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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elroy who wrote (246002)	8/15/2005 4:13:17 AM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1584598

Your article appears to confirm my view of the majority of Iranians being pro-American. It does? That's not my take.......not with quotes like this one: "In front of the mosque where Mr. Ahmadinejad prays every Friday, the perspective on the US as "Great Satan" is manifest by a large American flag painted on the street, where it is daily trampled upon. "I painted it to confront despotism and authoritarianism," says Saleh, the bearded law student who put it there two years ago. "We know the identity of America. We know what is behind the screen."" A poll secretly commissioned by a parliamentary committee in 2002 found that nearly two-thirds of Iranians supported détènte. And that's a surprise why? Often many people of a country want detente with their enemies, not a war. That was true of Americans and Iraq. Nonetheless, there were hardliners in this country who wanted to invade Iraq. And there are hardliners in Iran who support the new president. Americans are constantly greeted by Iranians on the streets with handshakes, kisses, and hugs. Declarations of warmth toward the American people are just as common. And then you say I read the same thing here......that one of the reasons was as you describe above. However, another reason given was that they liked he would take a hard line with the US. How can 2/3rds support better relations with the US (detente), and the majority support a harder line with the US? Your article and your conclusion appear to state the opposite. There could be a million reasons.....the way the poll was worded, where the poll was taken, who was the constituency that made up the poll, what was the bias of the poll taker, etc. Besides, you're assuming that a hard line and detente do not overlap. I can easily see many people opting for both and not seeing the distinction you see. And furthermore this is just one article with one writer's view. I have read several different articles with very different POVs. Its very hard to determine where the Iranians are in all of this. The ones I have met in this country are very nice but very guarded. Besides, they may love Americans and hate Bush.........foreigners always seem to make that distinction between Americans and their gov't. Freudian slip? Did you mean our government, or have you already moved to Canada? I have no idea what your point is. Read the two articles I mentioned.......you might not be so convinced of your position. I'm convinced that most Iranians would prefer to be aligned with the US than opposed to it, would prefer to practice the level or Islam that they choose rather than the one that is forced upon them by their crusty old leadership, and would prefer an election where every candidate were allowed to run rather than only those approved by the mullahs. I don't need "article" to convince me of those three things, the last two are just common sense. Fine. YOu seem to forget that in 1979, it was a people inspired movement that led to the removal of the Shah and the installation of the Ayatollah Khoumeini who at the time was in exile in Paris. Nonetheless, believe what you want to believe. In the meantime, I will keep an open mind. Can I do that without harassment from you? What do you think - the average Iranian feels he is incapable of friendship with Americans, is incapable of determining for himself how to practice his religion and is incapable of selecting his own candidate? I think Iranians are people just like you and me. I think the US presense in Iraq causes them some fear. I know it would me. Beyond that, I am unclear what the Iranians think and must depend on the interpretation of writers. And in several cases, I have read that the Iranians elected the current guy because they wanted someone to stand up to Bush. On the contrary, those crusty old men think they are achieving Iran's manifest destiny just as our crusty old men think that's what they're doing for America. I would wager a bet that neither is doing what they think they are doing. The difference is our crusty old men were chosen by us. Their crusty old men are disliked by their population. If they weren't disliked, they wouldn't have to ban 99% of the candidates (put two and two together for once)! Why don't you learn to stop telling me what to do. I repeat to you that the people put into power the current theocracy in Iran. There is a strong component of religious conservatism in the Iranian people. Go read about the Islamic revolution. If the people so hate the ayatollahs, why don't they overthrow them like they did the Shah in 1979? Of course, you are wrong..........as you have been from day one about me.........in fact, you don't have a clue where I am. I could go back and find it, but didn't you advocate letting Iran enter the nuclear weapons club and attempt to convince them to moderate their extremist views through greater interaction with them? Yes, I did. I can't imagine what I was thinking. After reading your comments, it seems starting a war is far more practical. Of course we can't dance with them in public, it's illegal. We can't suggest an open discussion of views which differ from the mullah's views in their nation, they have no free press. Yeah, right. I think its time for you to go do your homework. First read up about the Islamic Revolution and then imagine an Iran that is religiously conservative and what that means for the religiously conservative in this country. Then write a four page paper on the topic. Be prepared to do a presentation on your paper next Monday.