Best Article on Iran Election Process I've seen

[eppie]

Would that be the obvious electoral fraud, or the violent repression of the people when they protest against the unfair election?

Of course electoral fraud happens (it happens in the US as well, (and if I remember correctly you and others were much more convinced about this than I was*)) So this is not what I mean. I meant that the consequences and violence during the protests and the repression was far less then what we are made to believe every day. The average european thinks that in Iran they daily kill thousands of enemies of the state, that everybody is at home being scared and Iran has 38 atomic bombs that are aimed at us.
The demonstrations show that a large part of the people in Iran are just like us. And not that (as we think) 99% of the people are potential terrorists. So my whole point is: yes let's help these people to overthrow Ahmedinijad, but let's do it slowly and do not make a second Iraq of Iran. The violent method will only mean that the people will start hating the west (especially, how strange, the britisch) and after 5 years you have a country were the extremists are in charge

Um, let's say there is a European right wing extremist who supports genocide, funnels arms and money to similar extremists in the region, and who routinely violates the UN charter on human rights. You know, some one like Radovan Karadžić. Sometimes repressive (and even corrupt) government step aside enough to allow some privileges amongst the people (such as literacy, or health care). And, yes, what I say about Iran would just as well apply to China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and many other authoritarian regimes.What is needed are brave people to tug at the strings which bind together brilliant systems which keep people complicit with their lack of freedom.

Well, I don't really understand what you are trying to say here. But Saudi Arabia does fine, because they give us oil; do you drive a car? then you are partly responsible for abuse of women and chopping of hands. Of this is not much of a problems because they don't bother us too much (apart from giving us bin laden of course). China? Yes the sentence a lot more people to death than you do, probably even per capita, but again, they a great partners for trading. Cuba? Please give them a break....without any income from trade with western countries they still managed to run the best working society in the caribean/latin america.....we don't care about the people, we just don't like it the dictator is left wing instead of right wing.

Anyway, point is; I think we agree on the situations in these countries, I just don't agree with an armed intervention there.

I don't understand the people who are calling for Iranians to stay safe, and remain complicit with their illegitimate government. These same pseudo-pacifists also live in free, prosperous nations, and would be the first ones protesting (even violently) in the streets any negative change to their trade union.

I agree.




*disclaimer to refrain Occhi from replying that I am anti-american