The Supreme Leader has spoken. He's thrown down the gauntlet to the Iranian protesters and put their leaders' heads on the chopping block. Mir Hossein Moussavi and the rest of the wronged candidates in Iran's sham election were put on notice that the election is over, Ahmadinejad is president and any 'violence' is on their heads.
This means Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can call out the Republican Guard (wonderful name for a repressively murderous bunch of savage sycophants, eh) crack down on the protests and do a Tienanmen Square on these people then put the blame on Moussavi.
I wouldn't put a ten dollar bet on Moussavi lasting two weeks in this climate. My gut tells me we're seeing the birth of the end of the Supreme Leader.
A lot depends on the reaction to this speech in the coffee shops and rooftops. Are the Iranian people angry enough to defy their Supreme Leader? Will they throw Moussavi to the wolves and accept Ahmadinejad's warped election? If he was unpopular before, he'll be a freaking pariah after this.
Rachel Maddow pointed out some of the most glaring discrepancies in the election last night on her show. She mentions a few Iranian towns that defied logic and posted more than 100% voter participation. One village, Taft, had returns of 141%.
Apparently, the Ayotollah thinks this is God's way of ensuring a landslide for Ahmadinejad.
What brings me to mention this on my blog is the video series I posted a few weeks ago by Rick Steves on Iran. I had the whole series posted but the segments have been removed by YouTube. The video is only $20.
In the video, Steves goes through the cities and talks with the people. It points a big stick in the perception of the great boogieman that Bush's cohorts created about these people. Yes, the Ayotollahs are repressive and theocratic but the Iranian people, as we've seen recently, are not the 'Axis of Evil' that Cowboy George and Prick Cheney made them out to be. It would behoove us to realize this in the wake of what may happen in the next few days and weeks.
The American people have plenty of demons to deal with. We don't need the government telling us lies to gin up support to overthrow another damn country. Our record on this front is dismal to say the least. Many would like to forget some of the bullshit we pulled back in the day, especially in Iran. Sen. Saxby Chandliss, a GOP goon from Georgia, claims that our well-documented involvement in overthrowing the democratically elected Iranian gov't to install the Shah in 1953 is old news and that he's sure that no one in Iran would remember something that long ago.
Senator Dumbass, Gettysburg was 145 years ago and I dare you to find a fourth grader who doesn't know about it. America's involvement in bringing back the worst dictator in modern Iranian history kinda sticks in the mind. Perhaps the fact that millions of people who lived and suffered under the Shah are still fucking alive makes that happen.
Obama is playing this correctly. We can't let the Iranian authorities use our rhetoric to give them reason for a crackdown. Our silence forces them to take ownership of any violent actions they take against the protesters. However, loudmouths like John McCain, Chandliss, and the rest of the GOP clowns give aid and comfort to the Ayotollah and his Republican thugs. (you know, I've written that phrase before!)
My heart goes out to the Iranian people. It's their country and their responsibility to make it right. They don't need and don't fucking want any help from us, other than getting the message out.
You can't stop the signal, Mal.
Update: It's confirmed! 4:00pm local time tomorrow (4:39am PDT) the protest is ON. Also, the Repubican Guard has ransacked Mussavi's office and ordered him to be silent.
Tomorrow is June 20th but will it be the 4th of July for the Iranian people? The clock is ticking...
So Mote It Be,
David A.
