It puzzles me….

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Bijan A M
by Bijan A M
11-Sep-2008
 

I had intended to post this as a comment on “Sarah Palin…” blog by samsam1111. But it looks like they have closed that blog. I still want my voice heard… here we go…

Reading over some of the comments on this thread I am shocked at some of the contents.

As a communist in my early days (16-21 years) and a socialist for the next several years and as a “neocon” as I think I have been labeled recently, I thought it could be worthwhile to throw in my 2 cents.

All I can say to Obama believers is that, never fall for a sweet talker. Look beyond the surface. This is not to defend Sarah Palin or McCain’s ticket, but to express my sentiments as to why I will never support Obama’s ticket. The most important and primary reason is that he is not “trustworthy”. No matter how sincere he may sound in his provocative speeches, the fact of the matter remains that he is anti-American. He (and his beloved) are simply pro-communism. I have had my share of love for communism and at this point in my life and my experience with contrast between democracy and communism I am willing to give my life to protect democracy and defeat communism.

You can talk all you want about social equality etc… the bottom line remains to be human right and the will of majority. You can demonize any candidate you want, but you can’t throw the foundation of this democracy into trash. Regardless of what a given administration has done, the foundation of democracy on which this nation is built is unshakable. Whether you pick McCain or Obama (as a neocon I pick McCain) you have to respect the will of the people. With all probabilities, Obama will be our next president (against my wish). We should all respect him to respect those who elected him in a democratic state. By the same token we should support McCain if he (as a longshot) gets

the vote.. It would be stupid to say Americans are racists if Obama is not elected.

Candidates can debate issues, but, integrity is not debatable. And that’s my issue with Obama.

Some daughters of Iran have been fairly outspoken lately. I don’t know if they are soccer moms or hockey moms, but, either way they better put some lipsticks on or people will soon find out who they really are. Sarah Palin will be just fine…..better than Dick Chaney , Al Gore, or even Condie Rice.. If you don’t like her, don’t vote for her. There is no need to trash her. Character assassination has backfired in many instances. So, be careful of your comments.

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Bijan A M

Thank you all

by Bijan A M on

Thanks for your concerns and kind words.  We are healthy and doing fine with some property damage and have to live without electricity for a while (a little bit of inconvenience) but we remain grateful. My situation doesn’t allow me to be on line at-will, so I take advantage of any chance I get to stay in touch.

 

Thanks again.


Bijan A M

Q, Please don’t patronize me…..

by Bijan A M on

Son, you have not earned the right by reading a few left wing philosophy books to be condescending and call me extremist. On this site anyone who is not extreme left and does not support Obama is automatically labeled “Neo-con”. That’s why it doesn’t offend me or bother me to be called “Neo-con” because I fit that mold.  But,  I find it extremely offending and insulting when you and your likes assume automatically whoever is not on your side (i.e. bleeding heart liberal, left wing  pro Obama) is automatically a warmonger, anti human, power hungry. There are many who believe that it is a lot more pragmatic to defend democracy from a position of strength. It doesn’t make them any more pro war than those appeasers of fundamentalists and extremists.

Just remember this planet has never been closer to the catastrophe of a nuclear destruction than when Obama’s idol (JFK) was elected president.

 

I didn’t post my piece to start a political or philosophical debate. You guys will probably skin me alive if I engage in those kinds of debates because you are master of semantics and wordsmithing. I was just sharing my opinion with probably the younger readers (the same way I share with my own grown daughters who have been staunch supporters of Obama, like most other well intentioned, peace loving, well educated youngsters).

 

Q, I don’t trust Obama because he came out and defended his pastor of 20 years as a decent man like himself (you can google and find his speech in defense of J Wright). A few days later when he feared his hidden tendencies might negatively impact his election, he dumped the same mentor in another “sincere sounding”, “sweet talk” speech. That’s when I lost any respect I had for Obama.  Again, I say this as PERSONAL OPINION.  

 

Since you sounded a little curious about who I am, let me oblige. I have never lived in Los Angeles and never been known as John. I have been in the oil industry for over 37 years some of it in Khuzestan. I continue to blame myself for indirectly having the slightest contribution to help the riot (that was renamed revolution) by shutting down the oil industry through strikes. I still work for an oil company in Houston. I am a non-practicing Jew who has been married to a non-practicing Muslim for nearly 40 years (get busy with your adding and subtracting…). To know me better I need to tell you that, this would be the first time I vote Republican in the past 7 elections. I admire Chicago Dad’s temperaments and wisdom. I identify with Jamshid’s reasoning and logics and share his pre-revolution experience. I have tremendous respect for Zion’s depth of knowledge and literacy, even if that makes me (or labels me) a zio-nazi. Samsam is who I think about when it comes to defending Iranian heritage. When it comes to IRI, no one has a more pragmatic and more credible and realistic view than Salar. JJ is my role model (in spite of his liberal views) in candor and his transparency. I have a lot of respect (in disagreement) for Sadegh and Mammad and sometimes yourself (when you are not so annoying and ridiculously twisting the subject over semantics). One of the elitists I have no tolerance for and resent with passion is the lady sitting in the patio of her multi-million dollar home in Southern California sipping on a glass of Merlo and with her sharp pen insulting majority of American population while apologizing for IRI in the name of being anti-war activist. In my opinion, she is the definition of hypocrisy.  I don’t need to name her, she is the one and only….

 

Now that I got that off my chest, I hope you have a better understanding of the motive behind my initial post.

 

I’m sorry if I go silent the next few days. I assure you it is not out of ignorance or rudeness.

 

Wish you well and I hope you give up the notion that you always have to be the winner of every debate.


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

My optic nerves are fine. You misread what I wrote and you criticize MY optic nerves? I don't find your audacity annoying anymore, instead I find it amuzing and entertaining.

I welcome any info that would trash McCain. Or Obama. One is a buffon and the other a clown. You pick which.

While you are at it, be open minded and research Obama and Biden too. Find out the same about Biden in the 80s as well. Try not to be your old biased boiling-in-anger prejudice self.

Also be truthful and don't falsify or resort to fallacy. Only then you could have something worthy of reading.


Q

well jamshid,

by Q on

a few things are clear. Either you have damaged your optic nerve or you are purposefully trying to avoid the substance. Your half-quoting of my sentence with only the premise and not the conclusion proves you are dishonest. There's no question about that.

You simply cannot bring yourself to admit that Biden did not authorize any military assistance to Iraq. It's another one of those lame lies that are made up on the spot by emotion rather than fact by ideologues who just REALLY want the world to be as they fantacize. It's OK, you don't have to say it, it's now understood.

But at least you did prove this for all of us:
This is what I mean, when I talk about factual discussion. It WAS on Biden, but now, it's on semantics. Why? Because you have neither the facts nor the courage to defend your multiple frivolous accusations.

Beyond this, you provided a valuable service for the Iranian community. You pushed me to research McCain's own record in the 80's and the massive goldmines that I found will not be liked by yourself and Zion. I have never thought any articles in Iranian forums will have much substantive effect on elections and how Iranians feel about candidates, but this one seriously might!

However, I do have to thank you for prompting the next major article for me. I would not have thought of it myself. Later.


Zion

Be safe

by Zion on

Dear Bijan, nice to see you back here after some time with sensible words. keep safe my friend and hope to see you soon.


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

You wrote, "your allegations against Biden are completely false. He was not the chairman in the 80's"

and later you wrote, "You didn't say "chairman", I know."

You know, but you didn't know, but...

Whatever, Q, whatever.


Q

Jamshid, it is just like you to divert attention

by Q on

You didn't say "chairman", I know. The accusation you did make is still a lie. Committees run on individual votes and as a non-chairman one has no special powers. But the vote you fantasize about did not happen.

This is what I mean, when I talk about factual discussion. It WAS on Biden, but now, it's on semantics. Why? Because you have neither the facts nor the courage to defend your multiple frivolous accusations.


jamshid

Re: Q

by jamshid on

Q, you replied to me by saying, "your allegations against Biden are completely false. He was not the chairman in the 80's"

You are falsifying my statement. I don't understand why you have a habit of doing this. Or why you feel a need to do it.

You can find what I actually said in the P.S. section of my previous post farther below. I wrote, "Biden has been a member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the past 25 years".

//www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=39995&page=2

Where did I say he was the "chairman"? Can you substantiate your fabrication in here?

In fact he has been a member of Senate Foreign Relations for longer than 25 years, since before the Iran-Iraq war even began.

You wrote, "I know better than to continue trying to do anything resembling factual discussion with you"

"factual discussion"? Sure Q, sure. But first learn how to read, how to control your emotions, and how to refrain from falsifying people's statements. "Factual discussions" pishkesh.


samsam1111

Bijan!! Yes becareful about Ike!

by samsam1111 on

Are You in Houston?..I have cousins in San antonio & houston..is every body evacuating?..Good luck & Keep well!

Jamshid...Very true..Media is blind when it comes to facts that matter..


Q

I'm not puzzled at all...

by Q on

Bijan,

You are in good company if you are a former communist turned Neocon, many people have followed that path. Although you say you have abandoned it much earlier than other neocons. There are traits in common in the two philosophies.

In my experience people prone to extremist tendencies tend to be extremists even if they change positions 180 degrees. It's not about the issues, as it is about being a believer. A higher percentage of recent converts to Islam, for example, tend to be radicalized easier and faster, even CIA has acknowledged this. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows more than a few basically well-to-do upper class Iranian kids who didn't grow up religious, but turned radical with the revolution. Some of them changed their minds again later even becoming the opposite of their former selves, but they kept their dogmatic zeal.

but you can’t throw the foundation of this democracy into trash. Regardless of what a given administration has done, the foundation of democracy on which this nation is built is unshakable.

This sentence SOUNDS good, but I see absolutely no evidence for it. Quite to the contrary, fairly democratic systems can and have turned totalitarian very quickly, mostly as a result of external threats and nationalism. Weimar Republic, to name just one, was said to have been the most democratic system in the world until Hitler took over. Right here in this country there has been periods of fascism and near fascism including the post 9-11 period where many illegal acts by the Bush administration undermined constitutional rights. All due to war and "fear" of "threats".

Nobody wants that again, except perhaps neocons who are pro-war by definition, so your position is understandable.

"Integrity" is often a poor substitute for issues and an attempt to distract when losing on issues which are what democracy is really about. However, I'm curious as to why you think Obama does not have integrity? Did he dump his wife and start seeing a younger woman just because she was crippled from an accident due to stress of him being held prisoner? Was Obama part of a national money-laundering scandel like the Savings and Loans? Does Obama preach he "knows" what Americans wants and he knows how to fix the economy but does not know how many houses he owns? Did Obama denounce religious extremists as "agents of intolerance" on both right and left only to come crawling back to the ones on the right to pander? Is Obama's answer to every question: "I was a POW"? Does Obama's running mate think the world is 5000 years old?
What exactly do you mean by integrity?

PS. Bijan, as a complete aside, your initials (and your politics) match someone I have met with in Los Angeles, whom I heard recently works for a company that has an office in Texas. Did you use to live in LA and go by "John" at some point? John was a very nice and personable guy. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. (or you can email me : qumars@gmail)

Samsam: speaking of integrity. A little from you would be very nice. What you are referring to was an allegation in a WSJ opinion column that Obama camp sent 30 (not 300) lawyers(not journalists) to Alaska. So it was not a news item, but an opinion and one which is now exposed as false by FACTCHECK.ORG.
//www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccain-pal...

Again, just a little integrity would be nice. We're not asking for much! "vicious smear campaign" indeed!

jamshid: your allegations against Biden are completely false. He was not the chairman in the 80's and he did not approve any military assistance to Saddam. I know better than to continue trying to do anything resembling factual discussion with you, but just so everyone else knows, it's a lie. Your usual demonization ("IRI's favorite", according to what?) is more than laughable, given his cozy relationship with Israel and his vote to authorize the Iraq war. Plenty of republicans hold his exact views. I'm guessing if IRI had a vote, it would have been for Hillary. That's just a guess however as I have no proof of who IRI's favorite is, but unlike yourself, I am willing to admit this. Don't be such an obvious propagandist.


default

4 more years of the same, as the last 8

by Anonymous 77777777 (not verified) on

"No matter how sincere he may sound in his provocative speeches, the fact of the matter remains that he is anti-American. He (and his beloved) are simply pro-communism. I have had my share of love for communism and at this point in my life and my experience with contrast between democracy and communism I am willing to give my life to protect democracy and defeat communism".

Wow, would you consider to show facts to back your slogans and character assasinations of Obama?

Looks like you don't quite understand what communism means. Yes some naive and innocent young ones fell for that communism ideology which was a desperate utopian escape from reality and the facts, didn't they? (I like many, wasn't one of them and I too was young, several decades ago).

For many John McCain stands for 4 more years of the same, lies, incompetence and sacking of the country's treasury, ruining the economy, the deficit, just like the last 8 years, plus the extra bonus of more wars, more deaths and more destructions. And per John McCain's repeated statements and innuendos, Iran seems to be next in his list of "there's going to be more wars".

Do these not concern you?

If one asks the questions is this necessary, what happened to diplomacy (diplomacy usually doesn't mean demonizing a whole country and people, isolating and enforcing economic sanctions and with threats of attacking and bombing), is it in the interest of America, what will it do to the economy, what will it do to America's image internationally, will it hurt America politically, why not spend the money going to moving armies and attacking countries on better things? and the certain know it betters won't hesitate to try to discredit whoever asks these questions with the same false accusations (such as whoever asks these questions is anti-U.S., anti-freedom, anti-west, anti-good, anti-God, a liberal, a communist, etc.).

"He (John McCain) will make Cheney look like Gandhi" - and this from Pat Buchanan

Republicans and military men on John McCain:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w

p.s. Good luck with hurricane Ike to you and everyone else in Texas, hopefully everyone will be safe and there won't be any wounded or hurt.

May you always continue in improving your vision, as every year goes by.


American Wife

Good luck!

by American Wife on

We'll have you in our prayers.  Having been through many many hurricane evacuations myself living on the Southeast coast, I know what you're going through.


jamshid

Senator Obama and Biden

by jamshid on

When Obama picked Biden as VP, he took pride on his decision stating that Biden is a "foreign relations" expert. Let's take a look at this expertise, specifically as related to our country Iran: 

At a NIAC organized dinner, Biden invited IRI's "elected" (yeah right, elected) representatives to meet with members of US congress.

Not only this would legitimize Iran's illegitimate regime, it is also a slap on the face of all those who are fighting against this regime and for their most basic freedoms, and who are enduring untold hardship.

Biden was one of the only few Senators who voted against declaring Ghods (Pasdaran elite) as a terrorist organization. He also voted against the Missile Proliferation Sanctions Act, a bill that would punish companies selling high tech missile technology to the IRI.

As a show of good faith toward the IRI, in one of his staff meetings, Biden entertained the idea of sending the IRI a $200 million check.

Biden declared: "the world needs to address what is Iran's emotional needs with a nonaggression pact..."

Either Senator Biden does not know that Iranians' emotional needs revolve around human rights and their violated basic freedoms, or he was only referring to the IRI regime's emotional needs.

In 2002, despite protests by Iranian-American human rights activists, Biden attended a fund-raiser for his re-election at the California "home" of Sadegh Namzi. Does anyone know who Mr. Namazi is? The most important topic of discussion, besides his re-election, was finding ways to appease the regime in Iran.

This was another slap in the face of all those who are fighting for democracy and human rights in Iran.

By the way, this was not the only such fund-raisers. Biden’s election campaigns have always been helped by organziations that are serving as IRI fronts and lobbies in the US.

Mohsen Movaghar himself admitted to contributing $1000 to Biden's campaign. Who is Movaghar? Go read the list of board members of IMAN and you'll find out who he is. Same goes with Namazi. What is IMAN? It is another one of IRI fronts in the US.

It is no surprise to me that Biden is IRI's favorite Senator.

Does anyone in here doubts that the US-Iran tensions is considered the top "foreign relations" issue in the US? So is it safe to assume that Obama must have been aware of all these Biden activities prior to choosing him?

If yes, what does that tell you about Obama's views on the struggles of Iranians in Iran? If no, what does that tell you about Obama's judgment in selecting his staff?

P.S. Did I forget to say that Biden has been a member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the past 25 years? Do the math, where does that take us? To the Iran-Iraq war, of course.

Guess what committe would approve or reject US military aids to Saddam? I guess back then the IRI had not yet "learnt" how to buy Senators (read: lobby and campaign contributions). They sure learnt fast.

//obamareport.blogspot.com/2008/08/is-senator-biden-sympathetic-towards.html

You can also google these key words: Biden Islamic Republic

Pass the words. Feel free to copy and post any part of this comment anywhere you want.


Bijan A M

Don't mean to be rude

by Bijan A M on

But, we are forced to evacuate (due to Hurricane Ike) and I won’t be able to post anything in the next few days and probably week (going overseas on business on Monday) .

 

Samsam: Thank you for your comment. On this site, if you are not pro-Obama , you are automatically labeled as a neo-con. It doesn’t bother me. I know who I am and what I believe.  I have followed many of your blogs and comments and find myself in your camp almost all the times. I congratulate you for your civility in many of the uphill battles you have fought on this site over the times.

 

See you all in a while…..

 


samsam1111

Mr Bijan!

by samsam1111 on

Thanks for the blog and a note..Why would You call Yourself a "Neo -con" , being a name tag that liberal left has used with a negative load against pragmatist right? ..I myself being independent don,t like to be called one since it,s like calling common sense wether it comes from left or right as tilted..To me wether They are a Democrat or Republican, as long as They speak the truth & common sense , I am on their side..McCain & now Sarah haven,t failed the test yet & I doubt they will!!

Cheers! 

on a side note;

As John McCain has soared in the polls after picking Sarah Palin, the Obama campaign has engaged in a vicious smear campaign against her. the Wall Street Journal reports that 300 liberal left journalists have descended on Alaska in an effort to dig up dirt on her...Go figure!!

 


default

OBama more sensitive than Mccain??...

by kouroshkhan (not verified) on

Bijan Jan.

If there is anyone who can re-unite this nation and its people, it would be someone like obama who puts a lot less empahsis on defending the democracy through all the wrong channels. I think that advocating for social equality and protecting democracy have a very close relationship and go hand in hand.
To tell the truth, I wish that the organizers of these political conventions would give the light of day to other parties too, But since they did not and chances are that they won't anytime soon, Then i think we should grab onto a candidate whose ways and policies are as close we can get to socialism. I think we all can agree that when repulicans take charge, capitalism overplays its hands and things get a little bit bent out of shape.
Kourosh,
rooz o shab khosh.


sbglobe

I hope you change your mind

by sbglobe on

Bijan jan I like your predication “With all probabilities, Obama will be our next president”. However, I do not agree with what you think of Obama. I only hope by November you too come to realize that Obama is our only option (I do not mean to start a debate – if you are truly a McCain supporter and I am Obama supporter, there is nothing we can tell each other that we already do not know in order to change each other mind. So, it is best if we respectfully agree to disagree). But I tell you Sarah Palin scares me – the same way the “Islamic Fundamentalist” scare me. I think that is what Sarah Palin is a “Christian Fundamentalist” - I do not see any difference between her and Ahmadinejad (she says that Iraq war is/was God’s Task). So, I believe that McCain will loss and therefore Obama will win by default.  


American Wife

no no...

by American Wife on

dang written language sometimes!  I definitely was not implying that MY feelings were hurt...lol.  I was just being a little facetious about how misconceptions are formed.

How we love to discuss and argue politics! ("we" being all of us).

And I love witty sarcasm... I think the world needs more of it.  Everything doesn't HAVE to be so doom and gloom.  We all just start taking ourselves too seriously. 

I hope you're wrong about Obama.  I think that you are.  Only time will tell of course.  It's for sure that nobody is going to change anybody's mind here... just present your opinion and hope for a progressive discussion. 


Bijan A M

My dearest AW

by Bijan A M on

My most sincere apologies if any of my comments has any insulting tone in it. Blame it on my poor English for being sarcastic or attempting humor.

 

I think I responded to your concerns about facts in my previous note. I can’t give you video clips or publications on Obama’s communist tendencies. It is my personal opinion that he is not trustworthy to defend the foundation of democracy that this nation has been built on. He excites me beyond belief with his speeches. But, you know, I fell for those emotional, sweet and ideological talks once 30 years ago and gave up my land. I am a little more guarded this time around. That’s all.


American Wife

subtle difference between being communist and pro-communist?

by American Wife on

If you ARE distinguishing between the two, then I will as well.   Thank you for your calm explanation... it simply was misleading to me... :-)

But why, again specifically, are you saying this?  What stance... what directive... what position... has he held that you can pinpoint as being pro-communist or even a tendency towards same?  Or his wife.

You know something else... this is exactly where the accusations of name-calling, etc. could start.  Who's to say that "someone" won't come in here and accuse you (or me if I don't be careful...lol) of being insulting or abusive. 

Be afraid... be veeeeewy afraid....LOL

 


Bijan A M

Dear AW

by Bijan A M on

I never, ever , suggested that Obama's supporters are communists. Most, if not all Obama supporters  (in my opinion) are people of pure intentions and staunch supporters of democracy. What I stated is my opinion that Obama has had, and continues to have (in hiding) communist tendencies. What I meant by his beloved was his wife, not his supporters.

As far as presenting facts, I have nothing more than what you and everyone else knows about his past associates. I lost Obama when he first came out defending J. Wright and when political heat got out of hand he dumped the guy he worshiped for 20 years in a heart beat.

Past this juncture, I don't even care what he says or offers in terms of policy, or war, tax laws, social security, health care, etc.... I don't trust him or his boss (i.e. Michele Obama).

No offense, just one opinion. 


American Wife

Obama as anti-American

by American Wife on

Please state your facts supporting that comment.  In addition, please provide the basis for saying he (and his supporters) are pro-communism.  I'm a supporter and a born and raised American and would appreciate knowing how I'm being miseld.  For sure I've never thought of myself as a communist.  Opinions are one thing.  You've stated this as factual.