MEDIA

Mohammad alireza , stop

Mohammad alireza , stop trying to defend the tokhm-e haraamzaadeh bastard Islamic republic!

There are no children living in Natanz's nuclear site, nor any of the 100s of Sepahi bases I mentioned.

Peace has no meaning when the other side is not interested in it. They will kill anybody it takes, including their own children, to stay in power. 

Correction

My last comment should have been addressed to LoveOfLiberty rather than Areyo Barzan.

LoveOfLibery:

The quote you have copy-pasted is something that a freshman class in West Point Miliary Academy would be having drilled into their heads.

Finding justification for war is not difficult. Making peace is much harder.

To Areyo Barzan:

This is my last response as it's time to move on.

Sorry, but I totally reject your comparison of what is going on now with what took place during the historical periods you have referred to.

Like most everybody living outside Iran you have a very badly stained perspective of Iran and what is going on.

Mohammad,

But, the "peace at all costs" folks, as you appear to be, are arguably just as harmful towards the establishment of any real and lasting peace between nations as so-called "warmongers" are.

And, this is likely a gross understatement when one views the history of the lead up to WWII:

"We all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions; this turns out to be particularly true when it comes to the road to foreign policy hell. Over the years good people or at least people who wanted to be good or thought they were, motivated by what seemed to them to be the highest of motives, have taken political stands and made policy proposals that helped mass murderers gain power in their own countries and launch themselves on international careers of conquest and mayhem. At other times, fortunately, they’ve failed to change policy; still, they wasted a lot of people’s time and made life significantly more difficult for those whose plans to help the world ultimately worked.

Paving the Road To Hell

The most notorious example is the peace movement of the 1920s and 1930s. This movement enjoyed the enthusiastic backing of college professors, idealistic students, respected journalists, the union movement, and the mainline clergy. If you didn’t join in, you were criticized as a warmonger, a throwback, someone lacking the broad social vision and high sense of ideals that modern times required.

It was an understandable error. A mass civil society movement of earnest reformers, veterans scarred by their experiences in the trench warfare of World War One and determined that their sons should be spared this experience, students wanting a to build a better world, and intellectuals convinced that there had to be a better way did everything in their power to keep the United States and the western democracies out of war. They failed; instead they disarmed the West, left China defenseless against Japan, and prepared the way both for Hitler’s domination of Europe and Stalin’s imposition of the Iron Curtain.

The American peace and disarmament movement almost destroyed human freedom. The peace movement gave intellectual and moral respectability to the cause of isolationism: the belief that the United States could safely ignore the unraveling of the world’s fragile economic and political order as British power waned after World War I. But these idealistic professors, students, preachers and general all-around-good-guys were naive, self-righteous, and smugly sure that arms cause war.

Armed with a set of wrong headed prejudices (they called them ‘convictions’ and ‘ideals) that made it impossible for them to recognize deadly dangers staring them right in the face, they minimized the difference between imperfect friends (like then-imperialist Britain and France) and flamingly wicked mass murdering thugs (like Stalin, Hitler and the militaristic governments of Japan). Worse, they used all their considerable intelligence, power and media access to prevent Franklin Roosevelt from taking effective action to support the western democracies and China until it was far too late to prevent World War Two, and almost too late to win it. Even then, because the pathetically and self-righteously foolish and irresponsible ‘peace activists’ of the 1930s let the Axis get so far, we could only beat Hitler with Stalin’s help; the oppression of central Europe and the Cold War were the fault of the clergy, professors and civil society activists of the 1930s as well.

...

Morally of course this was nowhere near as bad as what the Nazis and Communists did. The peaceniks didn’t will the slaughter of millions of innocent people: out of ignorance and conceit they merely created the conditions which let it happen. But while the peace movement wasn’t as evil as the dictators, the dictators could never have achieved their goals without their sanctimonious and timorous enablers in the western world."

//blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/06/08/goo-goo-genocidaires-the-blood-is-dripping-from-their-hands/

To Areyo Barzan:

I understand that once America decides to wage war it has to get all it's ducks in a row; NATO, etc.

But that procedure does not apply if lets say Israel bombs Iran's nuclear facilities and does not inform the Americans.

Iran's response will most likely be immediate and could consist of massive missile attacks on American bases because Iran knows if it does not use it's missiles they will be destroyed before they can use them later.

Then the retaliations will quickly escalate and the Straights of Hormuz will be closed and America and Europe will be forced to re-open it and they can only do that by occupying Iranian land near the Straights of Hormuz.

It also does not apply if some incident takes place that Mullens pointed to when he suggested setting up a hot line.

I fully agree with your two last paragraphs. And yes, maybe I was a bit unfair in the way I protrayed America as I know a sane and non-violent America exists given that all of my friends in America are against war, even the Jewish-American ones.

And yes, nobody can see the future but the Iranian exile community in America can play a very important role in preventing war againt Iran and I think that is my basic message: Work for peace and prevent a war from taking place and do this by getting better informed and becoming politically active.

Dear Mohammad

Dear Mohammad

I believe you are mixing two different issues.

In my previous posting I was talking about the normal and bureaucratic procedures that the political world follows and I am talking from experience as in fact that (experience) is all I have to go with. You see? I do not have a magic mirror to enable me to see the future.

Again I erg you to read the history of middle East and the world especially the history of the cold war and you see that it was full of similar bluffs and counter bluffs. One perfect example was Cuban Missile crisis at Kennedy administration era.

Furthermore I have also lived in the West and US for some years and I do not recognize the picture that you are drawing from those people. I believe your statement to be a bit unfair and prejudice.

The people I was working and dealing with were more concerned about their mortgage interest rate, state of economy and how much they had left in their pocket at the end of the month, health care, job security and education. They were not really interested in or even had the time to think about war with another country

Please remember that the presidential candidates and hopefuls say a lot of wacky things before getting to the office, remember Sara Palin?

However when and if they get into office it would be another story.

The first thing they need to do is to have a reality check and get their priorities right. The most important of which is cleaning the current economical mess.

Believe me when I say that I have been in this game (political analysis) for the past 20 years and I am talking from experience.

A war of that magnitude not only needs to be approved by the Congress and needs to have backing from other countries (mostly Europe) and especially NATO. But most important of all it needs to make economical sense. At the moment even for the Defence industry there are cheaper ways to make money, like talking about war with Iran and scaring every one by portraying IRI as an eminent danger. But when finally the US government and Europe refused to go into the war these people can take their agenda to the Middle Eastern and Arab country and tell them: well we have done everything in our power to defend you but the US and NATO does not have the political will and the courage to do it. The only thing we can do for you now is to provide you with latest weapons  and enable you to defend yourself and bingo. The money flows in without NATO Europe or US troops firing a single shut. Just remember it is not the war that makes profit but it is the business of war and that is what’s happening here. Even in the case of Israel the Barks are far worse than the bites. They also know very well that with Hezbollah and Hamas at their doorstep the last thing they need is a war with Iran to give these groups an excuse and create an atmosphere that anything goes as they have much more to loose in a war than IRI. So just like the cold war everybody s bluffing and no one is daring to fire hat first shot. And just like the cold war this crisis will end by either diplomatic negotiation and compromise(like SALT 2) or by one side collapsing under the weight of it own economical incompetence just as USSR did.

However there is always the danger that US government, Europe and Israel throw all the logic and experience of the past 60 years out of the window and defy all logic by embarking on another misadventure just to please a few idiot Ted Necks or to please some radical Israel supporters and lobyist. In which case trying to reason with an unreasonable person, establishment or country would be as useless as trying to draw a portrait on water. However and beautiful and logical that painting might be the water is not capable of holding it.

In that case the only thing I can do (and I can only speak for myself) would be to take up arms against the invaders and defend my homeland and I hope others join me

To Areyo Barzan:

You make a very good and solid case for why a war between Iran and United States will not take place and since 2006 till the present my views were very similar to the ones you have expressed.

But I think what has taken place over the past three months clearly shows that the dogs of war are not only barking loudly but are thirsty for blood and could even break their chains.

American society has a very violent streak that is clearly on display throughout its culture and history. From their sports to cartoons to their films violence is programmed into Americans to the point that I am willing to wager that if bombs start dropping on Iranians you will find not only rednecks cheering but so will the average American. To them war is another sporting event.

I lived in America for many years and witnessed their police brutality, their gun culture, and their numbness to the death and destruction they cause throughout the world. What percentage of Americans do you think really care about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians that have been killed? Or about the generational sickness and deformity that their depleted uranium weaponry will cause? My guess is that less than 3% of Americans care.

The Republican Party presidential candidates are coming close to making a campaign pledge that if they are elected they will declare war on Iran. Do you know what that means? It means their pollsters have told them that if they warmonger they will be elected! How sick is that?

But the above is only one factor placing Iran in danger. The other is Israel. Those in power today in Israel definitely want to cripple Iran’s nuclear activities and they are prepared to do this even if it drags a reluctant and protesting America into a war with Iran.

If solid evidence is found that proves Israel was responsible for the recent explosion at the Shahab missile storage facility Iran is almost forced to retaliate. And if they do how do you think Israel will respond?

As far as those in power in Iran wanting another war to consolidate their hold on power; well this is only partly true and their numbers are small. Yes, there are those in Iran that would benefit from another war but the United States is a far different enemy than Iraq.

The other problem Iranian warmongers face is that Iranians will not sacrifice like they did during the Iraq war. And I think there’s even a likelihood that if Iranians come to the realization that a war is started by some Iranians they will not unite around the flag but will instead become enraged and try very hard to eliminate the war makers. I am in daily interaction with ordinary Iranians and many have bluntly told me that they will refuse to pick up a rifle.

My concern is that a mistake, or a misunderstand, or a rogue warmonger --- or shear stupidity --- will light the fuse and it will be impossible to put out given the level of tension and hatred that exists.

Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and this phase will pass and work can begin towards making peace, rather then war.

Much ado about...

Despite warmongers' best efforts, war does not seem to be an attractive option for the parties who are supposed to be provoked to invade Iran! In spite of all the bellicose posturings and rhetorics, Israel is out of the question, for it does not have the capability to stop Iran's nuclear program (let alone do any serious damage to IRI) through military means. Moreover, once the aerial attacks are over, and the IRI still there, Israel would lose its disposable (one-use) military trump card and consequently, bluffing prowess immediately after the attack. Not to mention leaving IRI's hands open for retaliatory operations, and worst of all, justifying its open pursuit of weaponized nukes!

U.S. and European countries, as others have pointed out here, are in financial ruins and not in a position to embark on a military adventure of such scale as an all out military invasion of Iran -- for "surgical" air strikes aren't going to do the job of eliminating IRI's nuclear programs, while a sustained bombing campaign is only effective when there are troops on the ground to utilize the air cover to seize strategic targets -- which would require a full scale, prolonged battle that entails wars of atrition that occupying forces normally face (hence the occupational hazards!). Considering the current financial crisis, neither the U.S. nor European countries find a war of such scale profitable as of yet, due to its uncertain potential outcomes. That means unless IRI does something utterly stupid (e.g. attacking or threatening their vital interests), the policy of confronting IRI will most likely continue to consist of the carrot/stick treatment and psy-op postures such as threats of attacks by Israel or the U.S.!

However, the best case scenario for supporters of war would be the IRI attacking or damagin the regional oil or gas installations which would create the financial incentives as well as the basis for a NATO coalition and the driving force behind it (the major global oil consurtiums) that would dissipate objections by Russia and China! So, if I were a warmonger, I'd keep my fingers crossed that IRI would make a stupid move rather than beg Israel and the U.S. to invade Iran!

Don’t worry

Dear Mohammad Alireza

In my humble opinion you are making a fuss over noting while missing a more important issue.

US Is never going to attack Iran. It is simply because they do not have the logistical power. With today’s political and economical climate in the world and with Euro being in the verge of collapse and European economies being in the mess that they are no other NATO member is going to support this war let alone participating in it  I can give you several reasons for this.

1-     In the wake of two disasters campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan the public opinion simply does not buy another war, especially as they have bigger issues to worry about and US simply is not able or willing to go it on its own.

2-     Even in the US the majority of people are against the war and even want to get out of the two they are already in ASAP. Let alone starting another one.

3-     After the plunder of Saddam’s WMD the public have a hard time to buy claim of another similar threat form Iran in order to be persuaded to another was in search of Mullh’s WMD.

4-     Although I agree with you on the point that another war is good for US defence industry, this could hardly be soled to US or European voters to legitimise another war.

5-     Iraq was a one of misadventure by J.W Bush and the atmosphere after 9/11 prepared the ground for that, as every one was thinking with their guts rather than their heads. But unlike us Americans are prepared to accept the responsibility for their plunder and learn from their mistakes. 

6-     I remind you of one interview in CNN with one of George W Bush advisors after 9/11 when he called three countries access of Evil. At that time it was said that Iran is different to Iraq and we will never be able to attack Iran. It is simply because the country is much bigger and more importantly because people of Iran are very patriotic and if you attack Iran even those who are against the government will raise against you.

So I assure you now a days the only people who want a war are first and foremost IRI. And this is because it will give them another excuse to further suppress our people and more importantly they will have an excuse to blame all their economic and political incompetence on it and make their grip of power firmer.

Remember during Iraq war Khomeini said “This war is a Blessing”.

Now at first look you might think it was a stupid statement. But you got to see the world from his prospective.

That war helped IRI to tighten their grip on the power, eliminate opposition by calling them enemy egents and escape the responsibility of all their shortcomings and economical plunders by blaming it on the war. As I remember on those they each time someone was complaining about any thing the answer was: “Well! What do you Expect we are at war.”. that was why they extended the war for eight years and today those who know how close the IRI is to collapse from within and how disintegrated the different faction of government are or know about the inner fighting’s over power and money which are weakening the IRI by the day, would love noting more than the prospect of another war, in order to use it in their own advantage and extend their rule and that is why they are ignoring every warning an defying any sensible advice. Just remember that notting can focuse minds and make these factions to put asside their differences ad unite to survive like another war can.

The second group who want war are the irresponsible ignorant Iranians who do not want to lift a finger or pay any personal price in order to remove IRI and instead they expect US to do it for them.

These people are ignoring all the lessons of history near and far and fail to understand that if US or any other country invades or attacks Iran they are doing it solely for their own political and financial interest and not ours. Furthermore if that interest would have meant breaking of Iran to many smaller countries or wiping the name of Iran and Persian Gulf from world Atlas they have no problem with it, and these people need to get into grip with reality and accept their national responsibility.

On the other hand you might ask me if war is not immanent then why all this noise about Iran and its threat to regional stability. This is where I agree with you in one point.

It is simply scaremongering to get Arab states on the south of Persian Gulf spend their oil money on weapons and hence help to greece the wheels of western economy and wipe up the current financial mess.

Also regardless of what we think about IRI, all the political and strategic indicators show that it is being seen by the West, Turkey and other Arab States in Middle East as a  raising power in the region with increasing influence in neighbouring countries and that is  the other issue they are trying to confront, as by threath of a war they are hoping to drag the IRI to the negotiation table to get some agreements and garantees in exchange of a few assurances and insentives.

War is Profitable

//news.antiwar.com/2011/11/15/arms-sales-to-a...

Excerpt:

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the arms industry got paid like it hadn’t done in years. “Over the course of the decade,” the Financial Times recently reported, “the U.S. annual defense budget has doubled in cash terms to reach nearly $700 billion in 2010. The profits of the U.S. defense industry have quadrupled over that period.”

To Fesenjon2:

Did you join Iranian.com ten days ago so that you can display your eagerness to see dead Iranian children and the radioactive poisoning of Iranian air and soil?

Iran has not beeen "invaded" as you claim but influenced and stained by another culture. And bombing is not going to change the existing culturel; it will only reinforce it.

Yes, Bomb Iran!

Iran is occupied.

And what do you do when a country has been occupied by a ruthless invader that kills its people and is a threat to others? What do you do with occupiers?

That's right. You bomb them and fight them.

There is no difference between the invasion of Genghis Khan and The Islamic Republic of Velayat Faghih!

When the Mongols invaded us, we didnt ask them to leave us by diplomacy, did we? This is the same, and the cult of Velayat Faghih is no different. 

Iran is occupied.

Free Iran from the occupying regime of Velayat e Faghih.

to Mohammad Alireza

Mohammad Alireza,

The two articles you posted do show that you do not support the vf regime (especially considering that you reside in Iran). My perception of you as a supporter of vf regime has changed. Good job.

MK

To Masoud Kazemzadeh

It must feel wonderful to sit in your, I assume house or apartment in America, and demand of somebody living in Iran to come out and show their opposition to the regime. But no problem, I'll let my past writings on Iranian.com to make my case for me.

Below I've pasted one such article which I wrote back in March 2008, prior to the Majlis elections. You may also want to read "Voting in the Dark", written just prior to the disputed presidential vote in 2009.

//iranian.com/main/2009/jan/voting-dark

My dispute at the time with Tehran Bureau was that they posted an article by Reza Khalili, and if you have any knowledge of his background you will understand why I objected. But fortunately Tehran Bureau has revamped their "Press Roundup" section and Mr. Mohammad Sahimi now does the editing and reporting, which by the way is far superior to what Dan Geist was doing.

Here is the article I referred to above:

//iranian.com/main/2008/are-you-prepared-...

Are you prepared for some truth?

by Mohammad Alireza
15-Mar-2008

Voting for the Majlis was a pointless exercise and by participating one has cast a vote for this farce, this hoax, this kolah bardaari.

The act of voting means that one's vote could contribute to change. The fact that whichever way Iranians vote will have no effect on the situation in Iran means there is no point in voting.

There is no such thing as democracy in Iran as the form of political Islam practiced in Iran is inherently a totalitarian belief structure created to control a society through superstition, violence, and brainwashing.

Thirty years ago the Iranian people were fooled into believing that the mullahs had the answers and could bring about a utopia, and the mullahs thought they could deliver this utopia. The truth is that the Iranian people were wrong and so were the mullahs.

Thirty years later we all now know that the vote for an Islamic Republic of Iran was wishful thinking and it is time once again for another referendum.

Over these past thirty years the Iranian people have discovered these truths:

* One: Even those in high religious authority lie and steal, and they do not have any special relationship with Allah.

* Two: Mullahs can get drunk on power and behave like ruthless dictators.

* Three: Given the blinkered world view that mullahs have they are not qualified to lead a nation into the modern age.

* Four: The application of Islamic laws that were developed 1,400 years ago can not be applied to modern conditions.

* Five: If Iran is to advance and the Iranian people are to have a higher standard of living there has to be Islamic reformation.

* Six: Just because an individual has religious knowledge does not automatically make them a superior person or grant them special privileges.

* Seven: Given the horrendous level of incompetence at all levels of this regime a state of anarchy now exists in Iran where university graduates see no future for them in this society, businessmen do not abide by a signed contract, and grabbing as much money as possible through any means possible is the first priority for all Iranians.

A silent majority exists in Iran and beneath that silence lies a deep hatred for this regime, but alongside this hatred there is fear, and that fear is that if that hatred was ever to find a voice it would ignite another upheaval and instead of positive change the oppression would instead increase. And it is that fear that keeps in check the hatred. It is that fear that keeps this regime in existence.

The day that Iranians know exactly what kind of country they want to live in will be the day that this regime will disappear. If we do not know where we are going we will never get there.

Iranians need to decide for themselves if they are willing to continue living in a mullah created hell when in fact it is within their own power to live in heaven or hell. Heaven and hell are not where we go when we die but they are right here, now.

Don’t be fooled by the many tricks that the mullahs play. Learn to think for yourself. Discover for yourself. Decide for yourself. And when you do you will be ready to create the Iran that you want and not the Iran that is imposed on you

(The term “mullah” is used to refer to those that are failures on the spiritual path but have a head full of memorized verses but no understanding of what they have memorized and are opportunists seeking personal power and wealth. The essential feature of a mullahs is the presumption that they are spiritually superior to everybody else.)�

To hamsade ghadimi:

Yes, I agree with you. Those in power have played a part in placing Iran in danger and Iranians here are becoming aware of this.

Mohammad Alireza

MA:  Even though some incorrectly think I am a supporter of the regime simply because I am anti-war what you have written seems to have one last line missing:

"To love Iran is to bomb it."

===============================　

MK: Apparently, a lot of people think that you are a supporter of the terrorist regime. According to your post, in your exchange with one of the editors of TB, he wrote to you:

========================================　

Does Tehran Bureau support bombing Iran?

by Mohammad Alireza
02-Jan-2011

//iranian.com/main/blog/mohammad-alireza/does-tehran-bureau-support-bombing-iran

"Mr. Alireza, Thank you for revealing your true colors. You have made clear that you perceive no difference whatsoever between actual news and opinion. We can only conclude that you are an employee of either or both (a) Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting and (b) Fox News. As far as truth value goes, it hardly makes a difference."

==========================================　

MK: What is clear is that you accuse others who hold a critical view of the terrorist regime as wanting to bomb Iran, and that many others think that you are a supporter of the terrorist regime.

===================================　

MA: We in Iran will eventually bring about change and do not need any help from the outside. And we do not need to be reminded about how this regime operates because we have to deal with it every day and hour.

MK: There is a struggle between the fundamentalist terrorist regime and the opposition groups. It is the job of the terrorist regime’s officials and supporters to hide the facts of the oppression of the Iranian people. It is the job of the opposition to publicize the oppression of the Iranian people to the world.

Why each side does what it does? The public exposure of the human rights violations and oppression by the terrorist regime raises the costs of oppression, thus helps the people inside who resist the terrorist regime. If the world could be kept ignorant of the facts of our oppression, then the terrorist regime could easily silence and subdue the Iranian people. That is why the opposition groups publicize the human rights violations. And that is why the agents of the terrorist regime attack the opposition groups.

I have no idea who you are and why you do what you do. You could be an agent of the Ministry of Intelligence, or a simple supporter of the terrorist regime, or you could be a simple-minded person who thinks he is doing good, or a "useful idiot." I do not know you. If I remember correctly, this is the second "article" I have read by you. Based on this two writings of you, the perception I have formed of you is not of a person who opposes the terrorist regime. A person who opposes the terrorist regime proposes policies that undermine the regime’s access to resources (money), undermines the regime’s propaganda, calls for policies that would punish the regime via isolation, calls for UN Human Rights Commission to take strong measures against the terrorist regime for violations of the human rights of the Iranian people, and the like. A person who opposes the terrorist regime, calls for changing the regime. A person who opposes the regime, does NOT help the regime prolong its rule.

In this struggle between the terrorist regime and the opposition, this struggle is fought on various levels. At one level the terrorist regime has its torturers and rapists who physically attack and undermine those who oppose the regime. At the ideological level, there is the struggle for ideological hegemony (in the Gramscian sense). The ideological network supporting the terrorist regime’s narrative includes the Keyhan, IRIB, PressTV. Part of the job of the terrorist regime’s ideological warfare is to fool Westerners and use them as "useful idiots." The far left in the West is susceptible to being deceived by anyone who uses anti-American propaganda. Also part of the job of the terrorist regime ideological warfare is to make psychological attacks on the Iranian people (inside and outside Iran) so that the Iranian people will lose their morale and will not fight against the terrorist regime. Also part of the terrorist regime ideological warfare is to make any expressions of solidarity between the world and the Iranian people to be portrayed as Iranians being traitors.

The FACT, however, are opposite of the terrorist regime’s propaganda. When various foreign entities buy oil from Iran, they are interfering in the internal affairs of Iran. The terrorist regime sells about $80 billion dollars of oil every year. This money goes directly into the hands of Khamenei and the government. This money is used to pay for the coercive apparatuses including the IRGC, Basij, Ministry of Intelligence. Literary the oil money helps pay the salary of the torturers and rapists in Evin and other prisons in Iran. Part of the oil money pays for the ideological apparatuses such as Keyhan, IRIB, Press TV, and many individuals who write materials that benefits the terrorist regime and attack the opposition groups.

The big oil companies do not give a damn about democracy and human rights in Iran. Their primary objective is to make money. In fact, the big companies in the U.S. and Europe have been the main entities that want to make deals with the terrorist regime. For example, one of the main lobby groups that represents the interests of the huge American corporations that lobbies to get rid of sanctions so that they could collaborate with the terrorist regime and make money is USA Engage. Here is their website:

//www.usaengage.org/index.php

It is the responsibility of our intellectuals to stand up to these big corporate interests and defend the values of democracy, freedom and human rights in Iran. The responsibility of our intellectuals is to counter the terrorist regime’s propaganda.

In sum, on the one hand is the terrorist regime and its network including the regime coercive apparatuses and propaganda apparatuses. On the other hand, we have the Iranian people who oppose the ruling tyranny, the opposition groups that organize opposition to the regime, and our intellectuals that counter the terrorist regime propaganda.

It is clear where posters such as Roozbeh, Amir, and I are. Roozbeh is a socialist, Amir is a liberal, and I am a liberal democrat. Based on your writing, many have the perception that you are a supporter of the terrorist regime. One can be an opponent of the terrorist regime, or a supporter of the terrorist regime, or remain neutral. I have only read two writings by you. I have not seen anything you propose that harms the terrorist regime, isolate it, helps the Iranian people to overthrow the terrorist regime. I have read stuff that you wrote that helps the terrorist regime. We form our perceptions based on the writings of various posters. My perception of your writing is that you support the terrorist regime. My opinion is that you are a supporter of the terrorist regime.

In conclusion, in my opinion, there is also a moral and ethical dimension to our struggles against the terrorist regime. The IRI is one of the most immoral, vicious, blood-thirsty, fascistic regimes in the world. The IRI regularly engages in mass torture, mass assassinations, mass rape, mass oppression of our people. If it is immoral and unethical to rape, torture, and murder, then it logically follows that it is also immoral and unethical to help those who rape, torture and murder our people.

If you oppose the terrorist regime, I hope that you stop writing things that helps the terrorist regime, and instead begin writing things that harm the terrorist regime.

Sooner or later, one way or another, the terrorist regime will be gone. Some wonderful barve Iranians have struggles against this evil regime, while many unethical and immoral Iranians have helped this evil regime. We, all, have to answer to our own conscious [vojdan], and to our children. When our children ask, dad or mom, "What did YOU do to undermine the terrorist regime?" Some of us could proudly answer those questions. Do you have a good answer to your children’s question???????????? 

As an excercise, you may wish to enumerate all the actions you have taken, policies you have proposed, and posts that you have written that HARMS the terrorist reigme and all the actions, policies, and posts that you have made that HELPS the terrorist regime.  May I ask you to enumerate all those that harms the terrorist regime on this thread?  Precisely, what policies you propose that HARMS the terrorist regime and will help the overthrow of the terrorisrt regime?  En goyo en meodon. 

My 2 cents,

Masoud

"Regrettably those that

"Regrettably those that orchestrated this most recent anti-Iran campaign largely achieved their objective, which was to further demonize Iran, increase support for harsher sanctions, and lay the groundwork for military action."

that's right.  those in the above statement are those who are in the position of power in iran.  ahsant.

Propagandists of dictatorships posing as "antiwar progressives"

The same Gareth Porter who was busy proclaiming the innocence of the Khmer Rouge years ago is now trying to proclaim the innocence of the IRI. For some, certainly NOT ALL, "progressives", any regime whose motto is "Death to America" is worth defending (and rarely, if ever, do they critcize the IRI to any significant extent).

BTW, I voted for Obama and have never voted for a Republican. Nice try, though, Commissar! Have you convicted anyone of being a "traitor" today?  

To Amir:

Here is a post on Counterpunch from November 10, 2011.

//www.counterpunch.org/2011/11/10/irans-sovie...

And it is an extremely important article which normally can't be found on other sites or would ever be linked to by the corporate media. And that is why I include Counterpunch in the Web sites I listed.

Why don't you read it and then give an intelligent answer instead of trying to smear others as "Stalinists", which is so from the past. Next post you will probably call me a "pinko commie spy". LOL!

Don't tell me you voted for Bush? Come on, admit it, you did, didn't you?

But seriously, are you saying the Iranian exile community is united, does not hate the IRI with blind passion, and there are no MEK cult members amongst them? If this was true the exile community would have organized some form of viable opposition that could play some contructive role in creating change in Iran but it has not done so. It has failed miserably.

To Roozbeh

Millions of Iranians in Iran are accessing blocked Web sites. Any self-respecting Internet user in Iran can access any Web site they want.

Where do you think the DVD's that are sold on the streets come from? They download it and make copies, including porn videos.

Two weeks ago I was shocked to see they were selling "Iranium", which as you may know is extremely anti-Iran and advocates war with Iran.

I have downloaded and have on my hard drive all the episodes of Weeds, Entourage, Mad Men.....plus "Tree of Life", "Green Zone", etc. and they are 720p quality. And the same goes for most of my friends, who all happen to be under 30.

Why do you think they have made it a crime to use proxy's and VPN's? They know we can access any site and they don't want us to do this because it means they don't have control over what we think or know or say.

Your first post labeled me a "pro IRI west residing lobbyist". Without knowing anything about me or where I am coming from you made assumptions.

Life in Iran is totally unlike what it seems like from abroad. The hatred for this regime is extremely widespread and crosses all income levels.

Change will come here but not if those blood thirsty fools start dropping bombs on us!

Mohammad Alireza

If you are going to dig up some quote by somebody at least provide the link so that you don't come across as being slanderous.

And just what exactly is an Islamist? Or did you just make that up?

But why would you include yourself in the category of traitor? By "traitor" I am referring to the MEK.

"the Iranian exile community has proven to be hopelessly splintered, blinded by hate, and riddled with traitors."

Mohammad alireza, judging by your angry response to me

I take it that my criticism of the islamist regime has upsetted you a lot. Since I was very clear that I oppose a military attack on Iran. Well, "ma tarof nadarim" :)

Question: you claim on your profile to be living in Iran. How do you manage to access this site from Iran? In my visits back home to Iran I could never access this site. It was obviously blocked by the islamist regime authority, and could only be accessed by people (opposition) who were either very determined to access the site or those from within the islamist regime  .....

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

To Amir and LoveOfLiberty

Amir:

If you are going to dig up some quote by somebody at least provide the link so that you don't come across as being slanderous.

If reading material on Counterpunch makes one a Stalinist then maybe using Yahoo makes one a yahoo? Right?

And just what exactly is an Islamist? Or did you just make that up?

But why would you include yourself in the category of traitor? By "traitor" I am referring to the MEK.

LoveOfLiberty:

I have no idea if by quoting Mill you are justifying war against Iran or not but here is a quote right back at you:

War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.

Thomas Mann

Have Stalinists & Islamists become "patriots" all of a sudden?

Running around and calling "traitors" anyone opposed to their IRI Groupie and Stalinist sidekick ways. Deciding who is and who isn't Iranian. 

“But war, in a good

“But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer.  War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse.  When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people.  A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – is often the means of their regeneration.  A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.  As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other.”

 John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), “The Contest in America.” Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 24, Issue 143, page 683-684. Harper & Bros., New York, April 1862.

To Masoud Kazemzadeh

Even though some incorrectly think I am a supporter of the regime simply because I am anti-war what you have written seems to have one last line missing:

"To love Iran is to bomb it."

America and Israel could not careless about democracy and rule of law in Iran. They want a puppet regime that allows a business friendly environment so that oil and gas can be extracted as cheaply as possible and is not a military threat to their control of the Middle East. And they are prepared to destroy Iran so as to acheive this goal.

Any change in Iran will take place internally as the Iranian exile community has proven to be hopelessly splintered, blinded by hate, and riddled with traitors.

We in Iran will eventually bring about change and do not need any help from the outside. And we do not need to be reminded about how this regime operates because we have to deal with it every day and hour.

To Love Iran is to Help the Iranian People Get Rid of VF Terror

The most anti-Iranian entity in Iran is the ultra-right wing, reactionary, fascistic, theocratic terrorist regime, which has been mass murdering, mass assassinating, mass torturing, mass raping Iranian men and women. The primary obstacle to democracy, freedom, and human rights is the existence of the terrorist regime. It is the duty of Iranians who value democracy and freedom to send this fascistic regime to the garbage can of history where it belongs. As long as the vf regime exists, there can be no democracy, freedom, and human rights. The very first step in the establishment of democracy is getting rid of the ruling tyranny in Iran. To prolong the rule of the vf tyranny, is to prolong the ruling tyranny and the misery of the Iranian people.

To love Iran is to put an end to the daily brutalization of the Iranian people.   To love Iran is the help the Iranian people get rid of the vf terrorist regime. 

IRR wants war more than anybody else!

IRR thrives on conflicts, violence, and war!

Just look at their history and track record for the past 33 years!

So, they asked for it and they are going to get it!

This time it will be for a win, not theirs, but ours!

"Anti-war" -- yeah, right!

The websites listed are a mix -- some decent and some not. CASMII is an IRI lobby by any other name. Counterpunch is headed up by an old-fashioned Stalinist, Alexander Cockburn. Just to give you a flavor of how "anti-war" Cockburn is, his reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was the following: 

We all have to go one day, but pray God let it not be over Afghanistan. An unspeakable country filled with unspeakable people, sheepshaggers and smugglers … I yield to none in my sympathy to those prostrate beneath the Russian jackboot, but if ever a country deserved rape it’s Afghanistan.

no dropping bomb in Iran

but it is not for YOU to say who is Iranian who is not.  What is  best for Iran what is not.

Stop calling yourselves Iranian

So far 1,442 people have read this article and less than five "Iranians" have expressed views that could be interperted as being in favor of dropping bombs on Iran.

Sad that there even exists any Iranian that is in favor of war against Iran.

Iran will eventually establish democracy and freedom but it won't be thanks to you pro-war advocates. Shame on you all.

Stop calling yourselves Iranian

So far 1,442 people have read this article and less than five "Iranians" have expressed views that could be interperted as being in favor of dropping bombs on Iran.

Sad that there even exists any Iranian that is in favor of war against Iran.

Iran will eventually establish democracy and freedom but it won't be thanks to you pro-war advocates. Shame on you all.