Roya Hakakian, World Affairs Daily:
[…] today’s democratic forces in Cairo’s Tahrir Square can learn from the democratic forces in Tehran’s Azadi Square in 1978. Nations and their distinct histories are not interchangeable. But movements striving for common democratic goals have consistently exchanged the lessons of their struggles to inform and warn their comrades elsewhere against pitfalls. Here are some of the errors Iran’s democratic forces (to use the term loosely and generously) made in 1978, in the weeks leading to the fall of the Shah:
(1) They blindly embraced a union with the religious opposition, having been perfectly disarmed by them. When the Ayatollah said that he had no political ambitions, and that, once the Shah was gone, his only wish was to hunker down with a Koran at a seminary in Qom, everyone believed him. When he spoke against the violations of human rights in Shah’s prisons, the intellectuals called him their homegrown Gandhi brand. When he talked of gender equality and women’s rights, he was hailed unequivocally as if he’d been the heir to Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. In short, before its rise to power, the religious opposition, headed by the Ayatollah, told Iranians what they wished to hear and Iranians believed what they were told.
(2) The few who were smart enough not to believe the Ayatollah made the common mistake smart people often make — underestimating the intelligence of others. They were confident that they could outmaneuver the Ayatollah. The Western-educated, stylishly-suited secular leaders assumed themselves far too sophisticated to be outwitted by the plainly-dressed provincial clerics.
(3) They did not realize that keeping the movement peaceful and nonviolent was detrimental to keeping themselves relevant and credible. Once the army had opened fire and the first victims had fallen, the religious co-opted the movement. The seculars had no substantive plans for retaliation or political comeback in light of a military attack. But the shedding of blood was the cue for the religious to enter the stage and move into the spotlight. When it came to death, the religious had a full lexicon and complete repertoire of rituals to balance the strategic shortcomings of their secular counterparts. After all, death and all of its conceptual by-products, chiefly martyrdom, had historically been their proverbial bread and butter, the spring of their livelihood.
(4) They became overambitious and gave into globalistic hubris with the first small tactical victories. Freedom for Iranians, employment and education for the youth, or the implementation of civil liberties were no longer enough. Uncle Sam and his bastard child, Israel, had to also be uprooted. Once they shifted their focus from domestic issues, they had empowered the religious once again. Within months after the fall of the Shah, Iraq attacked Iran and the Ayatollah dragged the nation into a decade of destruction because, he argued, the quickest way to annihilating the world’s two greatest evils was through conquering Baghdad en route to Jerusalem. Tehran, and its residents, did not satisfy the grand agenda.
(5) They made concessions on issues that they had to remain uncompromising about. Instead of remaining wholly committed to the pursuit of their dreams, they made compromises and bought into piecemeal, gradual, interim dreams. To successfully overthrow the monarchy and protect against its return, women were told to defer their demands for equal rights. If attorneys questioned the mistreatment of the religious minorities, say the Bahai, they were accused of being unpatriotic at a time when the nation, a brand-new republic, was too tender to withstand criticism.
In short, the religious opposition was too smart to be outwitted by the secular. It made no claim to power until it had fully seized it — a quest fueled by bloodshed and extraterritorial ambitions. And it began its encroachment on the rights of the majority by first denying and encroaching upon the rights of the most marginal and vulnerable Iranians.
These are a few of the painful lessons of a movement that was derailed, a movement that is still ongoing. May they, in their own small way, help light the way of the Egyptians in their own struggle for freedom.
Bah.
FASTER! For freedom!
Why are you against freedom, Jeff? Do you hate brown people?
I suspect you’re being unhelpful again. Your place in the re-education camp is ready and waiting for your arrival.
Dear Egyptian non-Islamists,
Get guns. Lots of guns.
v/r
LTC John
According to leading puppet psychologist Dr. Gary Wisniewski, violence has grown increasingly common in the puppet world. “Puppets have very limited free will,” said Wisniewski, whose clients include such celebrity puppets as Howdy Doody and X the Owl. “They are controlled by strings or by a human hand, and are continually forced to mouth the words of others. In addition, their environment is limited to the small, cramped puppet-theater stage. As a result, many puppets develop deep feelings of helplessness, anger and frustration, feelings that can very easily lead to violence.”
“Obama’s 1979” Victor Davis Hanson.
In other words, this Persian hoochie cumslut should shut her mouth and defer to you, because you want FREEDOM, and she’s clearly not all in just yet. The cuntbag.
Is that about it?
VDH hates freedom.
Or at least, he doesn’t like it as much as happy. You can tell: only one of them is saying the Right Things.
Persian hoochie never knew the rules hung down with the freaks and the ghouls
Hey, Jeff. I understand your problemns with idiots, but I am getting sick and tired of putting my passwotrd in eveery time I edit my posts.
You ARE STILL THE MAN, and I thank you for all you do. When my ex-wife runs out of her prescription drugs and dies, I will send youi her alimony. Until then, we are screwed
The Western-educated, stylishly-suited secular leaders assumed themselves far too sophisticated to be outwitted by the plainly-dressed provincial clerics.
Obama always figures he’s the smartest person in the room.
This will work, this time cuz he’s smarter than even the “nucular engineer*” Jimmy Carter.
Heh.
As I’ve been saying, in ME politics there is a rule that has stood since antiquity; “the enemy of my enemy, is my friend”.
The Iranian secularists followed that maxim and threw in with the religious types, and were played like useful idiots. It’s of a kind with the way the communists treated the intelligentsia following the Russian revolution in the early part of the 20th century. It’s what all of the useful idiots on the modern left in America don’t realize would happen to them if the ever succeeded in “the revolution” they want to bring about here…
They too mouth the empty platitudes regarding “freedom” and “democracy”, which in part is why they are drawn in such a knee-jerk way to tell us just how harmless the Muslim Brotherhood is.
This article perfectly spells out why there needs to be a peaceful, orderly, managed transition in Egypt; and yes, it should be run by the Egyptian military if necessary, since they are the group that the west, and specifically the US, are on the best terms with and have the most influence over.
Just about any other scenario invites the MB to do the same thing Khomeni and Co. did in 1979…
what if the American people might could have liberty but they knew there was a not insignificant danger that they might elect a marxist cocksucker hell-bent on bankrupting the country, destroying jobs, and forcing people to buy shit they don’t want with money they don’t have?
What if a couple thousand Americans showed up in the Mall in DC and demanded Obama leave? Would CNN be agitating for a peaceful turnover of power from Obama to…whomever. We’ll let you know once the dick is out.
Hosni Mubarek can even go on Egyptian TV and tell Obama to hurry his black ass up, the people have spoken and they want freedom now!
Obama is speaking. Shhh. He’s going to solve this thing right now so that he can watch the SuperBowl in peace.
A man needs his weekend.
yes the people united will never be divided
“transition process must begin now.” See? Obama has a busy weekend, so let’s get this bitch done.
Bob, I submit that we should be paying attention to one of the “Seven Habits of Highly Successful Pirates”:
Because we don’t know that my enemy’s enemy is my friend until they actually do something besides killing the mutual enemy that threatens us both. See Stalin, Josef. See also Yalta.
It’s an ancient and storied civilization, he reminds us. So hurry the fuck up and switch it to whatever. I’ve got a date with some gourmet hot wings.
For freedom!
This.
VDH says it so much more concisely than I (as if that’s any surprise!).
That rings true SDN.
Is she really a hoochie cumslut?
Do you, um…. have her number?
This will end so poorly that Yemen is going to see emigation.
In the breech, Lt. C. John has some salient advice.
http://newsflavor.com/politics/world-politics/white-house-insider-obama-is-clueless-totally-clueless/
It’s that unnamed source again, but…
My last post has been thrown in jail.
FREEDOM!
Dear Egyptian non-Islamists…
I hear Israel is nice this time of year.
What? The no Jews thing?
Ok…the “non-islamist” thing only goes so far. Got it.
How about…
Cairo -> Mexico City -> Nuevo Laredo -> Laredo, TX -> and…you’re in.
And don’t worry about your passports.
Good news? It’s easy.
Bad News: You need to learn Spanish and we have lots’a Jews.
Good News: The Spanish will also be handy in the US, and it’s a big place. The Jews are spread out.
So we’ve decided to prioritize speedy over orderly? Do I have that right?
Or can Hosni announce the forthcoming formation of a yet to be named panel to study the transition issue and make recommendations for future action by a transition committee? Would that be good enough for hot buttered waffles?
President Hot Buttered Waffles.
It’s catchy, Ernst.
;^)
The Western-educated, stylishly-suited secular leaders assumed themselves far too sophisticated to be outwitted by the plainly-dressed provincial clerics.
Huh. Sounds like the Tea Party may get the upper hand after all.
VDH on the lastest Ricochet podcast (#55, which also features Harry Shearer of The Simpsons) said that the reason we support secular dictators over letting ME people do the self-rule thing is that we don’t like what they want their self-rule to be: stoning adulterers, burkas, lopping off the hands of theives…
Both segments (Shearer and VDH) are pretty good.
“According to leading puppet psychologist Dr. Gary Wisniewski, violence has grown increasingly common in the puppet world. “
Oh bullshit. Them puppets have always been a rowdy bunch. Early part of the second millennium, why, the puppet crusades were positively gruesome.
It’s so easy to get desensitized though.
…which also features Harry Shearer of The Simpsons…
Simpsons? Maybe.
But you had me at A Mighty Wind, sir.
Naked & buttered.
Then For Your Consideration…
…And now w/ VDH? And your comments on the agenda setting, make believe media?
You can stop now Harry.
Your work is done. Rest.
We will deface/chisel a sacred Mayan statue until it looks kinda like you.
Rest.
The Lost Dog? Wassup!
M’chelle has been waiting for me for 15 minutes. I really don’t want to piss her off.
the people in charge:
link
“Like Ann Althouse, I find Beck’s delivery hard to take.”
the instapundit and the madison cutie ain’t putting there lives on the line either. tenure has smugthing.
VDH always has to put an historical spin on things to set his writing apart from the usual writers of history. It may hurt to listen to Glenn Beck, but he is mostly right, in that shallow, short sighted, end of the pool. I still say this thing will die out when the food runs low and the protesters start risking life to be on the streets. I wonder what President Obama will tell the leadership of Egypt when the protests die down. We won’t be getting many favors from Egypt anytime soon.
“It may hurt to listen to Glenn Beck, but he is mostly right, in that shallow, short sighted, end of the pool. ”
why the condescension attitude of the “ruling class”? is what beck is saying true or not? why be an asshole? so is ezra klein a fucking rocket scientist like algore?
Completely OT, Palin is on her game at the Reagan Centennial. On the Delta Smelt: “Where I come from, we call that bait.” On the Porkulus: “The only thing it stimulated was the Tea Party.” She’s rocking.
I’ve been listening to Reagan speeches all day. Not many national conservatives who might run for President talk like he did: Palin, Bachmann, and maybe Fred Thompson, are some of the very few who spring to mind.
When National Review is starting to push Jeb Bush, and Ann Coulter wants Chris Christie to run, and some conservative talk hosts are trying to pitch a remade Mitt Romney, I’d say we’re fucking doomed. These new conservatives are all Bush 43 Republicans; no wonder they try to marginalize Palin and Bachmann…
nr – Muslim socialism has been around for a long time. There have been many attempts in the past to unite the brotherhood of Muslim nations in the past several decades. As bad as this violence is, it is nothing compared to the past. Maybe this is the one that succeeds, but history is against it.
“She’s rocking.”
jen rubin is fretting
Shahpour Bahktiar’s career & fate is going to be on the mind of whoever takes Mubarak’s place.
“Muslim socialism has been around for a long time. ”
islam is a totalitarian ideology.
“We’re no longer the manufacturing powerhouse we once were, we’re no longer the creditor nation we once were, we’re deeply and dangerously in debt.”
Re regulation: “If you enter a marathon with 20lb weights on your ankles, you’re going to lose.”
She may not be the President any time soon, but I’ll be damned if she isn’t an outstanding messenger. She gets it, and this is a very excellent speech. She’s on fire, and she’s delivering.
Sadly, no cupcakes.
If she runs, she’ll probably lose, but I will sure as hell vote for her. The hootchie. She fucking gets it.
What channel or url, Pablo?
I remember that everybody thought Reagan was crazy. I really was inspired by his straight up calling the Soviet Union and friends what they were. I can’t think of any current Republicans who are willing to stand as he did.
“The Gipper once put it: I’m not a great man, I just believe in great ideas.”
Fox Right-Wing Propaganda Channel, of course. But it will go viral, so don’t fret. And, it’s over, so find it later.
Thanks.
Nasser was a strange blend of socialism and arab nationalism. He caused severe headaches for the world, with the Soviet Union’s backing. He shut down the canal and tried to engage in a war of attrition with Israel. Those darn sneeky Jews took away his toys in 67.
I think I need a red velvet cupcake before I can assess all of this. For Freedom!!!!
If she runs, she’ll probably lose, but I will sure as hell vote for her. The hootchie. She fucking gets it.
If she gets it, and enough people get that she gets it, how can she lose?
I’m of a mind that the Six Day War was the best war ever. Do not fuck with the Jews was the message very clearly sent.
Hate, and there’s plenty of it. Here, even.
If she’s the choice that’s not an echo, how can she lose?
Strike her down in the electoral returns and she’ll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
(Just ask master Goldwater)
mr.pablo?
sarah’s speech was good? how to see it?
The strangest thing about the 67 war is that there seems to be no desire among the top leaders of Israel to take Jerusalem. If you read the notes from the ground commanders it seems like it just happened. Of course, taking the high ground is pretty basic.
Palin can win the office of President if she is smart enough to remain one of the common folk and a sophisticated speaker on national and international issues. It is very hard to do both.
If she gets it, and enough people get that she gets it, how can she lose?
But will they get it? The MBM filter is damned unicorny. Bullshit goes in one side and skittles and rainbows pop out the other. Yet, any classical liberalisms and Reagany goodness going into the filter comes out all farty and smelly for the low information voters.
We need to quit feeding the unicorny MBM filter and take to doing the heavy lifting ourselves. I’ve pointed it out before, but emails and simple pamphleteering like Paine did is much more effective to bypass the filter.
Whoever you decide to support, I suggest you go on the offensive and take to the emails, facebook and printing press yourself. Evangelize that there are solutions being supported by your candidate and maybe some more voters/friends will be swayed.
It ain’t for nothing that personal contact means more than US bulk mailings to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons even if you do answer the door in your skivvies at 8 am on a Saturday.
Two years from now “sophisticate” and its variants may very well have joined “intellectual” and “elite” in the lectionary of faintly praiseful maledictions. Palin needs to remain a hedgehog. If only to vex the foxes.
I’ve yet to see Palin make a big mistake. The fact that the MSM hate her is proof of that. I don’t know if it is calculated (can’t be), or just plain instinct. I try to dismiss her, but can only look at the current crop of people running this country and say why not.
Two years is a long time. Maybe somebody else will rise to the occasion, but I doubt it.
Palin is pretty gosh darn flawless this is why she should be president.
oh hey look skittles
Feets – Where would Palin be without you?
freedom!
Free-dom isn’t free. Although, many cities erect free domes for their local sport franchise. Thank God I’m a Cub fan. I never have to worry about new stadiums or playoffs.
they should call it expensivedom
Expensivedom has no zing. We need a shovel-ready peoplesdome.
That was you? I’m sorry.
Obama, He’s determined to be on the “right” side of this issue come hell or high water. Dancing the days away.
geoffb – Unfortunately, Obama didn’t have to shovel his driveway for three days as he isn’t from Chicago anymore. I wonder if he has ever done any manual labor? I wish I could have community organized people to clear the snow.
Around here we call them good neighbors.
That was you? I’m sorry.
S’ok. I just realized why my male UPS driver insists I sign for packages that the female driver usually leaves by the door. Blondeside* strikes again.
*Blondeside is what happens when you do something that you realize really should be the punchline of a blonde joke.
I was blondesided the other day when…
Here.
From geoffb’s link, Hillary:
Heh. the ironies. A gap between people and their governments.
That’s a problem in Egypt. Here? Not so much, because we just can’t understand what our brilliant (overpaid) overlords are doing.
As Nancy flew jets hither and thither, eating chocolate covered strawberries and crown royal on our dime.
Yes, let’s focus our criticism on the manner in which the Egyptian aristocracy screws it’s people.
They had a better way with words, back in the day.
Wretchard is good here on Egypt both in the post and in comments. He includes an excerpt and link to Hillary Clinton’s remarks at her “first ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review”.
“Smart Power”, Community Organizing the World.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP4wh7ebS40
Palin on YouTube
even if you do answer the door in your skivvies at 8 am on a Saturday.
The only way I’m answering the door at 8 in the damn morning on a Saturday is with a hail of shotgun pellets for waking me up, repeating deranged zombie-like demands for “coffeeeee… cooofffeee”.
Since when is begging to smooch the lined-up asses of the many who fear and resent America “renewing … alliances, forging … partnerships and elevating diplomacy” I’m wondering.
For what it’s worth:
Silver Whistle, if you’re around, I’m wondering how much attention this story is getting over there. Beyond the press, are normal people talking about it?
Sorry, bh, I’ve just seen your post. I’ve been lying out on soggy hillsides waiting for Charlie the Fox all weekend. It’s nice to be warm and dry again.
This story has been covered by the starboard side print media, but I’ve heard bupkis on Minitrue; not read anything on lefty blogs or the Guardian either. Therefore I must conclude that it never happened, and you are a running dog imperialist lackey for pushing this propaganda.