A Tribute to My Friend, Michael Jackson

A beautiful tribute to a troubled and huge talent, but I can't help but think back on the work that Michael did to alleviate hunger and feel that he must be saying . . . "Hello!!! People???? IRAN needs you NOW. Celebrate Michael's gifts to the world but don't let that celebration give the Mullahs a moment of peace.
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Iran Updates (VIDEO): Live-Blogging The Uprising

A Peoples Revolution in Iran Calls for A Peoples Army of Support

Obama should Encourage Citizens of the World to Unite Around Iranian Freedom, creating a movement that draws its moral authority from free people everywhere.

President Obama has taken the right measured approach in this crisis. Not because we shouldn't be speaking out for the rights of Iran's citizens and for the rightness of transparancy and integrity within a system that claims the mantle of democracy, but because in the context of this crisis, governing institutions are irrellevant - even counter-productive to the debate.

The cadre of thugs controlling Iran - by virtue of a blatantly rigged election and the brutal suppression of their own citizens exercising what should be their right to demand redress - have relinquished their moral authority to speak for the people of Iran.

There is nothing to be gained and much to be lost if President Obama gives the Mullahs in Iran a reason to hang the US around the necks of protestors. This is why even those who have cried out for support in Iran have asked for INTERNATIONAL support not US support; and most simply agree that the US government should try not to become entangled in the crisis.

On the other hand, "we the people" are under no such constraints. The people of the world have been speaking out and will continue to so do. "We the People" DO have the moral authority to weigh in, where governments may not tread.

As we weigh in on the side of the people of Iran who yearn for real freedom, let us also not miss the other lessons that we can glean from this crisis:

1. Iran has a deep well of indigenous democratic thought. If thoughtful, honest and independent leaders emerge from this crisis, now or in the near future, Iran can be a central force for good in this troubled region of the world;

2. Democratic nations could be weighing in on the Community of Nations issue. Letting those who are on the fence in Iran know that under the right circumstances Iran could truly become a leader in the struggle for a more peaceful and democratic world.

3. Democracy cannot cohabitate with Theocracy. Any nation that views itself primarily based on a religious identity - Christian, Islamic, Buddhist or otherwise - will see Democratic thought and institutions poisoned by the toxic brew of theocratic intollerance and despotism in the guise of government.
About Iranian Election
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George Will: Right-Wing Attacks On Obama's Iran Response "Foolish Criticism" (VIDEO)

George Will has always been the "thinking person's conservative" and this commentary demonstrates why. However, for some of the neocons who have taken the position that Obama is not being forceful enough their rhetoric is far more insidious than merely "foolish", as this implies that they do not know what they are doing. I believe they know exactly what they are doing and, given the gravity of the danger to US interests inherent in their approach, it borders on sedition.



Paul Wolfewicz and his ilk are in large part responsible for the tar baby that is Iraq and now they seek to further entangle us in the quagmire of the Middle East.



There is always room for genuine disagreement on these matters, and President Obama has been criticized by those from both the left and the right, most of whom would fall into the "foolish comments" category. Not so the Neocons who once again would endanger the long term interests of the United States in order to advanced their own short term political objectives.
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The Supreme Leader's Gamble: Iran's Crisis Deepens

There are many lessons to be learned from the events in Iran. But one profound lesson is the toxic brew that results from mixing religion and democracy. It is not a democracy when any one religion holds authority over the government. Any group that views their country as a Christian or Moslem or Hindu or Buddist nation is a danger to the very notion of democratic republic. Iran will not truly be a democracy until the mullahs go back to the mosques.
About Middle East
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The Peacock


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Heroic Iranian Soldiers Stand up for Democracy & Dissent Share

Don't Assume Anything on Iran

It seems that nearly every hour some inspiring and facinating news manages to makes its way out of Iran to us. Anyone who assumes that the Iranian Military is unified will find it surprising to read this post from Nico Pitney's Blog:

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Nico's blog on Huffington Post
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3:45 AM ET -- Journalist defies the crackdown on foreign media. Via readers John, Pejman, and Colin: the pugnacious British reporter Robert Fisk witnesses a stunning scene in which Iranian soldiers keep a group of plainclothes paramilitaries away from Mousavi supporters:

In fact at one point, Mousavi's supporters were shouting 'thank you, thank you' to the soldiers.

One woman went up to the special forces men, who normally are very brutal with Mr Mousavi's supporters, and said 'can you protect us from the Basij?' He said 'with God's help'.

It was quite extraordinary because it looked as if the military authorities in Tehran have either taken a decision not to go on supporting the very brutal militia - which is always associated with the presidency here - or individual soldiers have made up their own mind that they're tired of being associated with the kind of brutality that left seven dead yesterday - buried, by the way secretly by the police - and indeed the seven or eight students who were killed on the university campus 24 hours earlier.

Quite a lot of policeman are beginning to smile towards the demonstrators of Mr Mousavi, who are insisting there must be a new election because Mr Ahmadinejad wasn't really elected. Quite an extraordinary scene.

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Ironing Day Adds Color to a Room


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Nico Pitney Discusses Covering The Iranian Election With Rachel Maddow (VIDEO)

No matter what the outcome of the next few days in Iran, the Genie is out of the bottle in Iran and the people of the country will continue to press for changes. 20 years ago - as with the Chinese in Tiananmen Square - the government could have hidden this and gotten away with it. Today, the citizen journalist will not be kept down (Time Magazine please note: My vote for person of the Year 2009 is the citizen journalist) for all of the drawbacks to having our reporting coming from people who are in the middle of the news stories, we can't avoid the truth that without the tools of web 2.0 and the young people who are using those tools to bring the uprising to us, we would all be in the dark. The fact that the state department asked Twitter to delay maintenance work on the website speaks volumes for its value.



President Obama has handled the crisis brilliantly. Stand up for democracy and human rights - stand down on the personalities and the specifics of the uprising, lest they be tarred as puppets of the west. It's really political science 101 though some pretty high ranking US political leaders seem to have been out drinking during that class (take note Sen McCain and Rep Pence).
About Rachel Maddow
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