Change Iran at the Top
New York Times / Roger Cohen
30-Dec-2009 (4 comments)

It has come to this: The Islamic Republic of Iran killing the sons and daughters of the revolution during Ashura, adding martyrdom to martyrdom at one of the holiest moments in the Shiite calendar.

Nothing could better symbolize Iran’s 30-year-old regime at the limit of its contradictions. A supreme leader imagined as the Prophet’s representative on earth — Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s central revolutionary idea — now heads a militarized coterie bent, in the name of money and power, on the bludgeoning of the Iranian people. A false theocracy confronts a society that has seen through it.

The emperor has no clothes.

Still, let us give this theocracy credit. It has brought high levels of education to a broad swathe of Iranians, including the women it has repressed. In a Middle East of static authoritarianism, it has dabbled at times in liberalization and representative governance. It has never quite been able to extinguish from its conscience Khomeini’s rallying of the masses against the shah with calls for freedom.

The result, three decades on from the revolution, is precisely this untenable mix of a leadership invoking transplantation from heaven as it faces, with force of arms and the fanaticism of militias, a youthful society far more sophisticated than the death-to-the-West slogans still unfurled.

Nowhere else today in the Middle East does anything resembling the people power of Iran’s Green movement exist. This is at on... >>>

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Fred

Ever the eagle eye John

by Fred on

You are just too sharp and detail oriented to pull the wool over your eyes.

Spotting who has posted this clueless Roger opinion is proof enough. Keep up the good work..


John

Clueless Fred strikes again

by John on

Fred, I find it so interesting how you continually post Roger Cohen articles that are intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, honest and true, and then you try to imply that Cohen doesn't know what he's talking about.  You would do better in your proselytizing if you were to not post these articles, because the articles inform all of us of the truth which you are attempting to conceal and deny.


MOOSIRvaPIAZ

Arrogant AND clueless Fred

by MOOSIRvaPIAZ on

I see Roger has touched a nerve there.

 

 


Fred

Clueless Roger

by Fred on

Clueless Roger is backtracking like only clueless Roger can. To realize the incredible degree of his own cluelessness he should take a look at his previous writings on how solid Islamist Rapist Republic is.

Or perhaps he should reread his favorite lobbyist’s PhD thesis/book on Iran to see/realize where he got all his wrong info from.