ETERAZ

Dear Parthian

Thank you for your enlightening comments. Allow me to make one thing clear here. There are millions of Iranians who have emmigtared/fled/took refuge from Iran to the USA, Europe, Australia, Asia and elsewhere. Among them are significant many who would return to their homeland if the mullahs were removed from power. These Iranians are different from those, like Mr eimanz and Trita Parsi, who are considering themselves as first American and then Iranian. They are fooling themselves and their adopted governments by encouraging their host nation/government to enter into a trade and buisness partnership with the very mullahs from whose corrupt and despotic rule they apparently fled. They critisized the former Shah of Iran for being a stooge of the West, admonished the West for investing in his despotic and corrupt empire and now they recommend the exact opposite to their host nations, i.e. investing and entering into a partnership with the corrupt and despotic regime of the mullahs. They are the same people who claim that Iranian revolution was a geniune popular movement without the foreign interference (deliberately ignoring the roles of the BBC, and General Huiyzer's nuetrilizing-the-army mission) and now suggest that if the US opens a branch of the Google in and reopen their Embassy in Tehran, this would help topple the regime!!

Dear Parthian,

Thankfully not all Iranians who ended up in America or Europe are like this type of Iranians. There are those Iranians, like yourself, who still love their roots and are not confusing themselves with Americans or Europeans like eimanzs of this world.

Hafez must have you in his mind when he wrote this poetic verse:

دل قوی دار که در کشتی نوح

هست خاکی که به آبی نخرد توفان را

Thank you.

FT

eimanz

Majority rules?????What the hell do you mean by that????...All Iranians needs to be part of the next constitution after this regime...That was a selfish ignorant quote I ever heard...
And your other qoute
"build business connections that benefit both parties" With that regime??? I rest my case....

Re: eimanz

Watch how you and your "heroes" are going to bring war, killing and devastation to Iran while you get to watch it all from the comfort of your western home.

Oh by the way, I am not talking about the Bushites and neocons, I am talking about those self-thankful Iranians who don't even lift a finger to change the behavior of the IRI whom is not only going to take Iran to war, hand in hand with neocons, but also is crushing the people of Iran inside.

"Iranians there are already making progress, and they do not want anyone from outside helping them..."

Iranians don't want outside influence. But what progress are you talking about?

"In the end, what we all want is a democratic and representative Iran, where majority rules, and minorities have rights..."

Oh really? Dang! Where have I been? I am enlightened! So what else can you teach us? What else is new? I thought we all wanted a dictatorship where a select few minority rules, you know like the IRI?

"I think the best way toward that is to lift the sanctions so Iranian-Americans like myself can travel to Iran and build business connections that benefit both parties..."

And so that we can make an extra buck or two out of those exploited Iranian people? So you want to share with the IRI, haan?

"and slowly get the Iranian people so connected to the globalized world, that the government will be forced to make concessions..."

How detached from the realities of Iran and the IRI you must be. Either that or you must be astronomically naive to think that the IRI is going to roll over like a nice dog and dig its own grave.

Tell me, what do you think of all those who are rotting in IRI's prisons? Or those who are getting executed on a daily basis? What about those girls who are sold for prostitution? Or all those drug addicts that are losing their lives? Should they wait another 50 years for things to change while you are enjoying a good life in the West? Or while you would make a buck or two from doing business in Iran?

They are all expendable, aren't they mister? Better yet, they don't even exist. However, YOU do exist and you are all comfy. And that's all that matter.

FT

I think you should definetly continue to question the motivations of Trita Parsi and all other leaders in our community. It was our parent's failure to do this with Khomeini that cause the Revolution to turn out so badly and costly for our people.

I've done the same thing. The more and more I read up on Trita and his thoughts and opinions, the more I have become convinced of his arguments. He is not pro-IRI, not at all. Nor has the US been entirely anti-IRI, mind you. Politics is a funny game when the enemy of your enemy is your friend. IF you read Trita's book on US-Iran-Israel relations, you'll see just how much is going on underneath the covers.

IF we as a community allow the current US government to respond to Iran militarily, we will have done a great disservice to those living in Iran currently. Why? Because the motivations of such an attack are under question. After their experience with Iraq, the American population as a whole are now doubting the intentions and competence of our current government to be able to take on a large a task as imposing democracy in Iran. 

Do you really think that Iraq was attacked for anything other than US control over that region? My research tells me that the Republican wing of the country believes it needed control and access to that part of the world, whether for oil or for simple control. They don't trust that anyone in that region could be able to stand up for a free, democratic society. 

And with Iran, everyone I know wants the IRI gone. Especially the velayat faghi, which is essentially a dictatorship. But how to go about it? Another revolution? An external attack? I say no to either, and I think those bold enough to live in Iran at the moment should be the ones to decide what to do next. NOT us Iranian-Americans, who have such a great opportunities here (for the most part). Iranians there are already making progress, and they do not want anyone from outside helping them, just as those running for US Congress or Senate don't want contributions from any Chinese official. 

Yet as Iranian-Americans, what we DO have a responsibility about is how this country behaves. And if you do your research well enough, you'll see that US Foreign Policy in the Middle East has been nothing but a disaster. They support dictators because of our addiction to oil, and whats WORSE is that they hide it from the American people. A great example of this is the first Gulf War, to protect Kuwait. Bush I made that mission sound like one to save the Kuwaitis from the evils of Saddam Hussein (whom the US was friends with a couple of days back). Yet, declassified memos show that the main reason that war was waged was to protect US oil interests. 

In the end, what we all want is a democratic and representative Iran, where majority rules, and minorities have rights. I think the best way toward that is to lift the sanctions so Iranian-Americans like myself can travel to Iran and build business connections that benefit both parties, and slowly get the Iranian people so connected to the globalized world, that the government will be forced to make concessions to keep itself in the globalized world. 

For All Americans Who Can Think...or Would Like to Learn

Mr. Parsi is an eloquent speaker and highlights valid points with grace. The issue of nuclear capabilities is Iran's business and frankly, their absolute right.
Look at how Bush has attacked, invaded, occupied, and created puppet governments in 2 countries next to Iran...they're almost surrounded by aggressives. Now Bush has been threatening to invade Iran...based on "what if" or "maybe". Can you blame Iran if they want to defend themselves?!? Iran has not attacked anyone and does not want to, but if attacked, she has a RIGHT to protect herself from rapists who just want her oil for themselves and create lies to trick sheep-minded Americans.
Who is really the threatening type? America who is going around attacking and invading and then ironically falsely accusing? Or a nation that has thus far not actually done anything?!
Who is more dangerous with a nuclear weapon? People who are invading other countries (BUSH!). I think that other countries should demand that the USA should DISMANTLE American WMD's (after all American has NUCLEAR WEAPONS, IS NO ONE ELSE ALLOWED TO HAVE THEM?!)...not the other way around.
Stupidity is frightening.

I am just waiting for their next argument..

I am just anticipating their other main argument, mainly comes in context of politics. "Don't isolate the regime, no precondition because it will be perceived as a threat, don't give the regime excuse for their failure..........."

Free Thinker is absolutely right...

Mr FT,

You are talking to the wrong folks about rational thinking, and the need for evidence for an argument. Many (not all) of these folks are driven by money, and greed, a way to exploit the Iranian people more, with more efficient tools. They are either directly involved in business in Iran, or have close family and friends who are exploiting a broken system in Iran.

The arguments for (or against) sanctions are not crystal clear. Neither Mr Parsi, Sadegh, or anyone else have been able to put forth a solid ECONOMIC argument for lifting the sanction. The argument they have basically boils down to " these sanctions hurt ordinary people more than it does the government."

This is completely false, and an emotional argument. At 140 dollars/barrel of oil, Iranian people are poorer than ever before. According to IR's own accouting, and whistle blowers,some 35 billion dollars are completely missing from the books. This is not a sanction problem, but a management problem. Indeed, before these sanctions in 05, all basic necessity could be traded and imported from Europe. The problem in Iran is corruption, and mismanagement, not sanctions. There is no evidence that the benefit of lifting of sanctions would "trickle" down to the ordinary Iranians. Mr Sadegh, we are not about to accept yours, or Mr Parsi's version of Vodoo economics.

Furthermore, having access to the American markets would provide the regime with more efficient tools to exploit Iran and the Iranian people. There is no guarantee that International market forces, or trade with United states would guarantee the liberalization of the Iranian economy. Iranian economy resembles that of 1930's Al Capone's mafia, chicago style mercentalism. No amount of market forces in near term can liberalize that economy as long as Iran has a valuable commodity such as oil. Please spare us these nonsense, and by nonsense I mean the way you or Mr Parsi attempt to care for the "poor" Iranian masses. 

why now and here ?

Iran is our motherland, And U.S has been a good father to most of us here for the past 30 yrs;we should not judge our parents!
But mr Parsi insist focusing on the economical pressure and hardships on middle incomes, more sounds like alligatore's tears' to prolong the IRI's existence to kill and maime more of the mass inside Iran,
We have to admit and accept that then back in the 1970-78 we never had suffering middlle incomes Be honest liken of ABAR MARD and lots of other bloggers here can tell you that. are we kidding the world or trying to insult the west's inteligents' with islamist double face TAQIYE ?

Messers Sadegh and eimanz

Perhaps you should direct your questions to Mr TP or are you suggesting whatever TP says must be accepted without a challenge? You are free to follow, blindly as it seems, TP or whoever you like but please don't expect others to follow your example. This is against all known principle of scientific debate that instead of coming with supporting evidence for your claims and showing the sources of your evidence, you, or TP through his supporters like you, suggest that the onus of proof is on the challenger and not the proposer!!

Mr Sadegh, the more I hear from TP and his followers, the more I am convinced that you are all sham. You have redefined every acceptable concept that you must have learned while coming into contact with the western mentality and the way of thinking. The fact that TP and NIAC are given publicity in Iranian-American circles (or American-Iranian circles as you seem to prefer) is evidence enough that you people are completely detached from the realities of life in the homeland you have chosen to leave for the more comfortable and profitable shores of a foreign land, in this case the USA.

I have stated in my previous writings and state it again that your Americanzied Iranians are giving the worst and the most distorted impression of the homeland you decided to abandon, to the nation you have chosen to live among. Just look at what your fellow follower eimanz is suggesting in his comment. Turning Iran into a mini China (dreaming is not taxable) and what is China: a dictatorship of the few over the masses. Mr eimanz, I suggest you start lobbying for your suggestions in the Iranian parliament as from tomorrow — before it is too late!!

FT

taste

I can only agree with has been said by T.Parsi.

BUT, as a public figure representing iranian americans, Trita should consider a new look. Let me explain myself, this beard is just ugly,and the wet look haircut is so out of style.

I believe the guy has spent some time in Sweden, Iranians are very stylished there for some reason. When I was in the US I was constantly amazed by the bad taste reflected in iranians clothing, and grooming. They THINK they have style but in reality they don't.

Thank God I grew up in Europe

Parsi and NIAC - you go!

Agha - this dude is awesome. Thank GOD there is at least one Iranian-American daring to speak out and tell people what actually is going on. Makes me proud to be an Iranian-American!

Trita Parsi, damesh garm

Trita is spot on when saying that US sanctions against have not worked to change Iran's policies.

He brings up an even more interesting point that if you talk about sanctions (the lifting of them/imposing of them) when at the negotiating table, only THEN would there be actual effects of sanctions. But since the US has refused to directly engage Iran, we wouldn't even know what would happen at that table. 

I personally think that we should immediatly open all economic connections with Iran, with the exception of any material that could be used for miltary purposes. The US government (OFAC probably) could go ahead and keep track of these transation for a while, to make sure their pattern is one that is to the benefit of the US economy (which it would be), but after a while would reasses and open up the economic pipeline fully. 

Do you realize how many smart Iranian engineers we could hire, instead of outsourcing to India or China? Sharif University if the MIT of the Middle East.  

Do you see how many systems have yet to be developed for Iranians around the globe, due to these sanctions?

You let amazing American companies, like HP, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, all into Iran, and you will see them flourish in that region of the world. 

My 2 cents, 

Eiman

All due respect but on what

All due respect but on what grounds are such statistics bogus? Can you show how their methodology was flawed? Are you insinuating that American-Iranians and American-Jewry are in fact pro-war? What proof is there that Iran will have the A-bomb by '09? Sources in Mossad maybe, but the the US's own NIE has stated that any trace of a nuclear weapons program ceased in 2003...It seems you just make assertions and don't even bother with 'bogus statistics'...Mr. Parsi is a tireless intellectual and lobbyist who deals with hard realities and brute facts, please don't defame the man, unless you have credible evidence to back up your claims...I for one (but also scores of other Iranians) am grateful for the great work of Trita Parsi and the NIAC...

Ba Arezu-ye Movafaghiat, Sadegh

Iranian statistics again

Mr Parsi has been afflicted by the same bug as million of Iranians have - the statistics bug. To support his agenda, he comes up with bogus statistics. But this aside, he deliberately skips the suggestion by Pepe that Iran may have the A-bomb by the end 2009. Also Parsi sees some advantage in that sanctions impose a leverage against the Iranian government and yet it says sanction is an act of war. Can he decide if sanctions are effective or not? And finally, he is openly supporting the Muslimization of Obama - much to the pleasure of his pals in Iran.