Posted on 10/13/2014 9:15:19 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “Iran is a natural ally” of the U.S.
“As long as Iran is ruled by the ayatollah and bases itself on its sectarian philosophy, we have to be careful. But basically, as a country, Iran is a natural ally of the United States. It’s the ideological, religious component that makes it an antagonist,” said Kissinger, who served as Secretary of State for the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford administrations. …
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
What about the Brits, Henry ?
How is my comment offensive except to Arabs? Arabs drink the Islamic poison and brainwashing a lot more deeply than Persians. Lots lots more
In general terms and based on an awfully big “what if?” he is absolutely correct. The “what if” is suppose the government of Iran was not made up of religious fanatics bent on making the Shia version of Armageddon happen as soon as possible. Think about natural alliances and what a rational Iran would and has historically feared: Domination by nasty neighbors like Russia, Turkey, a rich and resurgent China, and the Arab states? Check. Problem is this is all theoretical and just a nice historian’s thought experiment so long as the mullahs are running things backed up by the Persian version of the Nazi Brown Shirts. But the Iranian people, not that they matter, are the ones who came out in the thousands and held a candle light vigil on September 12, 2001. Historically, culturally, and in terms of average IQ they have very little in common with the average Arab, i.e. those wonderful folks who did actually finance and commit 9/11 and subsequently went into party mode to celebrate.
See my post #77 in response to your previous post as quoted. Iranians (Persians include) are not "human potential in Iran". Are you "human potential" in America?
Short answer is yes. The Ayatollahs are oppressing the Persians human capital and human potential. Lots of high-IQs are being wasted there due to Islamic oppression
I appreciate your support for the Iranian people, those who oppose the mullahs. Just a word of caution, even comparatively, most Iranians don’t like to be compared to Arabs, neither in “human potential” nor in any other way.
Then they ought to drop the muslim schtick.
It isn’t that simple ‘outwardly’, but it’s been happening.
Well until then, they’re but a bunch of crazed ragheads.
That’s what most gathered too, nothing new.
The religious fanatics can only be kept in charge by religious fanatics among the people.
No, Mr. “Reduce Israel’s Size” is not right.
If Iran were any kind of “natural ally” of the US, then they would have asked for our help to keep Khomeini out and the Shah in. The only one that asked for such help was the Shah himself, from what I can see.
There is a very strong undercurrent of pro-western thought in Iran, more so than almost any other Islamic country.
Their leadership is radical, dangerous, and sees the world in a completely opposite way than a large portion of their population does.
Kind of like us.
People still saying “pro-western” as if that means “pro-USA”. Iran(ians) can be pro-Western and still virulently anti-Israel and anti-USA.
When I said 90% support, I was referencing the present government. I’m not sure you understood that, because when I came back to read my response, it wasn’t clear to me either.
Wouldn’t you think support of the present government in Iran would be pretty solid in the capital Tehran. It would seem people would be afraid to voice their honest opinion there, and more free to do so in the country or outlying cities.
I’m honestly asking what you think the level of support for the present government is, if you have any way of knowing roughly what it is.
Speaking about today
In Iran? Where the official religious ideology being promoted is an apocalyptic version of Twelver Shiite Islam, where in a break with centuries of Quietism, it is considered the duty of Muslims to bring about the apocalypse?
Call it what you want, but to be a member of that regime requires some kind of amorality, or ignorance.
Oh, I don’t discount the intelligence of the “elites”. But the Iranians, Persians in the majority, are a very different people in nearly every respect, language, history, culture, and sophistication of thought. They themselves look down on the Arabs as quasi-savages. Kissinger’s point was that in terms of regional interests (and until Carter managed to screw things up) an alliance between the Iranians and Americans made and still makes geopolitical sense. Pre-Khomeini relations with Israel were likewise reasonably friendly. There are still, or were before Obama did nothing to help the nascent insurrection in 2011, a lot of Iranians who viewed America favorably. For their survival they have to keep such thoughts to themselves but the underground sentiment, largely irrelevant under the present circumstances since we’re being run by a pack of idiots and crypto-Sunnis, and Iran is under the thumb of fanatics wanting to bring on the end times, still exists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.