Kinzer on US-Iranian Relation...

Here's another take

http://www.iranian.com/main/blog/honest-hassan/dr-mossadegh

RE: Irandokht

"please let us know what type of "misinformation" you have seen in the lectures..."

I'll let you know Irandokht. His misinformation can be seen right here in this very site in his ads. You can read in his ad:

"Many people don't realize that Iran was a democracy at one time... We had a democratic government in 1953... "

He starts with this false premise and then build on it.

The truth: Iran did not have a democracy in 1953.

Here is Houshiar again

Here is Houshiar again doubting the fact that the CIA engineered the coup in Iran in August 1953. We are not talking conspiracies here. The former secretary of state Albright has admitted the role of the United States in the coup. There are documents out there saying this was a Coup D'etat. But the mob was paid to cause riots in the street and topple the government. It's amazing that there are still ignorant and bisavad people out there such as Houshiar who are trying to say that this was not a coup.

Kinzer is definitely not

Kinzer is definitely not interested in what's good for long-term interest of America (perhaps short-term)...that is a given. I don't know whether he knows what he is doing or he is just a mouthpiece for the Democratic party's agenda, which is to prop back the reformers in Iran and make a grand bargain deal with Rafsanjani et al.

Dear Craig

With all due respect, what do you think the mainstream America is interested in besides Britney Spears family life, drug rehab celebrities or Opera's new weight-gain delimma?

Amy Goodman has a show called "Democracy Now!" and it's broadcasted on selected public Radio stations and FreeSpeech TV.

I suggest you start paying attention to this type of programs and broadcast media. Maybe then you would not rely only on iranian.com for the latest news on the progressive front.

"I'm talking about his activism. The organizations he's involved with, the lectures he gives, the public statements he makes."

Then please let us know what type of "misinformation" you have seen in the lectures and his activities.

I understand why he would make Americans who want to export democracy to other countries upset and angry, but that is not due to anything but honest revelations of facts and the history of US' foreign policies.

Thank you

IRANdokht

More on Kinzer

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/3/stephen_kinze...

http://zmagsite.zmag.org/May2007/snart0507.html

http://losangeles.tribe.net/event/Stephen-Kinzer-R...

http://groups.google.com/group/misc.activism.progr...

Kinzer said today: "Continuing to argue over details of whether Iran is or is not complying with each of its commitments to the IAEA leads us to miss the larger point. The more concerned the outside world is about Iran's behavior -- whether about Iran's nuclear program, its support for militant groups in the Middle East, its repression of civil society or other issues -- the more urgent the case for negotiation becomes. Direct, comprehensive and unconditional negotiations could produce results that would not only reassure Iran's neighbors and help stabilize the Middle East, but also contribute decisively to strengthening American national security. These countries are not only not fated to be enemies forever. They actually have many long-range security interests in common."

Why is he commenting so much about Iran, so many places? And why does it seem that he is so much concerned with what's best for the Islamic Republic, and not what is best for America? I don't think that there is much support for immediate and unconditional negotiation with the IRI, here in the US. That's a bizarre position for him to be taking, if he genuinely expects Americans to believe taht he has the best interests of the US at heart. Wouldn't you agree, IRANdokht? If he wants to lobby for the IRI that is his business - as far as I know, that isn't illegal. I'm just saying that as far as I can tell, that is exactly what he is involved in. Lobbying for the IRI. He doesn't have to make these political statements to sell his book, does he? If the book is interesting and factual, people will buy it anyway.

IRANdokht

I didn't know Amy Goodman has changed nationality!! The first time I heard of Kinzer was on KPFA public radio in the US.

I don't even know what KPFA public radio is. My point is that he's not reaching a mainstream American audience. Nor, in my opinion, is he intending to.

by the way, I am very curious, which part of what Kinzer says is
"misinformation"? Have you even read his book? what are you comparing
it to?

I'm not talking about his book. I'm talking about his activism. The organizations he's involved with, the lectures he gives, the public statements he makes. I ahve checked on him a little - I have little choice as long as I read this webiste, since his name comes up so often. He's even bought advertising on this site. In fact, I think he's bought more advertising here than anyone else. I see his face on a banner ad every time I load Iranian.com, and it's been that way for weks if not months.

I'm sorry, but I really don't belive his target audeince is Americans at all. At least, not the American masses. Maybe the American left. And, obviously, Iranians.

Re: Craig

I didn't know Amy Goodman has changed nationality!! The first time I heard of Kinzer was on KPFA public radio in the US.

by the way, I am very curious, which part of what Kinzer says is "misinformation"? Have you even read his book? what are you comparing it to?

IRANdokht

Dear Craig Programmer,

Bottom line, he's making the case against an attack. He's able to reach a mass audiance, American or otherwise. Period.

Wanna' get to know him better, then google him.

Best,
Behshid

Behshid

He's out there doing interviews, providing information to an American
audiance

It's called MIS-information, not information. I don't belive he's either stupid or ignorant, and he therefore is serving a hidden agenda when he makes misleading claims.

who would probably not be as interested if it was coming from
an Iranian/ Middle Easterner.

What makes you think his target audience is American? I've never heard of this guy, except on this blog.

it's unfortunate

it's hard enough to see people who are advocating military attack on Iran and Iranians call themselves patriotic and vatan-parast, it's even more heartbreaking when you see them slamming someone who cares about the issue enough to speak up against his own country's foreign policies and spread the word to change the public's mind before it's too late...

IRANdokht

Selling the sizzle...

Dearest Jamshid,

Instead of dissecting the author & his book, which is really one man's analysis of the events of '53, why not thank him for the work he's doing to stop a potential attack on Iran. He's out there doing interviews, providing information to an American audiance who would probably not be as interested if it was coming from an Iranian/ Middle Easterner.

He's not claiming to be an authority on Iran's history. Simply, he has written a book and knows how to market himself and make money-Good for him! So long as he can influence people and stop a possible attack.

With much respect,
Behshid

Not enough

The problem with Kinzer is that here we have a Jew that doesn’t fit into the Zionist dictated agenda of neocons. You see you have to blame Mossadeq for the rape of our country by Little Britain and its coconspirator at the time, the US. Otherwise how can you justify the agenda of bombing Iran to democracy? I don’t understand how you can be an Iranian and advocate bombing your mothers and sisters in Iran. 

Thanks to the so-called coup ...

Mossadeq never found the chance to show what a failure he was in managing the finances of the now-nationalized oil revenue! Kinzer is another newborn expert who has found a great outlet for selling his totally unoriginal story: the Iranian-American backers of democratic administrations. Sorry Kinzey but your commodity is not selling well with the rational minded people who lived during Mossadeq’s term of office (as short as it was) and seen the other side of the coin you are trying to sell.

Kinzer's book is not the

Kinzer's book is not the best on the subject, but it's not bad either. What it did in 2003 was to bring attention to Mossadegh and the Coup in the West
He uses a journalistic journal and his anaylysis is not great. He also tends to be way too emotional about the subject. Malcolm Byrne's Mossadegh and the coup of 1953 is better and it is a more scholary book. Iranians, such as Maziar Behrooz and Homa Katouzian, also contributed to that book.

RE: IRANdokht

He is the worst of the worst.

He is a Jew whom is not Zionist enough. That is their problem 

Re: Jamshid

Why so emotional? have you read his book? what is he saying that rubs you the wrong way? or are you this angry because he's speaking against US foreign policies in the middle east and the rest of the world? is it because he says CIA brought Shah back? what is it that he's saying that you are trying to argue with? 

IRANdokht

Thanks

Thanks for posting this Asghar62. Good stuff.

Dear Jamshid: You're the

Dear Jamshid: You're the best. Your analysis of Mossadegh on another thread was absolutely spot on. Why don't we rely on our own writers who were actually at the scene? Why do we need Kinser to tell us our own history?

Here is what Jamshid posted on another thread on Mossadegh:

"Mosadegh was a patriot...
by jamshid on Tue Mar 04, 2008 07:56 PM CST

Nevertheless, I still firmly believe that he was a patriot and he had the best intentions for his people in mind. But based on his actions, I cannot consider his era as a true democracy. "

http://iranian.com/main/node/20377

Kinzer again?

Didn't somebody just do a long post on this guy? If he knows so much about Iran, maybe he should go to Iran and get a job there? He could be AJ's foreign policy advisor or something, no? I would fully support him in that.

Re: Kinzy

I am reposting this: 

Since when this buffoon called Kinzer has become an authority on Iran? The guy himself admits that only recently the 1953 issues of Iran was "brought up to him" and that he was unaware of the facts until recently.

And now suddenly in the span of one year he has become an authority on the subject?

Kinzer is a buffoon. Just look at his face! But he is making good money writing garbage. We disregard our own Iranian researchers and authors who were even alive and in the scene during those times, and instead turn to Stephen Kinzer for info?

This is pathetic! Aboslutely pathetic! No wonder why we are all so misinformed. Kinzy! Of all people a buffoon called Kinzer has become an "authoritive" source of information on Iran's history.

All the Shah's Men

Stephen Kinzer's book is by far the best I have read in the past few years.

I think every Iranian (including our historians) should read this book and learn about what really went on behind the scenes.

Maybe more people would appreciate who Dr Mossadegh was instead of criticizing him and his politics.

Stephen Kinzer is doing more to stop the military attacks on Iran than many of our (always complaining) compatriots would ever do 

Thank you for the very appropriate post

IRANdokht