So the Iran elections are in the news big time, it is indeed fascinating to watch the large crowds of people gathering in the protests. Large protests can be a great exercise in the power of the people, but they can also be a highly effective propaganda tool. I hope that what is happening in Iran will lead to more power in the hands of the Iranian people. I have been fascinated by a number of aspects of the western response to it, ranging from people declaring their support for the protests to calls for military action. How many people making these calls really know anything about the people they are supporting?

Our very own 2004 presidential election was also prematurely called by a politicized government body we call “Supreme”: the Supreme Court. Bush v. Gore stopped the vote recounts and declared Bush president on a 5-4 party line vote, with the dissenting opinion saying that the Supreme Court should not have even taken the case. Yet we continually represent Iran’s Supreme Leader as some sort dictator. It seems that is a convenient way to represent the Axis of Evil, but the reality is different. It turns out that Iran’s assembly can recall the Supreme Leader, which some people are saying that Rafsanjani is trying to do.

I have no claims to understanding Iranian politics and that is exactly my point. I also believe that we should not be involved, especially considering what the U.S. has done. We are directly responsible for killing Iranian democracy, installing Iranian fascists and Nazis to power, and bringing back the Shah, a true tyrant. If you want to more, read about the CIA’s Operation Ajax in 1953.