Anonymous Iran

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Iran is known for having minders standing there off camera when people are being interviewed, so I don't take any interviews like this that any news agency does seriously.

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Supporters of Kerrys presidential bid were disappointed when Howard Dean lost the primary election. Get yer opinions strait.

Don't forget all the imam clerics who support the protests and continue to speak out against the evil leaders of their beloved republic. The clerics will oust the baddies at any cost to save Islam, especially in light of the leaderships threats levelled against Israel, America, and the UK. The military if they wish to engage in dialogue with the US+Russia may have the chance to do so, if they support the voice and the people of Iran!

Hear.

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What is this about the letter sent to the Bahai by the Iranian government, threatening them? Once a whipping boy, always a whipping boy?

When people like the Bahia and Zorastorians can worship freely, with no government interference at all, Iran will be what it should be. Until then, the nation will always be on the edge.

Picking on the Bahai! that is like picking on nuns or Buddhist monks!

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http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/4205

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The Threat of Genocide to the Baha’is of Iran - Iran Press Watch

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Sure, such on-camera interviews may not be fully representative of how people feel.

But the comments are backed up by numbers.

Professor Abrahamian, who is not a pro-regime academic by any stretch, does a good job of compiling a lot of numbers in one place.

Here is a good study on rural women's education and employment (PDF): https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/esfahani/w...o%20Longer.pdf

Community health clinics: Mojgan Tavassoli, "Iranian Health Houses Open the Door to Primary Care"

Abrahamian again on education: Middle East Report 250: Why the Islamic Republic Has Survived by Ervand Abrahamian

But in the eyes of priviledged within Iran, these things are not recognized and not important. They already had these things, of were in the first waves of beneficiaries, and now look to expansion of their social freedoms (and well as a real issue of employment opportunities).

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Who cares about the candidates. The issue was about "red states" and "blue states", with the idiots in the blue states being unable to fathom how these other idiots could vote for Bush. Subsequently, many of these Blue state idiots threatened to migrate to Canada.

It reflects a split in society (in both Iran and US) with different viewpoints, interests, concerns, with condescension from one group, and revulsion from the other.

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I hardly see the similarities between the situation in Iran and in America. Here, the press is free, in Iran it is not. Here they do not beat you, shut down the internet, arrest you and hang you in silence, or torture everyone they think you have talked to. Here we are armed, and can fight back if our government gets out of control. Here, we can say what is on our mind. Here, we can walk the streets without fear of being hassled or arrested for not having our bangs covered.

There is a huge difference. Liberals here may be snobby and condescending, and elitist, but their loss does not mean a fascist dictatorship will remain in power (no matter what they say or what hyperbole they use). Their win does not mean everyone looses their ability to speak. And if we ever do loose our ability to speak, we will be fighting back just like the Iranians are. And we will be fully justified in doing so. Just like the Iranians are justified right now.

This isn't about rich versus poor. It is about freedom.

Any day now, ahamadinijad is going to wake up to troops knocking on his door, arresting him and putting him on trail for war crimes. Right next to all the goons he has imported into the country to do his dirty work for him.

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How many of the previous Iranian leaders or candidates spent time to gout into villages like this? Talk to them in open air settings?

While the idiot goes on rambles all the time, he has made progress in such infrastructural development projects. Isn't this the reason he is criticized for his economic policies? For too much government spending, which leads to inflation? But the very presence of a President in a community like this has impact back home. One may not agree with his policies, but social and economic populist policies always have support from the poor.

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The ground realities in Iran indicate otherwise.

The interests of those who want schools, roads, and water supply in their villages and towns, are very different than those who who want more social freedoms including (but not limited to) "having our bangs covered".

But thank you for telling us about ourselves.