Parting Ways With #IranElection

This blog to date has been actively supporting the uprising in Iran. We have done so, motivated by the conviction that any trouble sending the regime off its nuclear collision course with history, can only be a good thing. Another motive was based on the off chance that a Jeffersonian democracy might actually spring up on Cyrus the Great's real estate. This seems more unlikely by the day.

Neocon scholar and author Francis Fukuyama published an article this week in the Wall Street Journal, "Iran, Islam and the Rule of Law". It is giving fuel to an impression, gathered from the various commentaries on Twitter and elsewhere on the Internet: there seems to be no awareness at all among the activists of a very crucial point; namely, that if the current Islamofascist regime is replaced by a softer version - or by a Leftist one for that matter - the result will not be freedom, but the replacement of one oppressive collective with another.

Make no mistake - it is not Leftism or Rightism that defines freedom - both do not. Neither does some watered down, culturally determined form of 'democracy' based on inequality among groups (related to gender, race, religion or otherwise). The pre selection of candidates in accordance with the ruling elite's idea of political correctness does also not constitute a free democracy.

Relativists among us tell us not to expect Jeffersonian democracies to blossom everywhere around the globe. They assure us that democracy is merely a sort of general recipe, and that the end result is to be determed by racial, religious, historical or cultural considerations.

Implied in this is a preunderstanding that, whatever the outcome, we will accept this entity as a 'democracy' or that at least, that we will consider it morally equivalent to a democracy.

Spoken like a true nominal relativist: the Left have performed this labelling trick before: in the German Democratic Republic and in the political abomination known as Social Democracy. In their book the prefix 'democratic' makes it synonymous with the real thing, a clear case of Orwellian double speak!

Those who look beyond labels know that what constitutes freedom, are individual rights, rather than the temporary privileges bestowed on subjects by the state. That said, it helps a great deal in establishing the state of freedom if rights are derived from God or Nature, placing them well beyond reach of the long arm of the state, whose temporary privileges can be revoked at a moment's notice.

While this blog will continue to endorse regime change in Iran, I believe the time has come to part ways with the revolutionary forces of the green wave. Sadly there's this tendency to turn against the western allies at the drop of a hat. The capitalism versus socialism dualism is never far of. Religionism is good at confusing their heavenly collective with a temporal one. I wish them God's speed and loads of wisdom. 

We will also continue to translate Afshin Ellian's posts, which often contain important inside news from the region - as it does today. 

The Iranian regime is more dangerous than North Korea

Yesterday the assassination of Neda Agha Soltan was commemorated in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Rasht, Mashhad, Tabriz, Sari. The young philosophy student [ed. who might have been a Christian* (click the link for an enlarged image)] was shot in broad daylight before the eyes of the world.

Other students who were killed by the regime were also commemorated. In Behshte-Zahra thousands of citizens were gathered for this purpose. Later on they were abused by the troops of the Ayatollahs and dispersed. Also on Wanak Square the regime acted harshly against innocent civilians. Shots have been heard.

But not everyone is engaged in rallying for the cause of freedom. Some solely occupy themselves with money and treasure.

This week state controlled media reported that 18,5 billion dollars have been confiscated by the Turkish Government. They were forced to disclose it, because Turkish TV had beat them to it. The Turkish PM remarked that in these times of crisis help is forthcoming from the 'invisible world', in this case the Islamic Republic Iran.

Take note: Turkish customs confiscated an unknown number of trucks in which 11 billion dollars worth of gold bullion and 7,5 billion dollar in bank notes had been loaded.  (...) Iranian state media reported the treasure belongs to the Iranian business man, Ismail Safarian.

Which business man in the world owns 11 billion dollars worth of gold bullion? Which business man in the world carries bank notes by the truck load? If it's true, this money belongs to a state or a state-person who wishes to transfer capital abroad for fear it might not be safe if left in the country. This is ironic, because the last Shah of Persia also transferred 15 billion dollars abroad before he was forced to leave.

Another explanation is that this money was earmarked for the reinforcement of terrorism. What do I mean? The Islamic regime must divert attention away from the situation in the region. Tehran made a deal with the Obama administration in the runup to the elections [sic]: in exchange for the American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi a number of Revolutionary Guard members were released from Iraqi jails. (...)

- Cartoon: Cox and Forkum - 

The guardists got a hero's welcome in Tehran. They were arrested a few years ago for terrorist activities. Five of them were so-called diplomats. Actually they were officers of the Revolutionary Guard who got themselves arrested in Arbil (Iraqi Kurdistan).

Now the situation has changed again. Creating unrest will shift attention to other areas and if the Americans plan to take counter measures, that would also be welcomed as a diversion. At this stage we don't know what the purpose of the money was. What we do know, is that the Revolutionary Guard is more active outside Iran's borders than in the past.

Terrorism and the Iranian regime are two sides of the same coin. Every year much treasure is funneled to southern Lebanon, Hamas, Iraq, the Gulf states and also Sudan. Iran has allies and friends in almost all Arab states. Taking hostage innocent civilians is a method by which Tehran negotiates with other countries, especially Western ones. During the 80s on the orders of Tehran the Lebanese Hezbollah held scores of Westerners hostage. After years of negotiations between the UN and Rafsanjani they finally were released.

Europe also needs to be on the alert. The regime has a vast network of spies and intelligence people at its disposal in Europe. If cornered, they can get exceedingy aggressive.

That is why I keep hammering on the need for the West to support the democratic movement in Iran. This regime is extremely violent and dangerous. Even more so than North Korea. Iran has funds, whereas North Korea has not.

Iran also has regional and international ambitions that North Korea lacks. North Korean leaders just want to survive. The danger of the Islamic state would increase exponentially if those in power have a number of nuclear devices at their disposal.

The transfer of billions of dollars abroad, whatever its purpose, should convince anyone that things are getting pretty serious indeed.


* It has been reported on Atlas Shrugs that on an original photo Neda Soltan is wearing a crucifix; curiously it was later cropped out of existence. It occured to me that the Cross may also be a Zoroastrian symbol. It may have merged with the Christian Cross in Roman times; many Roman soldiers appeared to have converted to Mithraism, a Zoroastrian off shoot.