No, really: Solidarity with the Iranian people. Now.

[ubertroll]

The people of Iran voted for Mir Hossein Mousavi, a moderate former Prime Minister, decisively defeating Ahmadinejad and his apocalypticist (see: "Twelver" cult) faction. In reaction, Ahmadinejad, and his ally, "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (forgive my if I've mispelled that) decided to "Fuck the vote" and just announced completely fabricated* vote totals and declared Ahmadinejad the victor.



A victory of Mousavi would do more than just put a more moderate Iranian at the other end of the negotiating table (a man who has no desire for nuclear weapons): It would end the era of the theocratic elite ruling as a democracy in name only in Iran. The people have flooded the streets: they want Mousavi, they want democracy, and they want freedom of expression. And they want it now.



Do two things: call your congressman, and call CNN/MSNBC/FOX/whatever you watch. Tell your Congressman to urge a recognition of Mousavi as the rightful winner of the Iranian election. And call CNN to call them feckless whores for calling Ahmadinejad the "victory" in an election he clearly lost.





What's going on in Iran right now is as if Florida in 2000, in the afternoon of election day, Jeb Bush had shot Katherine Harris in the head, and declared "George Bush: 8 milion votes. Al Gore, 3 million votes. Ralph nader, four votes. George Bush wins!" Fucking feckless TV media.




*The degree of fraud involved is so well documented, and so widespread, that calling it "fraud" is an insult to the term: the government literally announced numbers without counting the ballots, locked election officials out of buildings, and is only subsequently getting around to the dirty business of destroying Mousavi ballots, manufacturing Ahmadinejad ballots, et cetera,

 

[ubertroll]

I say this in spite of my loathing for Muslim theocracies; indeed, in part because of it.

This, not any military intervention in an Arab state, could mark the end of Islamofascism as the dominant political narrative of the Muslim Middle East.

This could mark the beginning of the end of the GWOT.

 

[mypoliticalalt]

Wishful thinking. That's what happens to a disarmed population. I wish you libs would make up your fucking minds.

 

[unregistered]

 

[Bert Notorius]

Yep, an impotent populace making a lot of noise, but the government retains a monopoly on real violence.

Don't interrupt. UT is googleing a response.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Yep, an impotent populace making a lot of noise, but the government retains a monopoly on real violence.

Of course, there is no other arrangement on which any civilized society can be based, as you know. The only conceivable alternative is Iraq-as-it-has-been-since-the-invasion. A failed state. (To be fair, Iraq is now only #5 on the Failed States Index. It was #4 in 2007.)

 

[pointless]

Don't interrupt. UT is googleing a response.

you should use this time to try and think up another name so you can post twenty threads a night without shame.

 

[Bert Notorius]

you should use this time to try and think up another name so you can post twenty threads a night without shame.

How many alts are you going to troll me with kippie? I hate to put this one on ignore. It's my favorite. Though I love to watch the fuckwads flirt with your female alts.

I laugh.

You have a very active feminine side.

 

[John Doe]

Fuck the Iranian people. They can go rot for all I care.

 

[pointless]

How many alts are you going to troll me with kippie? I hate to put this one on ignore. It's my favorite. Though I love to watch the fuckwads flirt with your female alts.

I laugh.

You have a very active feminine side.

recrimination. how sad.

 

[Bert Notorius]

recrimination. how sad.

Whatever buddy. I still love you.

 

[pointless]

good for you. go start another thread now. it'll help keep the demons away.

you know, either that or go the fuck outside.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Of course, there is no other arrangement on which any civilized society can be based, as you know. The only conceivable alternative is Iraq-as-it-has-been-since-the-invasion. A failed state. (To be fair, Iraq is now only #5 on the Failed States Index. It was #4 in 2007.)

I hate to disagree with you but the United States is not really a failed country and is certainly light years more stable than Iraq, and our citizenry is quite well armed compared to most.

I'd like to bring up Great Britain which, for all its gun restrictions, has about as many murders as the U.S.

 

[John Doe]

Whatever buddy. I still love you.

good for you. go start another thread now. it'll help keep the demons away.

you know, either that or go the fuck outside.

Get a room.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

good for you. go start another thread now. it'll help keep the demons away.

you know, either that or go the fuck outside.

Please tell me I haven't flirted with any female you's.

 

[pointless]

Please tell me I haven't flirted with any female you's.

since there aren't any i think it might be impossible.

unless, you know, you've completely lost it.

 

[Songcatcher]

Fact: Prophet Mohamed was left handed, so that today, the entire Moslem population have to write letteres backwards.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

since there aren't any i think it might be impossible.

unless, you know, you've completely lost it.

You can't completely lose it twice. Once you're gone, you're gone.

I didn't think there were any, but I've never seen Bert get so pissy and catty, so I figured it was possible I was present for two firsts rather than one.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/world/middleeast/16cleric.html?em

Interesting. He's backpedaling a bit.

 

[Bert Notorius]

You can't completely lose it twice. Once you're gone, you're gone.

I didn't think there were any, but I've never seen Bert get so pissy and catty, so I figured it was possible I was present for two firsts rather than one.

He has at least two I am aware of. He's good, very good.

 

[Sonny Limatina]

He has at least two I am aware of. He's good, very good.

If you ain't got names, you got nothin'.

 

[pointless]

You can't completely lose it twice. Once you're gone, you're gone.

I didn't think there were any, but I've never seen Bert get so pissy and catty, so I figured it was possible I was present for two firsts rather than one.

i know. isn't it funny?

 

[Bert Notorius]

If you ain't got names, you got nothin'.

I've got names.

You've got nothing.

 

[Holy Devil]

I say this in spite of my loathing for Muslim theocracies; indeed, in part because of it.

This, not any military intervention in an Arab state, could mark the end of Islamofascism as the dominant political narrative of the Muslim Middle East.

This could mark the beginning of the end of the GWOT.

Iran's brand of Islam (Shite faction) has never been accepted by the majority moderate Muslim world. The Iranian pride of being Persians irked the majority Sunnis. When Shahanshah was overthrown by Shite zealots, they shamed the Muslim world by committing atrocities against moderates in the name of Islam.

 

[Frisco_Slug_Esq]

The election was fair, quit trying to warmonger and stick our nose into the affairs of other countries and don't try to scare us with Iranian WMD stories, we've been down that road before.

If "those" people want freedom, they'll fight for it. Until then, all you have is a rowdy minority who is about to be rounded up, tortured (and we ain't talking water-boarding), tried, and executed.

I think YOU need to learn a little bit about consistency and how to earn respect and standing with the nations of the world and their DEMOCRATICALLY elected leaders in the same way Obama has reached out to Hugo and Fidel.

You send your deepest congratulations, a gift, and words of peace and healing, not acrimonious words of mistrust and the seeds of war.