Samira Mohyeddin and Narges Bajoghli join Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain to break down what’s driving the protests and why Washington’s talk of intervention carries enormous risks.
This is incredibly important. I see way to many people on the "left" jumping on the bandwagon of the protests (and providing cover for increase sanctions, violent destabilization campaigns and bombing) without really understanding the complexity of the protests or what the various participants even want.
many thanks! to all of you, again, for providing us with such a wide range of perspectives, as we all try to assess what lies ahead for iranians who, for decades, have been fighting for freedom and for what we in 'the west' consider[ed] a 'normal‘ life: affordable, enjoyable, close to carefree and, possibly, devoid of unnerving religious or political ideology. *)
among my iranian friends, feelings range from fearing the worst - echoing samira’s anxiety - to hoping that, at least, things won’t continue so violently.
as to the 'prince' in the diaspora not having built a solid base inside iran: did khomeini have solid cells of support when he returned from exile?
did reza II. call for foreign intervention hoping, or even convinced, that it would prevent more bloodshed? lines by a contemporary iranian poet come to mind: "the war was over | and now | peace killed people“ [جنگ تمام شده بود | و حالا | صلح داشت آدم میکشت]
come to think of it: "shocked“ by the brutal actions of the gov’t against its own people, my EU country’s gov’t summoned iran’s ambassador in indignation, whereas - if my memory does not fail me - israel’s diplomats were never similarly scolded. [bc its violence is not directed against its own people?]
i know i'm being harshly partial - and would probably not make a good journalist.
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*) while, quite unfortunately, now north americans seem to be catching first glimpses of what dictatorship, well, arbitrary rule, looks & feels like.
This is incredibly important. I see way to many people on the "left" jumping on the bandwagon of the protests (and providing cover for increase sanctions, violent destabilization campaigns and bombing) without really understanding the complexity of the protests or what the various participants even want.
Murtaza needs to get a DropSite mug! Great analysis, thanks Jeremy.
many thanks! to all of you, again, for providing us with such a wide range of perspectives, as we all try to assess what lies ahead for iranians who, for decades, have been fighting for freedom and for what we in 'the west' consider[ed] a 'normal‘ life: affordable, enjoyable, close to carefree and, possibly, devoid of unnerving religious or political ideology. *)
among my iranian friends, feelings range from fearing the worst - echoing samira’s anxiety - to hoping that, at least, things won’t continue so violently.
as to the 'prince' in the diaspora not having built a solid base inside iran: did khomeini have solid cells of support when he returned from exile?
did reza II. call for foreign intervention hoping, or even convinced, that it would prevent more bloodshed? lines by a contemporary iranian poet come to mind: "the war was over | and now | peace killed people“ [جنگ تمام شده بود | و حالا | صلح داشت آدم میکشت]
come to think of it: "shocked“ by the brutal actions of the gov’t against its own people, my EU country’s gov’t summoned iran’s ambassador in indignation, whereas - if my memory does not fail me - israel’s diplomats were never similarly scolded. [bc its violence is not directed against its own people?]
i know i'm being harshly partial - and would probably not make a good journalist.
________________________
*) while, quite unfortunately, now north americans seem to be catching first glimpses of what dictatorship, well, arbitrary rule, looks & feels like.