Iran's Gen X
According to the CIA factbook, the median age in Iran is 27, which is relatively young (in the U.S. the median is 36.7, in the UK 40.2, Russia 38.4, China 34.1, and France 39.4). Young, and evidently willing to die in order for their votes to be counted. That's quite a stark contrast with the U.S., where in 2000 the presidential election was clearly stolen and, notwithstanding a few scattered murmurs of disapproval, nobody actually did anything about it.
Although it's now reasonably obvious that Ahmadinejad cooked the numbers it's not quite so clear that he had to do so in order to win. In any case, for two good write-ups, see Robert Fisk and Pepe Escobar. Also, I'm inclined to disagree with former intelligence analysts who predict that nothing much will change and that Ahmadinejad will consolidate his power. But how far the unrest may go remains to be seen...
Posted by George Kenney on June 16, 2009 3:54 PM 
« Ug99 | Main | He May Be Toast »
Comments
I too was appalled by the lack of concern over both — no all last three elections. So much was this the case that I became an election official.
The complacency in US is beyond belief. What do people actually think protest is: writing a terse email?
Word: Nobody cares about your emails. I still send hand prepared faxes to the Washington office of my Congressional rep. though.
Thanks George for the book info on Family Of Secrets. I'm just over half way in it.
Posted by: loninappleton | June 16, 2009 11:22 PM
Without wrapping my beret in tinfoil, I have serious doubts after reading about the connections between Mousavi and the Iran-Contra affair.
Could the unrest be less driven by popular anger at a stolen election and more by the CIA and Mossad? I think we have to consider the possibility at least.
[I'd seen the second link, but am unsure about its reliability. In any case, assuming a convergence of forces — and it would be more a surprise if everybody kept their hands off — one still must give the Iranian protesters their due. g.]
Posted by: Charles D
|
June 17, 2009 10:16 AM
All this talk of Mousavi being a CIA agent and that Iranian protests are engineered by CIA/Mossad is ridiculous.
We have to understand that there may be genuine grievances, genuine anger against Autocratic regimes. Not everything that happens in the world is engineered by or manipulated by Western Intelligence Agencies.
In fact, those who spread rumors like Mousavi and protesters are on CIA payroll are imagining that CIA/Mossad are super human. Those who pay attention to these things know, however, that the agencies are better in peddling stories about their exploits than any real intelligence work. They are all bureaucratic machines whose only major aim is to keep money flowing to their organization.
[I think that's too extreme in the opposite direction, but I take your point. g.]
Posted by: Ajit | June 18, 2009 1:10 PM
The reason US people didn't demonstrate against the 2000 election result was surely disillusionment.
Iranians are not yet disillusioned, having less experience of the working of democracy.
Posted by: julie | June 19, 2009 6:02 PM
It now appears that Paul Craig Roberts is now among those who smell a CIA rat in Teheran. My cynicism is at least shared by some smart people in Washington.
[I'm no fan of the 'color revolutions' either but I think this case should be assessed on its own terms. An excess of skepticism is no virtue. g.]
Posted by: Charles D
|
June 22, 2009 10:34 AM