giving his view of the story.

How would you like a shoe right up your ass, wiseguy?

Since you live in Wisconsin and I don't, my response is Give it your best shot