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Evil de jour
04-Oct-2007
Nothing in the entire world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
Every now and then when some poor country is about to receive some American military attention, the American people are prepared by an intense and unceasing propaganda. They are bombarded day in and day out by what a threat the leader of that country is to the peace loving, civilized and democratic people of the United States. Newspapers, TVs, Radios, blogs and anything else that can in anyway convey a message to the people are employed to present this person as the worst of the worst.
I don’t know if you remember the invasion of Panama in 1989; but it was just the same then as it is now. Manuel Noriega the president of Panama, who incidentally for many years had worked for the CIA (for Bush Senior), was no longer following the orders from Washington. The US decided to replace him.
Overnight Mr. Noriega became the most evil man on the planet. He was the dictator and a drug lord that had to be dealt with. He was made responsible for the entire drug trafficking in the US. He was made the most dangerous man in the world. He was the cruellest dictator that ever existed. In addition we were told that people of Panama deserved “democracy”.
After a short while the American people started thinking that if Mr. Noriega was removed then the drug problem in the US would vanish as well. So on December 1989 twenty seven thousand American soldiers invaded Panama. However, in order to keep the democratic tradition alive in Panama, a few hours prior to the invasion, US military appointed Mr. Guillermo Endara as the new President of Panama. The ceremony took place inside a US military base in the Panama Canal Zone.
Well, as you can see the drug problem is still there. Mr. Noriega turned-out to be nothing but a CIA agent that wasn’t following the orders. After a few months people forgot all about it. Later it was Saddam Hussein that became the most evil person in the world. Once again the media started the same old song and dance routine. The Gulf War ensued and thousands of people were killed.
Now it is Iran’s turn; and the Evil de jour is Mr. Ahmadinejad. He is described as anything from Hitler reincarnate to the most dangerous man on earth. Never mind that he is not the head of an army, or that he has no real power; the main thing is that he is EVIL. Never mind that there are no Iranian troops in Canada or Mexico; never mind that he does not possess thousands of nuclear missiles; he is still the most dangerous man alive and we have to do something about him.
It always amazes me to see that people, time and again, fall for the same old song and dance routine. Don’t you ever get a sense of déjà vu? Can’t people see that they are being, so openly, manipulated? Apparently not.
The very people who are preparing us for another war are the only ones that are going to benefit from it. Majority always lose and most likely you and I will be among the losers. We are the ones who have to pay for it, and believe me we will. We are already doing it by having to work more just to make ends meet. But no amount of money can give one that joy of seeing “our boys” smashing those evil, backward people, right?
We may feel great for a while seeing all those smart bombs killing thousands of people, but the feeling of the superiority along with the entertainment that war footage provides will be fleeting. After a few months of the bloodshed and after a few leaks, one begins to question the wisdom of it all. But by then most people will have forgotten that they were also one of those that supported the war.
As you shake your head and hope for it all to end soon, you are presented with a surge. You hope that if more troops are poured-in things will cool down. But as soon as you begin to realise that this was a bad idea, another EVIL man is identified, and you begin to think that something has to be done about him otherwise the world as we know it will come to an end. And so things will just continue to deteriorate and before you know it the country is involved in a war that it no longer can extricate itself from.
Meanwhile, all these wars and threats of war are frightening people around the world. People are asking themselves who is going to be next? There is already a joke going around in the Muslim world about this huge bold eagle and the fox. It goes something like this: once a zebra saw a fox distraught and running wild in the jungle. The zebra stopped the fox and asked him what was wrong. The fox answered: you know about the huge eagle don’t you? The zebra answered yes. The fox said: “well, she’s gone crazy. The eagle says that she has dreamt that there is an animal with three testicles that is going to destroy the jungle”. The zebra smiled and said: “well none of us has three testicles, so why are you running?” The fox said: “because the eagle first pulls out the testicles and then she counts them.” After hearing this, the zebra started running as well.
Well one might find this joke funny, but it depicts the feeling of the people other than the US and its allies. Fear breeds hatred and hatred leads to war. It is always easy to start a war, but extremely difficult to end one. As the journalists go around and pat themselves on the shoulder for coming-up with the best “evil...” title of the day, they should realise that they are unwittingly paving the road to another war.
Dr. Abbas Bakhtiar lives in Norway. He is a management consultant and a contributing writer for many online journals. He can be contacted by e-mail at:Bakhtiarspace-articles@yahoo.no
Copyright Abbas Bakhtiar, all rights reserved.
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To MORONI AGHA-MOSHE or
by Anonymousz (not verified) on Sat Oct 06, 2007 07:45 PM PDTTo MORONI AGHA-MOSHE or AGHAZADEH upstart:
Norway is one the largest producer of non-OPEC oil:
//www.norway.org/business/businessnews/oilpro...
CANADA's oil reserves is only second to Saudi Arabai also a non-OPEC country.
Did you graduate from Univesity of Quom or a Madarassa in Egypt????
To Gilani
by Agha-Moshe (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 06:06 PM PDTUSA has already got the good part of the Mexico (i.e. Texas) with a lot of oil in it.
Norway has no oil in it and Canada has no oil either.
That's why Uncle SAM does not bother with them.
They only worried about the democracy and human rights where there is oil. That's all. Also read about the new world order (Nezame Novine Jahani).
Shoma Ahmaghha
by Ebi007 (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 05:35 PM PDTAlbateh Shoma ahmaghha ke door az Iran hastin malome ke kaketun ham nemighaze va hagh darid az in maghale be in khubi irad begirid.
Khoda ye aghli be shoma bede ye pooli ham be man,ghol midam poolamo bedam ye timarestan dorost konam baraye shoma ha ;-)
Merci Mr.Bakhtiar
Khoda ghovat
Give the world a break!
by AmericanPersian (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 12:00 PM PDTDear Anti-Spy,
Mr. Bakhtiar is pointing to the fact that American imperialism is about to destroy the country of Iran with or without mullahs in it and people are just sitting back and watching. If you had read some history you can see that in the past 100 years Iran has been invaded by foreign forces and been subject to regime changes by imperialists and in none of those instances mullahs were in power. Do you really think that by invading and destroying Iran which includes grandmothers, children and infrastructures the world will be a better place? Maybe it would for the American military-industrial-congressional complex. Don’t you think that if Mossadegh were not overthrown, the mullahs would not be in power now? “The human catastrophes in Iran due to the IRI's atrocity” are nothing compare to what’s been happening with Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib prison and extraordinary renditions with water-boarding. Stop drumming for war and please stop cheerleading for more profits for Dick Cheney’s Halliburton and KBR, and Erik Prince’s Blackwater USA.
P.S. I definitely do not have a stake in mullahs regime.
Ban pro-IRi materials
by J.Rashidian (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:08 AM PDTCan, in the name of free media, one defend the Nazi ideology, racism, misogyny, terrorism, or in one word, the IRI?
The site must avoid posting materials defending the IRI. This posting is a violation to democracy and an unfair advantage to IRI's organised propaganda on this side.
People like Bahktiar have access to all IRI's media, they should not be allowed to post pro-IRI propaganda in democratic media.
Iran or IRI
by Anti-Spy (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 08:05 AM PDTMr. Bakhtiar
How many times have you warned people of a foreign attack on Iran? How many times have you repeated this possible danger?
But if you do not have a stake in Mullahs' regime, why you never mention the human catastrophes in Iran due to the IRI's atrocity?
Are not the Mullahs the defacto occupiers of Iran?
Are not milions of Iranians paying a high price because of this three-decade occupation?
Why do you fervenly oppose a possible attack of foreigners while accept the most barbaric regime in Iran?
Mr. Bakhtiar One day when
by Anti-Mullahs (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 07:09 AM PDTMr. Bakhtiar
One day when the IRI is in the dustpin of history, your likes have a very tough time to find new argument.
Think of your own miserable future instead of that of Ahmadinejad.
Invite you all to read about
by DR.S (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 06:34 AM PDTInvite you all to read about Persuation routes . Central and Peripheral. You then can say on which base you believe anything. But even then, believing anything or anything else does not give you the right to react on some one elses comment in such bad behvior. It will identify your nature immediately.
The fact that your name is
by DR.S (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 06:22 AM PDTThe fact that your name is khashmgin is alright ... but by the arouasal which your text invites me to clear things up: you are not friendly or diplomatic. So please don't be such an ignorant person online! and just think about your own in-group favorism which you are in. Thats better!!! In case that you would need an explaination on this comment. I advise you once again (second free advise) to find the nearest Social Psychology specialist to help you out.
The Islamic Republic and the
by Gilani (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 02:41 AM PDTThe Islamic Republic and the naiveté of political wisdom among Iranians are forming and fueling the current atmosphere for a war against Iran. How come the great Satan does not consider invading Norway, Canada or Mexico if the Americans are warmongers?
Re: Goldust
by khashmgin (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 02:20 AM PDTGoldust ey boozineh, you want to prevent the spread of zionism at the expense of Iranian people suffering, just so that your psycho complex can be alliviated? @#%$ you, son of a @#@#. You desease riddled half eaten carcass of a @#@#$ rat.
khashmgin1
A funny remark...
by khashmgin (not verified) on Fri Oct 05, 2007 01:56 AM PDTAt the end of his article abbas aghaa has this bit: "Copyright Abbas Bakhtiar, all rights reserved."
.
Is this a joke? Copyright? COPYRIGHT? I couldn't stop laughing! Copyright what Mr., oops, Dr. Bakhtiar? I bet that next you want to copyright and trademark the contents of your garbage dump?
.
Be afraid Abbas, when the time comes, we will find a legal way to ship you back to Iran from Norway so you can attend your trial. Be sure of it ahah abbas.
.
khashmgin1
You who wrote this, is the fool "tout jour" !
by Saloumeh (not verified) on Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:20 PM PDTAH, not again. You are such a puppet of the Islamic Republic. Trying to shut negative comments made against the government, afraid of what may happen. You are such a puppet because you have been conditions with fear. This government has done nothing positive for it's people. It has detroyed everything, the most important of all humanity.
Stop confusing the two. I am against war with Iran, yet I will also voice my strong objection regarding the government of Iran, and the acts of terror it subjects Iranians to. You should be ashamed of yourself, last time you had a revolution is was all done IN SPITE ! In spite of "Imperialism". People who considers themselves a communist or a feminist, going under the unbrella of Islam to unify for the revolution?? I mean how under developed were you politicaly? Who lost?, we did. Who gained, the "west". We lost our social freedoms, we were given a chance to evolve beautifuly into a nation which citizens were building their social laws, freedoms...
Now that people are actually fighting for their freedoms instead of it being given to them; risking thier lives, to gain some social justice and freedom you try to stop thier voices from being heard. WHY? THE SAME REASON AS BEFORE... 'IMPERIALIST" ! You're motives are wounded, you are abused, by who...the "Imperialist". Iranians wanting human rights does not matter again, as in 1979. I don't understand how you have been conditioned to associate Imperialism with human rights??? just as you did in the last revolution. We are the fools everytime. Instead of learning from our history, and not carry the baggage with us, we do it everytime. Instead of a nation banning together under the umbrealla of human rights, we united under the umbrella of Islam. This time, let's not let the west affect us, and cotrol us like a little puppet, by playing with our historical baggages. Let's use this moment for our nations wants and needs. Instead of the "jews" voices being heard about our nation denying the holocaust, or the "Imperialists" about their Nuclear Issues. We need to be the loudest!, our needs are the most impotant, not theirs ! We should be the one's who are the loudest!, our voices of discontent for the Islamic Republic system should be way louder then theirs ! They should be the background. Our need for basic human rights is more important, then their needs. AND should be placed above all!
If you were a " real person ", who's care for Iran was it's people. Then you would know that we have been at war with our government for years. We are the one's who have been kept hostage for 29 years. Our was with the IRI is more important then their ! Don't you understand, we should be the one's who are drawing attention to our country. Just like Burma has right now let's say, or South Africa did then. South Africa would never have evolved as it did without international support. What I'm trying to say is that everything should be in reverse. Our cries for freedom should be the driving force of bad pulicity for our government, not the denyial of the holocaust or the nuclear issue. ARE WELESS THEN THEY ? WE ARE NO LESS. WE ARE THE ONES' WHO HAVE SUFFERED THE MOST, WE ARE THE ONE'S WHO ARE SUFFERING, NOT THEM ! IF WE HAVE THE INTERNATIONAL EYES ON US, WE SHOULD USE IT. NOT THEM AGAIN USING IT ON US! ALLOWING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO GAIN ATTENTION REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN IRAN, AND GAINING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR OUR OWN CAUSE FOR ONCE! JUST FOR ONCE FOR OUR OWN SAKE !
For any other reason would be less.
Zionists Iran's enemy No.1
by gol-dust on Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:04 PM PDTIsrael and AIPAC who control the US media, economy, movies, congress, presidents, really everything here are the ones who having working behind the scenes for decades to attack IRAN! as long as iran is defending the homelss palestinians whom have been slaughtered by the zionists, iran is considered their enemy. iran is the only power can prevent the spread of zionist in the middle east. therefore preventing their dreams coming true. of course, they try to remove the problem. after all they are the cause of all the major wars including iran-iraq war, persian gulf war, iraq war, and coming soon near you, iran war. the more i see what they do the more i get mad at them. Hell, if iran is atacked, israel will see the handwriting on the wall. these war mongers, they are ruining everyones lives! may they go to hell!
On the Evil The Jour article.
by Agha-moshe (not verified) on Thu Oct 04, 2007 04:51 PM PDTYour article captures the facts beautifully. I am starting to believe that New World Order is no longer a conspiracy theory but a very sad reality. But what is the solution? Majority of Westerners are so much used to being fed lies that they have lost their natural instinct to detect it anymore. This is the true realization of mushroom management, i.e. keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit.
Many years ago I heard someone at the Speakers' corner in London Hyde park saying, "The Americans are the only nation in the world that have gone from savagery to high tech era without passing through the civilisation".
Now I realize he was absolutely right.