Brilliant post by Daniel Luban at Lobelog, demolishing neocon Charles Krauthammer's ideas about the Iranian protesters. Krauthammer says they seek American intervention to bring about "regime change"–"to bring down the tyrannical, misogynist, corrupt theocracy…"
Luban demonstrates that this is a transparently narcissistic projection (on the part of someone who studied psychology):
Constantly inclined to view foreign policy as a Manichean struggle
between light and darkness, the neoconservatives have never really been
able to grasp that anyone might be in the middle, and that the Iranian
or any other people might share some — but not all — of their goals.
Thus the assumption that if Iranians are repelled by the authoritarian
abuses of the their government, they must by the same token be secular,
pro-American, anti-political Islam, anti-Islamic Republic, and
clamoring for the United States to free them from their oppressors.
It
does not seem to occur to them that although many of the protesters may
be secular, many are devout Muslims; that although some may want to
overthrow the Islamic Republic, most respect its basic legitimacy; that
although most want to avoid confrontation and conflict with the West,
few are overflowing with admiration for America or Israel; that
although none want to instigate a regional nuclear holocaust, the vast
majority support nuclear power as a matter of national pride.
If Charles Krauthammer had bothered to ask anyone, he would have
learned that the reform movement is every bit as outraged by the
history of U.S. meddling as the Ahmadinejad supporters are–arguably
moreso, because they are well-educated, sophisticated people who
despise the neocolonialist condescension toward Iran that marked
American presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush.The failure to understand this basic fact–the failure to even care
what Iranians, even the Iranians who hate the regime, actually
think–is at the heart of the lethal carelessness that marked the Bush
Junior's Administration and neoconservative thinking in general.
Krauthammer is aptly named and so mechanically inhibited, his brain at one with his handicap. Why is this NARROW sick mentality given so much air space over the USA?
But Krauthammer's ideas appear in the Washington Post, whereas Luban and Kline are contstrained to the blogosphere. There's still a lot of work to be done.
And together with his brothers in spirit / fellow ideologues he managed to confused quite a few Americans, but not Daniel Luban. I liked this a lot. And I hope people don't fall for it.
Krauthhammer and the Neocons cannot think beyond "a Manichean struggle between light and darkness" because in their minds they are living within this struggle and therefore they are incapable of understanding that most of the world lives in the middle… I found this description to be very profoundly accurate: "…It does not seem to occur to them that although many of the protesters may be secular, many are devout Muslims; that although some may want to overthrow the Islamic Republic, most respect its basic legitimacy; that although most want to avoid confrontation and conflict with the West, few are overflowing with admiration for America or Israel; that although none want to instigate a regional nuclear holocaust, the vast majority support nuclear power as a matter of national pride…". This is exactly how I see the reality of a majority of the people's views on the ground in Iran …
The Sociopathic Psychiatrist on parade! "Doctor, Heal Thyself" Israel-first, dual-national AIPAC control of propaganda media. Extort, blackmail, & bribe. Federal Reserve promoting the 911 Scam ~
I think the Western right-wing commentators who shed a lot of crocodile's tears for the Iranian reform movement actually know damn well that these young Iranians are not the easily malleable natural allies they paint them as. If Mousavi had won, these same commentators would probably even now be busy decrying him as "Ahmadinejad lite" or something similar. But he didn't win, and the protests by his supporters are being suppressed, and this makes it incredibly convenient to hold them up as martyrs for a cause that is not theirs. Nothing is lost because we will never be required to follow through with more than vocal support for them – and condemning and isolating Ahmanidejad and "the Mullahs" has become so much easier.
Quality post, Phil. Don't know how I managed to miss this one yesterday. Luban's was a fine read. I especially liked this passage: [Krauthammer] does not mention the so-called “moderate” Arab states, perhaps because they shatter his “pro-democracy” pretext — after all, it would not do for the second Arab spring to sweep out Mubarak and bring in the Muslim Brotherhood. Nor does he mention the Palestinians outside of Hamas, but presumably they will at long last recognize themselves as a defeated people and acquiesce to whatever arrangement Israel sees fit to grant them. Political Islam is such a misunderstood concept here in the West, and the repression and oppression of al-Ikhwan (Muslim Brotherhood) in Egypt by the despotic Mubarak, America's stalwart ally, is long and brutal in nature. Luban's invocation of the MB in Egypt as a contextual example against Krauthammer's ignorance is a deft blow indeed.
" Krauthammer says they seek American intervention to bring about "regime change"–"to bring down the tyrannical, misogynist, corrupt theocracy…"" CIA intercepts have been decoded from the english to show that an unprecedented amount of candy and fresh flowers are being imported into Iran in expectation of an American invasion. Just like Iraq! And I'm sure the actions of America in Iraq makes Iranians almost frantic to receive the same treatment. Call it "The Mullah that Wailed"
Oh, that reminds me, which army is Krauthammer going to invade Iran with. Sure, there will be enough unemployed in America to raise a whole new Army, but that'll take a while, at least a year. But beating war drums for Iran, or the intervention tom-toms, whatever, is a great way to distract Americans from the disaster ensuing about them. I'm old, well over fifty, but you young folks, feel free. By all means, please go off to Iran and intervene. I'll keep the womens company while you're gone.
Case in point: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeq... "They go into the streets and face bullets, and I tell you, as somebody who believes deeply in democracy that you see the Iranian lack of democracy at work, and I think this better explains and best explains to the entire world what this regime is truly about." People going into the streets and facing bullets for their democratic rights… hmm…
Neither does "WE CAN" Obama mention the "moderate" Arab states as repressive or oppressive to their people….Only in anti-U.S.(therefore immoderate) Iran where women are highly educated, vote, participate in government, drive cars, and the list goes on….
LOL. I agree. The bad economy is good for recruitment, so good it's getting the US Army no longer has to keep lowering standards and issuing waivers to get fresh cannonfodder, although retention remains a problem. Bombing Iran would definitely help hide the failing economy, as the stimulus plan does not pan out.