Iran's Farce Presidential Election

Forbes ^ | 5/12/2017 | Slater Bakhtavar

[freedom44]

President Trump is correct in his backing of the Iranian people, both morally and pragmatically. It has always been the right thing to do to support these oppressed people as they increasingly seek reform and the formation of a freer society, but now, in the early 21st century, the timing is perfect. New technologies exist now that allow communications on a wider scale than ever before, enabling the proliferation and exchange of new ideas and ways of thinking. Free thought is a danger to Iran’s theocratic regime, as it is to all dictatorships. These technologies are to be encouraged among the people of Iran, and those people should be afforded the dignity and respect of being addressed directly – not through their tyrannical rulers. Fortunately, President Trump seems willing to afford them this respect and is unlikely to negotiate directly with their government. He is also unlikely to engage in a war with Iran, which would accomplish nothing but to hurt the Iranian people with little hope of unseating their government.

[aposiopetic]

Farsi

[Fred Hayek]

And until now the United States government has thrown the Iranian dissidents under the bus. We’ve had our chance to help them, and it would not have involved firing even one shot. Look at how the US helped to overthrow the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. The dissidents were given publicity and moral support. Any boots on the ground that may have been there were probably just feeding information and supplying secure means of communications. In other words, we were the water carriers. And it worked, and it was their fight, and they acknowledged our support, especially when a Karl Marx Square was renamed for Ronald Reagan. We could have done the same for Iran. Perhaps the opportunity is not lost.