America's obsession with Iran

Niloufar Parsi
by Niloufar Parsi
24-Oct-2009
 

Naom Chomsky's recent comment on the US approach to Iran in an interview with Jon Snow, 14 October 2009:

If someone was watching this from Mars, they’d collapse in ridicule.
The United States is telling Iran to stop its aggressive militarism? I
mean we occupy two countries on their border, US spending on arms is
approximately equal to the rest of the world combined, we’re
threatening them with attack and violation of the UN Charter and on and
on. Iran hasn’t invaded anyone for, probably, centuries, except for two
Arab islands that the Shah conquered with the support of the United
States.

Are there any Marsians here? I have felt like a Marsian for a while because the whole thing seems just rediculous. the biggest military bully just will not stop threatening Iran, as if we did not have enough problems of our own to sort out with a rabid theocracy, a region burning with fundamentalist fire, and an existential threat from a dangerous, nuclear-armed Israel.

what should a 'good' iranian do?

Balatarin
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Niloufar Parsi

Ostaad - re. 'we in the US'

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:05 AM PDT

actually what is funny is that i have never lived in the US myself...


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Niloufar Parsi

amirkabear4u

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:03 AM PDT

thanks for the link. nice blog from 3 years ago. this is exactly why Chomsky is one in a million. his belief in human rights is universal and not limited to people of powerful countries alone. that he makes a reference to Marsians to make his point is a sorry reflection of how alienated we humans have become of the true meaning of the notion of human rights.

Peace


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Ostaad

benross, "We folks" in the US are...

by Ostaad on Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:00 AM PDT

as you put it so eloquently, "consumed by this nonsense" because we had a court-appointed president, who believed the more Moslems you bomb the happier the world becomes!

My questions to you is, what made the "Great" Britain to follow GW's path of bloodshed and destruction into Iraq? Why did the Brits re-elect their PM poodle-turned-war criminal once they realized the Afghanistan situation would fester fester, if you folks, unlike us folks, were not consumed by such "nonsense"?

Incidentally, I do agree with your analysis of what GW did wrong in Afghanistan.

Can we please chat about that?


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Ostaad

benross, funny you are expressing your...

by Ostaad on Sun Oct 25, 2009 09:32 AM PDT

aversion to "chatroom mentality" and "sexy peaceful words" while you're doing exactly that on this site. Hate to break it to you, homie, but you ARE in a chatroom, so stop the snotty remarks and answer Niloofar's question honestly! Besides, I am still hoping to discern any sign of serious and honest engagement in "social and political battle" on your part. Believe me I'll be with you all the way if you ever came around to expressing what is it exactly that you want to do to "free" Iran, instead of talking from both sides of your mouth.

Good to know that you do believe that "bombing" won't set anyone free. I applaud the fact that you realize the futility of bombing. Then what are you exactly suggesting? Some "airtight" or "debilitating" sanctions, maybe?


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amirkabear4u

to Niloufar

by amirkabear4u on Sun Oct 25, 2009 08:53 AM PDT

You have a fair comment but there are not that many who mention what you did. I recommend you look at this blog too.

 //iranian.com/main/blog/amirkabear4u/murder-murder


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amirkabear4u

to Jamshid

by amirkabear4u on Sun Oct 25, 2009 08:49 AM PDT

You forgot 'plastic heaven keys'. haha


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vildemose

Benross: I forgot the most

by vildemose on Sun Oct 25, 2009 08:01 AM PDT

Benross: I forgot the most important quote:

Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

//www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm


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vildemose

The 'bomb' thing was a hoax

by vildemose on Sun Oct 25, 2009 07:54 AM PDT

The 'bomb' thing was a hoax from the beginning and I -and I suspect anybody not living in U.S- is puzzled how you folks are consumed by this nonsense. I

Benross, I couldn't agree more. The bomb Iran is/has been exploited to death to score political points by all sides and by all self-serving realpolitik opportunists from Timbaktu to Hunan province in China. I imagine it will be used forever and indefinitely for a long time to come.

 

“How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think”

 Adolf Hitler quote

 

The art of leadership. . . consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention. . . .”

 Adolf Hitler quote

By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise”

 Adolf Hitler quote


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Niloufar Parsi

benross

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:47 AM PDT

this time you lost me from the word go with your 'If it made us 'free' yes.'

can you give me an example of this bombing for freedom ever having worked in human history?

you then go on making a host of hypothetical claims on how afghanistan would or could have worked while you ignore the very fact that no foreign invader has ever succeeded in that country. even chingis khan failed there.

as for your claim to be above the 'chatroom mentality', i would say that those who make it a habit of being condescending and dismissive of others' views, are not really the best judges of how and when democracy and freedom can work. being free in a democratic context necessitates being inclusive and open minded.


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Niloufar Parsi

kharmagas

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 07:17 AM PDT

regardless of how 'bad' you are, give us your answer pls!

Abarmard khan,

thanks and likewise! 

Peace


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kharmagas

right on Nilou!

by kharmagas on Sun Oct 25, 2009 06:54 AM PDT

"what should a 'good' iranian do?"

Nice and brief. I wanted to answer your question, but I realized I am not a good Iranian.

P.S: Liked your Yawn...


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benross

that is a little cryptic of

by benross on Sun Oct 25, 2009 06:20 AM PDT


that is a little cryptic of you! let me ask: should we support US bombing of iran just to be 'free'? Iraq and afghanistan come to mind.

If it made us 'free' yes. But obviously it doesn't. What makes us free is what we do for it. The 'bomb' thing was a hoax from the beginning and I -and I suspect anybody not living in U.S- is puzzled how you folks are consumed by this nonsense. I wouldn't put Iraq and Afghanistan in the same basket as many so conveniently do. Afghanistan needed an international intervention, way before 9/11. The neglect of that period led to that event and then the disaster of Bush era. Even if the intervention after 9/11 was fully committed to a stable Afghanistan, with all financial resources necessary, it wouldn't have reached the current situation that Taleban terror is making a comeback. The whole population of Afghanistan (with the exception of some southern parts) was embracing the intervention but didn't see any help and substantial assistance for rebuilding their country. This is not what Taleban gained. This is what international community lost because Bush was too busy messing up Iraq. So I agree with Obama take on this issue. It seems though that for Obama it is now too late and he can't get American support of the level of commitment that Afghanistan needs. But you apparently would prefer to put it on the popularity of Taleban as you put it on popularity of 'islamic democracy' for Iran! Dear Niloofar, it is one thing to put forward an idea for engaging a political and social battle, and it's something else to come forward, nice and tidy, with a chat room mentality, to throw few sexy and 'peaceful' words around. I'm not of the latter.


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Abarmard

Chomsky looks at it from human lens

by Abarmard on Sun Oct 25, 2009 06:16 AM PDT

He has a great point here. Chomsky is a great American who promotes the ideas of humanity and freedom of speech. Rare to find these days.

Thanks Niloufar Parsi and happy Sunday.


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Niloufar Parsi

jamshid

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 01:54 AM PDT

thanks for the response. i obviously misread you. and you obviously missed my reference to our 'rabid theocracy'.

Peace


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Niloufar Parsi

EPC

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 01:44 AM PDT

Yawn...


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jamshid

Re: Niloufar

by jamshid on Sun Oct 25, 2009 01:44 AM PDT

I was just curious to know your view, that's all. Your getting a hint of "death to reformist" is misplaced though.

BTW, my question was not whether or not there is something wrong with being a reformist. My question was are you one or not. This should give you a hint of curiosity, not death to this or that.


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ex programmer craig

PS

by ex programmer craig on Sun Oct 25, 2009 01:13 AM PDT

Did Chomsky really write that? It looks like a blog comment or something. Not only is his use of language sloppy, he's all over the place. I would have thought he could do better, considering he's being promoted as a world class intellectual. I've heard more persuasive rants from people who were on LSD. I'm kinda glad that guy is not on my side lol.


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ex programmer craig

NP

by ex programmer craig on Sun Oct 25, 2009 01:07 AM PDT

...agree with you about the stupid chants. somehow many iranians got used
to wishing for death to nations routinely and mindlessly. it is simply
dumb.

And yet, that's exactly what you did in your comment with all that US bashing :o

Interesting how the only American you and ID seem to endorse is the one American who criticizes his own country more than any other. I guess nobody is allowed to connect those dots, though, right?  It would be unfair!

 


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Niloufar Parsi

the good and the bad

by Niloufar Parsi on Sun Oct 25, 2009 12:55 AM PDT

Jamshid

agree with you about the stupid chants. somehow many iranians got used to wishing for death to nations routinely and mindlessly. it is simply dumb.

as for whether i am a reformist, i think we all are. it is the least we could do. i don't understand the relevance of the constitution here. of course i do not support the current constitution. but i somehow get a hint of 'death to reformists' from this part of your comment... what is worng with being a reformist?

benross

that is a little cryptic of you! let me ask: should we support US bombing of iran just to be 'free'? Iraq and afghanistan come to mind.

and what exactly is wrong with the iranian intelligentsia? i watched many of the US intelligentsia cheer Bush while thousands of iraqis were blown to bits, literally. i read a bold, unashamed lead article in the Economist supporting that murderous campaign. funny, they apologized for not seeing the economic crisis coming (great economists...), but they never apologized for cheering a fascist slaughter innocents for oil.

ID

i only saw the above quote myself, but it really says a lot in a short space. does not need much expanding. thanks for the link. i guess the message of my blog is that we are caught in a catch-22. damned if we do, damned if we don't. 

Peace


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IRANdokht

Chomsky makes sense (again)

by IRANdokht on Sat Oct 24, 2009 08:28 PM PDT

Thank you Niloufar jan. It doesn't take someone from Mars to see how ridiculous this obsession is. All you have to do is look at the nuclear capability of countries like North Korea, Pakistan, India and Israel, to know all the hoopla about Iran is nonsense.

I admire Chomsky for his concise analysis of the world politics.I couldn't find the full interview, I found the excerpts of it here. I learned more about the health care crisis too. 

Thanks for the post

IRANdokht


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benross

A good Iranian should cheer

by benross on Sat Oct 24, 2009 08:02 PM PDT

A good Iranian should cheer for one hezbolahi over the other. Maybe a good Iranian should remain a spectator of what is going on in Iran? I don't want to be a 'good' Iranian. I want to be a free Iranian and fight for freedom of Iranians, wherever I am.

btw this 'new left' Chomsky was quite a rotten left, last time that I checked... fifteen years ago. But Iranian intelligentsia, frozen in time and rotten in content is nothing new.


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jamshid

"what should a 'good'

by jamshid on Sat Oct 24, 2009 07:40 PM PDT

"what should a 'good' iranian do? "

He or she can start by not burning US flags or marching on them, or not to chant "death to US", or not to have a "death to the US" day, or not to call it names such as Great Satan, and so on.

How's that for starters?

One could learn a lot from our brave young men and women in Iran. We may not be able to control the bully's behavior, but we certainly can control our own.

I have a question I want to ask you Niloufar. Are you a reformist? Do you support the constitution of the IRI?


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